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Big Swing Day
Yesterday was swing day. Two Phillies wins and a loss by the Marlins meant a 6.5 game lead. If the opposite occurred, the lead would be 3.5.
Thanks to the starters, Kyle and Pedro, the Phillies won both games. Last time they did that at home was a year ago today (Milwaukee). Combined, Kyle and Pedro gave up two runs in their time on the mound.
The bullpen was shaky again but picked up a save in each game. The offense continued to sputter. The one run in the second game was produced by the first three batters in the first. After that, zero.
Shane's 10th homer in the first game made him the first player in the majors this year to reach double figures in doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases. He fell two triples shy a year ago.
Stairs Climbing
Matt has moved into the Phillies record book. His five pinch homers this season match the club record set by 3B Gene Freese 50 years ago.
In his brief career in pinstripes, Stairs has hit seven pinch homers (regular season). That ties OF Ricky Ledee for second place on the club's all-time list and leaves him two shy of the record set by OF Cy Williams.
Williams played 13 seasons with the Phillies (1918-30). Matt's career so far is seven months.
Owens Award
OF Michael Taylor and RHP Kyle Drabek will receive their Paul Owens Awards prior to tomorrow night's game.
In addition to receiving the awards, they will have a media session in the dugout, sign autograph for customers in the Hall of Fame Club and appear as a guest on Jim Jackson's pre-game radio show.
Lakewood in Finals
LHP Matt Way, selected in the 5th round in June out of Washington State U., will start tonight at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood in the first game of the best-of-five South Atlantic League championship against the Greenville Drive (Red Sox). May won the first game Wednesday in the opening round against Kannapolis. RHP Trevor May won the second game. The Way-May boys.
After home games tonight and tomorrow, the series shifts to Fluor Field in Greenville, SC, for the rest of the series. All games begin at 7:05 p.m.
You can follow the results on the Daily Minor League roundup.
Phillies Insider is also on twitter as barons63.


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Three Steps to Reactivating Old Customers
By David Wrobel
January 17, 2006
David Wrobel's experience has been in the direct sales industry building a company with a partner from two people to more than 500 and $15 million in annual sales in five years. He brings a unique perspective to the day spa and health club industry through his marketing and business coaching. David has authored two books: Life Balloon and 45 Little Known Marketing Strategies That Will Have Your Health Club/Day Spa Leap Frogging Over the Competition.
When a person walks through the doors of your day spa for the first time, he or she has overcome one of the first obstacles you have in securing them as a customer. After trying out your products or services, they will have a good idea about what you offer. But how do you get them to return again and again? Every business, especially day spas, has a long list of past customers that for various reasons have not returned for months or years. Here are three steps to reactivate your old customers and pump up your profits for the new year.
1. Update your list. Review your records all the way back to the day you opened(I hope they are on your computer and not on index cards) to find anyone who has not returned in the last five months. If you do not have your list on your computer, enter the data into an easy-to-use program such as Microsoft Excel. Once you have your list together, run it through Microsoft Direct Mail Manager to verify and update addresses.
2. Write your letter. To generate immediate cash within a two-week period, send your former clients a letter from the owner asking them to come back and see you. An invitation is not always enough, so make sure you give them a product, service or offer they can't refuse such as a free facial, massage or one-time discount. The most important question to ask yourself before deciding what to give away is: "How much is one customer worth to me in a year?" Why is this so important? If you don't know how much a client is worth to you, you will have no idea how much you can afford to spend to get them back as a customer. To be successful in your advertising efforts, this information is essential.
3. Follow up. This last step is the most important and one most businesses leave out: follow-up letters. After the first group has responded to your offer, mail a second letter to everyone who didn't respond (two weeks from the first mailing) and a third and final letter to everyone who didn't respond to the first two letters, (two weeks from the second mailing). Generally, your response rate will go something like this: a 2 to 3 percent response to your first mailing, a 4 to 5 percent response rate to your second mailing and a 4 to 5 percent response rate to your third mailing. An actual case study of day spas using this technique and letters realized a 16 percent return. The sequence of three letters should take place in a 30-day period. (If you would like a copy of the actual letters, e-mail me at [email protected]
Now that you have reactivated your old customers, it is vital that you update their information, including their e-mail addresses and make them an offer to come see you again within a two- to three-week period. I don't have to tell you how important customer service will be in getting them to return again and again. A follow-up call within three days of their first visit will almost cement them in as a lifetime customer.
How to Get the Best Response Rate From Your Mailings
1. Personalize the envelope. People sort their mail into two categories. One pile has bills, subscriptions and letters from friends.The other pile has anything that looks like junk mail or a direct sales letter. To get your letter in the first pile rather than thrown directly in the trash can, hand write the envelope and put a stamp on it.
2. Use an attention- grabbing headline. Try something that will stop them dead in their tracks such as "I Have a Free Gift Waiting for You."
3. Use an attention- grabbing graphic such as a black and white picture of a present.
4. Have a great offer. You must offer them something to get them to return. If they have been visiting another day spa, you have to realize 10 percent off may not be enough to get them back.
5. Have a call to action with a deadline. You must tell them what you want them to do and when you want them to do it. For example, "Call today to book your service, and reserve your free gift."
6. Remind them of the special offer and deadline, or use a testimonial.

subset: commoncrawl


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Just when the romance between Beauty and the Beast's Catherine (Kristin Kreuk) and Vincent (Jay Ryan) is heating up, Vincent's ex-fiancée Alex (Bridget Regan) is coming back into the picture.
The Jan. 24th episode (9/8c, The CW) will find Catherine recovering from the car accident that landed her in the hospital on the midseason finale. When Vincent sneaks in a visit, he's caught by Alex, who works at the hospital — and who thought Vincent was dead! Awkward!
In our exclusive first look at the episode above, it seems Vincent has a lot of explaining to do with both women. "This is a big juicy obstacle in Vincent and Cat's way," executive producer Sherri Cooper previously told us.
Check out the best shows and performances of 2012
Will Alex keep Vincent's secret and will their love be rekindled? Or will Vincent and Cat's relationship continue to progress? Share your thoughts (and hopes) below.


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Thursday, December 10, 2009
They're big...they're bad...but they're not ugly.
47.5" tall (2 inches OFF chart - he's the size of an average 7 year old)
52 lbs. Seriously. I'm going to get a hernia if I lift him again.
Sadie's 15 month -
23 lbs (5oth %ile)
32" long (90th %ile)
And as usual, her head was off the chart. But I knew that - I had to cut the neck of an 18m shirt yesterday to get her giant melon out.
2 comments:
- Meagan Vanover, CWP said...
Actually, they are ugly. Hideous, in fact.
- Kris said...
Hi my name is Kris Shaughnessy and I am the Manager of Community Affairs for the Trisomy 18 Foundation. I am not sure if you are aware or not but we have a chance of winning a Million dollars from the Chase/Facebook giving campaign. I was wondering if you would mind posting the following on your blog? If you would we would greatly appreciate it!! If you have any questions please contact me at: firstname.lastname@example.com
Thank you so much!
Please Post:
For all the children who have graced our lives, living or remembered . . . let's change the future of Trisomy 18 research into treatments for them! Be their voice in the world. Watch this video. Vote yourself. And share widely with others! http://tinyurl.com/T18video


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LADY LAKE, Fla. – Lady Lake police have released a composite sketch of the gunman they say shot a 24-year-old woman while she was sitting in her car with her 4-year-old daughter.
The woman, identified by a family member as Natasha Masoline, was shot in the shoulder around 8 a.m. Monday as she sat at a stop sign at Lake Ella Road and April Hills Boulevard.
According to Lady Lake police, Masoline was taking her daughter to preschool when a gunman walked up to the car and shot the woman. The girl was not harmed, police said.
The woman was taken to Ocala Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Lady Lake Police Chief Chris McKinstry said. She underwent surgery but was expected to be OK, McKinstry said.
Witnesses told Local 6 they saw two men walk up to the car and then run away.
"Thank God. Thank God that she's OK and thank God that my niece isn't worse than she is, too," said Ernest Pinkard, the victim's uncle.
McKinstry said the shooting does not appear to be a random act, but no details about the relationship between the victim and the shooter have been released.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call Lady Lake police.
Watch Local 6 News and stay with ClickOrlando.com for more on this story.


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Philly Improv Theater's third house sketch-team, Goat Rodeo, will be giving their final performance of "The 78th Annual Butterborough Pie Eating Contest". Formed over the summer and debuting at Fringe Festival, Goat Rodeo features some important Philly comedy names.
"The 78th Annual Butterborough Pie Eating Contest" stars Aaron Hertzog (Hate Speech Committee), Aubrie Williams (Mani-Pedi, Local Holiday Miracle), Chris McGrail (Kids with Rickets, Calletta & McGrail), Sue Taney (ComedySportz), Katlin Thompson (Mani-Pedi), Matt Lamson (N Crowd), Zach Uzupis (This Is Your Captain) and returning Goat Rodeo cast member Kristy Goldy.
The writing team consists of head-writer Christian Alsis (The Feeko Brothers), Martha Cooney (StoryUp, Hot Dish), Bill Flynn, Justin Miller, Dan Boldin and cast-members Aaron Hertzog, Chris McGrail and Aubrie Wililams.
"The 78th Annual Butterborough Pie Eating Contest" is directed by Philly sketch veteran Samantha Russel of Secret Pants, who says about the show, "The writers brought some very strong work to the table and the cast brings that work to life in the funniest way possible–I think the audiences are really enjoying it. We created a show where the sketches all take place in Butterborough County, which gives it a nice small town feel."
There's a cohesive structure to the show which Russel credits to "graphics guy" Bill Flynn. "Bill is the one responsible for making our shows one complete thought, instead of just sketches. We certainly couldn't have done this show without him."
Tickets are $10 bucks; the BYOB show starts at 9:00pm.
In the meantime, enjoy this video and get a feel of world Goat Rodeo will be rendering tonight live from Philadelphia!


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It was better than it ever was yesterday in crunch time of a Knicks playoff game.
If this was the start of a genuine Knicks championship run, it began with De-fense and a historic performance. Coach Mike Woodson's Knicks suffocated the Celtics in the final two periods, picking off passes, knocking balls away, clutching loose balls.
The Knicks held Boston to a record-tying 25 second-half points and a record-setting eight in the fourth quarter to win Game 1 of the first-round playoff series, 85-78, at the delirious Garden, whose crowd appreciated every moment.
"We played our best defense of the year in the second half,'' catalyst Jason Kidd said. "We all have the belief and understanding championships are won playing defense. It wasn't our best offensive night, but we stayed the course and got stops.''
Before the game, Woodson put stickers above the players' lockers: "16 to win.'' That's the number of playoff victories needed to win their first title in 40 years. Now make it 15, with Game 2 on Tuesday.
"It's a wonderful feeling knowing we got our first win of the series here on our home court and took care of that business,'' said Carmelo Anthony, who finished with 36 points, but lapsed into a deep shooting funk through the middle of the game.
This win wasn't about Anthony's shot-making. He lit it up early, making his first four shots in the first 3:12. Then Anthony went cold before lighting it up with a 4-of-5 fourth quarter. He finished 13-of-29 from the field.
No, this was about history-making defense, as the Knicks set the franchise record for fewest points allowed in the fourth quarter in the playoffs and tied the second-half playoff mark.
They were led by Kidd (three steals), the ever-gritty Kenyon Martin (10 points, nine rebounds) and Anthony's defense on series X-factor Jeff Green in the second half.
"It was a matter of just wanting it,'' Anthony said. "Willing our way on the defensive end.''
Celtics defensive stalwart Kevin Garnett even tipped his hat.
"The Knicks, they're not No. 1 [in the Atlantic Division] for nothing,'' Garnett said. "They didn't win the division because they were lazy or because they were a B team.''
The Knicks trailed by seven points late in the third and rallied from a 70-67 deficit after three. Boston gave them a solid scare and Green pounded them for 20 first-half points before they stifled him in the second half. Green finished with 26. The Celtics were also hurting them with back-door cuts, leading to two straight second-quarter layups by offensively challenged Avery Bradley.
"We weren't guarding the paint and they were getting too many layups,'' Kidd said.
The Celtics committed 21 turnovers overall. The fourth quarter was a highlight tape of Knicks interceptions, offensive rebounds, strips and hustle plays. The Celtics shot 7-of-27 in the second half and Kidd became the defensive star.
"Jason has been doing it all season,'' Woodson said. "Loose balls, strips, keeping the ball alive. He seems to be at the right place at the right time.''
"A champion's heart,'' Tyson Chandler said afterward.
Anthony came on late. He intercepted a Paul Pierce pass, thrown as badly as a fling from Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who sat in celebrity row. Anthony drove all the way in for a layup and an 81-76 lead with 2:31 left.
Anthony then hit a huge 20-foot jumper from the right wing with 1:21 left to give the Knicks an 83-76 bulge. He saved his best pass of the game for last — a bullet that became the rage of the locker room. Anthony connected with Martin (10 points) on a pick-and-roll, firing a missile that Martin grasped and dunked with 40 seconds left to make it 85-78. Anthony said Martin "bailed me out'' by hauling it in.
"It was a major catch because he had so much steam on the ball,'' Woodson said, saluting Martin.
Chandler called it purposefully "Flacco-to-Boldin hookup,'' referring to the quarterback-receiver tandem of Joe Flacco and Anquan Boldin on the Ravens squad Anthony reveres.
The Ravens won the Super Bowl. The Knicks are 15 wins away from the equivalent.


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Boston White Blue Red M
Mens White-Blue-Red Leather and EVA+Rubber outsole.
Retro Running Sneaker inspired by the streets of Boston with #Darewithus rubber studs. Everyday City Life.
Urban Fashion-Luxury with a rebellious flare to expect the unexpected.
Shipping Methods:
Free Express delivery for orders over 100€ for the following countries (24-72 hours)*:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, UK
For smaller orders, we shall apply 10€ shipping cost.
15€ Express Delivery (24-72 hours)* for the following countries:
Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latonia, Lithuania, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland
30€ Express Delivery (48-96 hours)* for Mexico
*Remember that delivery times are approximate.


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COVID-19 updates
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Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.
Drug information provided by: IBM Micromedex
It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress at regular visits to see if the medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using this medicine, tell your doctor right away.
Birth control pills containing estrogen may not work properly if you take them with topiramate. To keep from getting pregnant, use an additional form of birth control together with your birth control pill. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
This medicine may cause vision changes, clumsiness or unsteadiness, dizziness, drowsiness, or trouble with thinking or speaking. Make sure you know how you or your child react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, climb in high places, swim, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert, well-coordinated, or able to think or see well.
This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that make you drowsy or less alert). Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or medicine for hay fever, allergies, or colds, prescription pain medicines, or sleep medicines. Check with your doctor before taking any of these medicines while you or your child are using topiramate.
Check with your doctor immediately if you or your child have changes in vision or pain around the eyes during and after treatment with this medicine. Your doctor may want your eyes to be checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).
This medicine may make you sweat less which will cause your body temperature to increase. Use extra care not to become overheated during exercise or hot weather with this medicine. Overheating may result in heat stroke and hot baths or saunas may make you dizzy or feel faint.
Topiramate may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. If you, your child, or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.
This medicine may cause nausea, muscle tremors, breathing problems, eating problems, fast heartbeats, restlessness, and abdominal or stomach pain. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have any of these symptoms. You might have a serious condition called metabolic acidosis (too much acid in the blood).
This medicine may cause slow growth. For children, the doctor will need to keep track of height and weight to make sure that the child is growing properly.
Do not suddenly stop taking this medicine without checking first with your doctor. Stopping the medicine suddenly may cause your seizures to return or to occur more often. Your doctor may want you or your child to gradually reduce the amount you are taking before stopping it completely.
Check with your doctor right away if you or your child are having unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness, feelings of sluggishness, mental depression or anxiety, nightmares or unusually vivid dreams, or vomiting. These may be symptoms of a serious condition called hyperammonemic encephalopathy.
Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have sudden back pain, abdominal or stomach pain, pain while urinating, or bloody or dark urine. These may be symptoms of kidney stones.
Tell your doctor if your or your child's skin feels like it is burning, crawling, itching, or if you have numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feeling after using topiramate.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
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Dear Emuna,
My daughter is dating a non-Jewish boy. In addition to the religious differences, he's also younger and comes from a different cultural and socio-economic background. We've made it clear that we will not pay for an interfaith wedding, nor will we attend. Of course I want her to be happy (though I do think she's settling for someone who won't fight with her) -- but I made it clear that she would be creating a rift in the family if she pursued this relationship. Did I go too far?
-- Tormented Mother
Dear Tormented Mother,
Oh boy; this is a tough one. And not knowing you and your family makes it even harder. It's a fine line between standing up for your principles and not completely alienating and pushing away your daughter. I don't pretend to be able to tell you exactly what to do and not to do and you should certainly seek guidance from an experienced rabbi. But I can remind you of two things: Your love for your daughter is not irrelevant to her and will continue to have an impact on her life and, secondly, her children will still be Jewish. You want to keep the relationship close, both because you care about her deeply and also because you can still have an impact on your grandchildren. You need to stand up for the Jewish people while, at the same time, not destroy your relationship with your daughter. It isn't easy but with your sincerity and desire to do the right thing, I'm sure you will discover the appropriate solution.
-- Emuna
Dear Emuna,
I am 45 with four healthy children but have not been able to get over the desire to have another child. I waited until I was 35 to have my first child for what I consider selfish reasons, and now I am a full time mother and want just one more. Everyone thinks I am too old and my husband feels overwhelmed with the burden of educating our children Jewishly. But I still want another. Should I press the issue or just move on?
-- Torn
Dear Torn,
While I'm sure you recognize that this is a decision that only you can make, I will share a few succinct thoughts with you. The first is that you never hear of someone reaching the end of their life and saying "I wish I'd had fewer children." The second is that it is a cornerstone of Jewish tradition that our children are our future and that finances should never be a consideration in determining how many to have. The emotional, psychological and physical health of the mother is really the most important consideration and the most determinative. There is no better use of your money than children (although I hope my daughter who just asked if we could go shopping isn't reading this!).
Sometimes, on a rough day at home, my husband will say that he wanted puppies but I insisted on children! But there isn't a more devoted parent alive. The bottom line is that, however difficult it may sometimes be (and it is), there is nothing more valuable that we can create with our lives – and nothing that gives us greater pleasure. I wish you much success and guidance from Above in evaluating this important choice.
-- Emuna
Related Article: Children, When?
Dear Emuna,
I have a very good relationship with my husband; I just think it's possible to improve it. We have a common problem – I am much more expressive with my feelings than he is. I would like him to be more expressive and have discussed that with him but I understand that it is not his nature and difficult for him. The problem is that he is a big perfectionist and wants most things to be his way. I must agree that they are normally better that way; I am more relaxed and don't care so much if things are done this way or a little different. But when something is not done his way, he gets very aggravated. He gets very uptight and doesn't talk other than where absolutely necessary. I get very unsure of myself. When I speak to him about it, he says that he never was upset with me and he doesn't understand why I reacted so strongly. I would be very grateful for some advice.
In Search of Improvement
Dear In Search for Improvement,
I really respect you for wanting to move beyond a good relationship with your husband to a great one. I think it's a goal we should all share. And I also think you're correct that what you're dealing with is a common problem. But perhaps not for the reasons you think. It seems to me that you are describing personality differences between you and your husband, not just male/female issues. And there's nothing wrong with that and nothing to be alarmed about. In fact, one of the factors that attracted you to each other was probably the complementary nature of your personalities.
Carl Jung identified eight different personality types and each of us has some permutation of four of them. How they manifest themselves and the ways in which we differ from our spouses is one of the best opportunities for growth in a marriage – but may also be the source of some struggles.
I highly recommend you track down a copy of Miriam Adahan's excellent book, "Appreciating People" and that you both read it. It will help you understand each other better (and your children too, if you have them) and work together. As the title suggests, no one personality type is superior to another; they are just different and we need to appreciate all of them, perhaps especially the ones we don't have!
I will just share a brief illustration. There is a personality type that likes rules and order and closure. There is an alternative type that likes to keep their options open, likes spontaneity and greater freedom. If these two types marry each other, their styles may clash and lead to frustration. But if we appreciate that the different personality type is not out to get us but just sees the world differently, we find a new way to communicate and a broader sense of what's possible.
Neither way is right or wrong and both sides can learn from the other. It may be healthy for kids to have a regular structure and bedtime and one personality type is better suited to enforcing this than the other. On the other hand, the more relaxed personality may help his or her partner appreciate special occasions that call for less rigidity about the rules, thereby opening their family up to unique experiences they would not have otherwise had. In the ideal marriage, through working and growing together, both parties eventually meet in the middle.
I commend your desire to enhance your marriage. You both need to focus on appreciating what's good about your partner's personality and examine the growth available for each of you. By appreciating what's really special about your husband's personality – and by his doing the same with respect to you – you will end up, God willing, with that great marriage of your dreams.
-- Emuna


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HARRISON, N.J. (May 18, 2016) – New York Red Bulls academy player Noah Powder has been called up by U-20 Trinidad & Tobago Head Coach Brian Williams for the upcoming Caribbean Football Union opening round of qualifiers for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea.
Powder, a native of Maplewood, N.J., is a member of the Red Bulls U-18 academy team and New York Red Bulls II. The 17-year-old defender started his first professional game as an amateur in the United Soccer League on March 26, 2016.
Powder has played in seven games for Red Bulls II for a total of 437 minutes. In the 2015-16 U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) season, Powder has played 12 games, including 10 starts, for the Red Bulls U-18s and scored two goals. With Trinidad & Tobago, he participated in the 2015 CONCACAF U-17 Championships in Honduras in which he started all five matches and scored two goals.
The Trinidad & Tobago U-20s are beginning preparations for the Caribbean Football Union opening qualifying group phase from June 15-19 and the 2017 FIFA Under-20 Men's World Cup in South Korea.


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Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things tonight that may be worth forging a money order for your bail bondsmen so you can go home and watch. LET'S GO!
TONIGHT! It's the gold medal final of the men's snowboard halfpipe. Winner gets to use the entire pipe. I would take snowboarding much more seriously if A) The announcers didn't all sound like the turtle from "Finding Nemo," and B) The names for snowboarding moves didn't sound like they were invented by the marketing board of Mountain Dew. McTwist? Fakie ollie? Indy nosebone? Come on, man. Half the time, it sounds like the announcer invented the term on the spot. "And here's Shaun White with a Raddie McBend! WHOA!" They can do better.
Also tonight, the 1000m finals of men's speed skating, and the showcase event: the women's downhill finals. I enjoy watching the downhill events because it really does look like the skiers are about to kill themselves. They go down the mountain the same way I did when I was 4 and no one told me you were supposed to turn. Lindsey Vonn is expected to race in this event. ZOMG! SHE'S TUCKING WHILE RACING! THAT'S TOO PROVOCATIVE!
There have been complaints about the fact that many of these events are tape-delayed, and I have to agree. The entire West Coast feed of these Olympics will be tape delayed, despite the fact that the Games are taking place in that exact time zone. It makes so sense to tape delay these things when the results are impossible to avoid. It's the second biggest sporting event on Earth, Dick Ebersol. Make it live. ANTICIPATION: DAFFY MCSCOOPABLE
30 BIZARRE INVENTIONS - 8PM (Fine Living)
Including my invention: SNOWBOT: THE ROBOT MADE FROM SNOW. "But Drew," you say, "Robots are made of metal!" Not Snowbot. He's made from snow. And he's programmed TO KILL WITH FROST. ANTICIPATION: HIGH
1,000 WAYS TO DIE - 8PM (Spike)
Well, there's drowning, hanging, heart attack, car accident, drug addiction, picking a fight with a gorilla, listening to country music for too long, paragliding with outdated equipment… Quite a fun list, actually. ANTICIPATION: DEADLY!
The final 24 are chosen! And only 19 of them will be utterly forgettable! ANTICIPATION: WAKE ME IN APRIL
PHAT GIRLZ – 10PM (Oxygen)
Before Mo'Nique scored an Oscar nomination for "Precious" she starred in fare such as this. ANTICIPATION: 4REAL.
Wednesday Watch List: Olympics Get Shasta McTwisty
Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things tonight that may be worth forging a money order for your bail bondsmen so you can go home and watch. LET'S GO!


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Tax Credits
Please consult with your tax preparer on how to take advantage of the following education tax credits and deduction opportunities. Information on this page is not tax advise. This is to inform students and families of higher education tax credits.
Federal IRS tax benefit information: Higher Education Tax Benefits
Education Tax Credits & Deductions
American Opportunity Credit (AOC)
The American Opportunity Credit is a new credit that modifies the existing Hope Credit for tax years 2009 and 2010, making the Hope Credit available to a broader range of taxpayers, including many with higher incomes and those who owe no tax. It also adds required course materials to the list of qualifying expenses and allows the credit to be claimed for four post- secondary education years instead of two.
The maximum amount of the AOC is $2,500 per student. The credit is phased out (gradually reduced) if your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) is between $80,000 and $90,000 ($160,000 and $180,000 if you file a joint return). Exception. For 2009, if you claim a Hope credit for a student who attended a school in a Midwestern disaster area, you can choose to figure the amount of the credit using the previous rules. However, you must use the previous rules in figuring the credit for all students for which you claim the credit.
The credit can be claimed for the first four years of post-secondary education. Previously the credit could be claimed for only the first two years of post-secondary education.
Generally, 40% of the AOC is now a refundable credit for most taxpayers, which means that you can receive up to $1,000 even if you owe no taxes.
The term "qualified tuition and related expenses" has been expanded to include expenditures for "course materials." For this purpose, the term "course materials" means books, supplies, and equipment needed for a course of study whether the materials must be purchased from the educational institution as a condition of enrollment or attendance.
Community Service Loan Forgiveness
Excludes from taxable income any loan amounts forgiven by non-profit, tax-exempt charitable or educational institutions for borrowers who take community- service jobs addressing unmet needs.
Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESA)
A Coverdell ESA is a trust or custodial account set up in the United States solely for paying qualified education expenses for the designated beneficiary of the account. In general, the designated beneficiary of a Coverdell ESA can receive tax free distributions to pay qualified education expenses. The distributions are tax free to the extent the amount of the distributions does not exceed the beneficiary's qualified education expenses. If a distribution does exceed the beneficiary's qualified education expenses, a portion of the distribution is taxable.
You may be able to contribute to a Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA) to finance a beneficiary's qualified education expenses if your modified adjusted gross income is below the established amount. There is no limit to the number of accounts that can be established for a beneficiary; however, the total contribution to all accounts on behalf of a beneficiary in any year cannot exceed $2,000.00. The contribution is NOT deductible. The designated beneficiary must be under the age of 18 years of age at the time the account is established, except for a special needs beneficiary. A taxpayer who uses tax-free distributions from an Education IRA may not, in the same year, benefit from the American Opportunity Credit.
Employer-Provided Education Benefits
Section 127 of the tax code provides for undergraduates to exclude up to $5,250 of employer- provided education benefits from their taxable income.
IRA Withdrawals
Taxpayers may withdraw funds from an IRA, without penalty, for the higher education expenses of the taxpayer, spouse, child, or grandchild. The amount that can be withdrawn without penalty is limited to net post-secondary expenses for tuition, tuition fees, books, equipment, and room and board.
Lifetime Learning Credit
For those beyond the first two years of college or taking classes part-time to improve or upgrade their job skills, the family will receive a 20% tax credit for first $5,000 of tuition and tuition fees through 2002, and for the first 10,000 thereafter. The credit is available for net tuition and tuition fees (less grant aid) paid for post- secondary enrollment after June 30, 1998. The credit is available on a per-taxpayer (family) basis and has been phased out for joint filers between $80,000 and $100,000 of income, and for single filers between $40,000 and $50,000 (indexed after 2001). A taxpayer cannot claim both a Lifetime Learning Credit and an American Opportunity (or Hope) Credit for the same student in the same year.
Pre-Paid Tuition Plans
Allows State-sponsored pre-paid tuition plans -- the earnings from which are not taxed until the time of withdrawal -- to include room and board expenses for students who attend on at least a half-time basis. Withdrawals are eligible for the HOPE Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credits.
Scholarships & Fellowships
If you receive a scholarship or fellowship grant, all or part of the amounts you receive may be tax–free. Qualified scholarship and fellowship grants are treated as tax–free amounts if all the following conditions are met:
You are a candidate for a degree at an educational institution that maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and normally has a regular enrolled body of students in attendance at the place where it carries on its educational activities; and
Amounts you receive as a scholarship or fellowship are used for tuition and tuition fees required for enrollment or attendance at the educational institution, or for books, supplies, and equipment required for courses of instruction.
You must include in your gross income any amounts used for incidental expenses, such as room and board, travel, and optional equipment, and generally amounts received as payments for teaching, research, or other services required as a condition for receiving the scholarship or fellowship grant. However, you do not need to include in gross income any amounts you receive for services that are required by the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program or the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship and Financial Assistance Program.
Student Loan Interest Deduction
Allows an above-the-line deduction (the taxpayer does not need to itemize to benefit) for interest paid in the first 60 months of repayment on private or government-backed loans, post-secondary education and training expenses. The maximum deduction is $1,000 in 1998, $1,500 in 1999, $2,000 in 2000, and $2,500 in 2001 and beyond. It is phased out for joint filers with incomes between $60,000 and $75,000, and to single filers with incomes between $40,000 and $55,000 (indexed after 2002). The deduction is available for loans made before or after enactment of this provision, but only to the extent that the loan is within the first 60 months of repayment. The loan amount eligible for the deduction is limited to post- secondary expenses for tuition, tuition fees, books, equipment, room, and board.
Form 1098-T Information
Colleges/Universities in which you are/were enrolled must furnish a 1098-T statement to you. These statements are typically mailed by the CSUB Student Financial Services Office, or their contractor, in late January, and reflect your qualified tuition and related expenses that were charged in the prior calendar year. You, or the person who can claim you as a dependent, may be able to use this form to claim an education tax credit on Form 1040 or 1040A. For more information on the 1098-T, please refer to the 1098-T Form instructions on the IRS.gov website.
Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
9001 Stockdale Highway
Bakersfield, CA 93311-1022
Phone: (661) 654-3016
Fax: (661) 654-6800
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Federal School Code: 007993
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Sanjini is an actress and writer - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4215028/
My brother surprised me with a ticket to Madonna's MDNA concert on September 29, 2012 in Vancouver, Canada. This was to pre-celebrate my birthday.
Madonna was fashionably late. The show started at almost 10.30pm. She appeared in Vancouver at the Rogers Arena for two performances which took place on September 29th and the 30th. Her show had overtones of religious iconography, African drums and even showcased her playing the guitar.
Deep Gregorian chants filled the air at the start of the show with a pendulum swinging from side to side and with monks ringing church bells. It was a beautifully eerie beginning - setting the stage for her grand entrance. Madonna then burst onto the stage with alacrity. The stellar show had begun!
The stage was colorful and dramatic with multi-media effects despite the fact that Rogers Arena is awkwardly shaped and probably the worst stadium I have ever seen. The dancers and acrobats had well- choreographed routines. There were LED screen lifts, acrobats in prison overalls bouncing on ropes, a marching band, huge moving mirrors and African drums.
Madonna's "Gang Bang" song was like out of a Hollywood movie set with guns blazing and fights with a lover. It reminded me of why I like being an actress so much. The song and its drama had a unique style and a powerful seductive quality. It was bad ass!
A Bollywood inflected song called "I'm a Sinner" did not seem to be so popular. There were many new songs (many in which Madonna played her guitar) along with splashes of her old songs such as "Vogue" (which the audience loved), "Holiday", Open Your Heart" and "Like a Prayer".
At one point Madonna addressed the audience for about ten to fifteen minutes about the "Vancouver" or I would say "Canadian" reserve. I felt sorry for Madonna as this audience was probably the dullest she has ever encountered and certainly not as vivacious as say a Brazilian audience. Madonna asked why the Vancouver audience was so quiet. She asked if they were tired and she got no response. Then she asked if they were shy and she still got no response. She asked if it was because they did not know the lyrics to her songs. Still the audience was reticent. She even spent the next ten minutes trying to rile up the audience and asked them to be loud and sing along the words to her songs but still to no avail. I was one of the few who could not stop dancing to her music and was vocal.
A performer also feeds off the audience and this audience was dull and Madonna did try – she tried really hard! She even mentioned how hard she worked to put this together and judging from the caliber of the show it was apparent. She said:
"I hope you can appreciate how hard we're working up here".
I enjoyed Madonna's new songs. Her voice was strong and you could tell that she has had the voice training and decades of experience singing and performing in numerous concerts and venues around the world. She still has the moves and is fitter than many young adults of today.
Madonna continues to claim her crown as the Queen of Pop even decades after her first debut to the world stage.
Madonna will perform in Los Angeles on Wednesday October 10th and Thursday October 11th, 2012 at the Staples Center.


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globinfo freexchange
In a recent interview on the Greek radio Athina 9.84, the member of the European parliament with SYRIZA, Stelios Kouloglou, referred to the recent Eurogroup.
He said - among other things - that Eurogroup announcements should be treated very carefully, as 'the devil hides in the details' and Greece's creditors are pushing for privatizations. This is a serious dilemma because privatizations at this moment could be done only in very low prices which are not beneficial for the country.
He also said that either the Greek government will choose to break the deals with the creditors, or, compromise concerning the requested measures and privatizations. Behind all these, there is a secret plan for the looting of the country. We have to deal with economic hitmen, he said characteristically. Until now, the government made compromises, but didn't retreat to the looting.
Schäuble wants to overthrow the Greek government. He prefers the obedient Mitsotakis and also wants to restructure eurozone through Greece: if Greece falls again in a hard situation, he will be able to make the institutional changes he wants in order to create a German Europe, Kouloglou continued.
Concerning the Left, he said that, the Left takes the power in order to do some things towards the improvement of people's lives. The international environment does not allow the Left to make the reforms it wants.
He said that Mitsotakis accepts Schäuble's views while discredits Greek efforts and positive economic results admitted by Commission. If Greece's creditors wanted their money back, they should push towards stability not instability.
It's about a financial war with Schäuble's plan to be used against Greece in order to change Europe. Europe should normally close the Greek appraisal, especially after the rise of the Far Right and Trump's election.
The Germans don't know that Greeks are working more hours than them. They think that they pay us, but they make money from the loans. This argument will be used by Schäuble during his campaign, accusing Greece and taking advantage of the political crisis, Kouloglou ended.


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Los Angeles' natives, The Neighbourhood gathered in the Red Bull Studio to give fans a sneak peek on what the meaning behind the name, what makes them unique, and what is to come for The Neighbourhood in their ever so bright 'black and white' future.
"In The Red Bull Studio" is a new video series that features influential and emerging artists performing songs from new and upcoming releases live from Red Bull Studio in Los Angeles. For the fifth installment of the series, Los Angeles natives The Neighbourhood perform their hit song "Sweater Weather" off their recently released debut album, I Love You., available on iTunes.
Shot in simple black and white, The Neighbourhood puts on a stellar live performance of their single, visually proving less is more and that the identity of the band is, ultimately, secondary to the music itself. In the accompanying interview video, the band discusses how they first started, recording their debut album, the band's vision and more.
The Neighbourhood has just announced a national fall headlining tour set for the fall, kicking off September 27 in Austin, TX and running through the end of November. The tour, which follows the band's sold out "The Love Collection" tour this spring and a string of summer dates supporting Imagine Dragons, includes stops at New York's Terminal 5 and a second play at LA's famed Fonda Theatre.
Take a look at them live performing "Sweater Weather", you'll be addicted!
For full tour dates and tickets, visit www.thenbhd.com.
Published on Jul 20, 2013


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Standard of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
The Lieutenant Governor's Historical Preservation and Promotion Award was established in 2010 by the Honourable Philip S. Lee, and it consists of five awards which will presented today to people who have "rendered prolonged, meritorious service in the preservation and promotion of Manitoba's history and heritage".
The five people who will receive the award are –
Ernest Braun from Niverville
Diane Haglund from Winnipeg
Frieda Jorheim from Inwood
John Francis Mavins from Springfield
and Gary Wowchuk from Swan River
In a press release, Lt.-Gov. Lee said "Manitobans care greatly about their history. For proof of that, consider the more than 150 museums, located in communities from the 49th parallel to the Hudson Bay, and more than 2,000 community history books covering cities, towns, villages and rural municipalities."
Congratulations to everyone!
The website is http://www.manitobalg.ca


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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Royals have acquired starting pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis from the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Wil Myers and a package of minor league prospects.
The blockbuster deal announced late Sunday night is the Royals' most aggressive move yet under general manager Dayton Moore to shore up a starting rotation that has been abysmal for years. But doing so came at the cost of Myers, the minor leagues' top player last season, and a couple more top prospects.
The Rays also are getting right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who would have competed for a spot in the Royals' rotation this season, along with left-hander Mike Montgomery and third baseman Patrick Leonard. Kansas City also will receive a player to be named or cash.


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While the Polticians distract the American public with the Political theatre in Washington over the $165 Million in AIG bonuses, an even greater travesty, the theft of Billions of Taxpayer dollars, through the bailout program is going unnoticed.
Taxpayer money is being channelled through the AIG Bailout and into the pockets of the Millionaire Hedge Fund Managers that helped create the fraudlent "Real Estate Bubble" that has brought down the US economy. Yes, Hedge Fund Managers like Bernie Madoff and Allen Stanford. Billions.
Imagine the outrage – if the Public is upset over $165 Million in bonuses – what might happen if Washington had to answer for the Billions being taken out the AIG back door and paid to the Millionaire Hedge Fund operators.
Is this being made possible by simple incompetence? The Government's continued failure to properly supervise the expenditure of Billions of Taxpayer dollars or is this incomepetence by design – a design that allows the Washington Bureaucrats ready cover and plenty of opportunity to claim ignorance and shift blame.
We all know that the Congress and White House have entered into 4 separate agreements to "bailout" AIG and "recapitalize" the company or replace the money it lost on worthless subprime mortgages and, in addition to the mortgages, money lost on "other products" designed to "repay" AIG's Client's or "Trading Partners" for losses they may have sustained on their "bad bets" in the "mortgage marketplace". Some of these "Client's" may not have lost any money at all, they may have simppoly "bet" on the collapse of the "housing industry". That is right …. read on.
The Congress promised the American people complete transparency in these transactions – even to the extent of placing everything on line, "like a checkbook", so the entire country could see who was being paid, the what and when. As we now know this promise was a hollow one. The current Administration's staffers (Staffers in both the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department) have appeared before Congress and refused to provide information identifying the who, what or where. AIG was equally uncooperative. News organizations, most notable FOX News, had to go to Federal Court and obtain a Court order to obtain what should of been "Public Information". While the information disclosed so far is alarming, the investigating is far from complete. http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/04/news/aig.transparency.fortune/index.htm
Let me offer a quick primer on the language used in the articles below:
Hedge Fund: A hedge fund is an investment fund open to a limited range of investors that is permitted by regulators to undertake a wider range of activities than other investment funds. Hedge funds are typically open only to a limited range of professional or wealthy investors. This provides them with an exemption in many jurisdictions from regulations governing short selling, derivative contracts, leverage, fee structures and the liquidity of interests in the fund. The net asset value of a hedge fund can run into many billions of dollars, and this will usually be multiplied by leverage. Leverage – in addition to money invested into the fund by investors, a hedge fund will typically borrow money, with certain funds borrowing sums many times greater than the initial investment. If a hedge fund has borrowed $9 for every $1 received from investors, a loss of only 10% of the value of the investments of the hedge fund will wipe out 100% of the value of the investor's stake in the fund, once the creditors have called in their loans. In September 1998, shortly before its collapse, Long Term Capital Management had $125 billion of assets on a base of $4 billion of investors' money, a leverage of over 30 times. It also had off-balance sheet positions with a notional value of approximately $1 trillion. Hedge funds are exempt from regulation in the United States. Hedge Funds, first established in 1949. have never been subject to regulation in the US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedge_fund .
The most nortorious Hedge Fund Managers in the news today are Bernie Madoff http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/bernard-madoff/3834483/Bernard-Madoff-fraud-Hedge-funds-need-closer-supervision-ex-SEC-boss-says.html
and Allen Stanford, both of whom are currently under federal indictment. Stanford operated his own set of Hedge Funds and he also was the exclusive sales manager for a Hedge fund operated by the family of Vice President Biden. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSBNG36866620090224
AIG Cash May Reach Hedge Fund's Coffer – Update
Wednesday, in a new twist to the ongoing saga of beleaguered American International Group, Inc. the Wall Street Journal said that a portion of the billions of dollars paid by the U.S. Government that provided a lifeline to AIG might, in fact, reach the hedge funds that ironically stand to gain by speculating on a fall in the housing market.
The report indicated that back in 2005, hedge funds identified trouble that would brew in the U.S. housing market in the long run. [TROUBLE? As is the fact that providing loans to people who could not repay them was not a sustainable business strategy] In a bid to encash [make money] the same by going short against securities backed by mortgages to unworthy borrowers, the hedge funds signed up transactions with investment banks. [placed bets that the subprime market would collapse]
For their turn, investment banks such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Deutsche Bank created and sold complex financial instruments to hedge funds that allowed hedge funds to bet that mortgage defaults would rise. The financial instruments were basically credit default swaps, similar to insurance that pays in the likelihood of a debt default.
Investment banks that sold those credit default swaps to the hedge funds wanted to remain unscathed in the eventuality of a down turn in housing markets. With a laser sharp accuracy, the investment banks were methodical in creating a perfectly legal way to stay in safe heaven.
The German banking major Deutsche's securities division created a bouquet of offshore investment vehicles known as collateralized debt obligations or CDOs. The word "START" marked the names of those investment mediums, which stood for STAtic ResidenTial CDO. Deutsche neutralized its exposure to the speculation of hedge funds' by purchasing swaps from START on the same securities its clients were betting against.
As per the Journal's report, which claims to have reviewed the documents, START held assets from a series of failed lenders namely Bear Stearns, Countrywide Financial and New Century Financial who were part and parcel of the subprime crisis.
New York-based AIG, in 2005, became the scapegoat by offering to take a pie of the mortgage risks held by START. AIG's derivatives arm consented to pay up to $1 billion under two of the START vehicles, if value of underlying assets deteriorated or the insurer's own credit rating fell below a certain mark. [So the Hedge Funds "bet" with the Investment Banks that subprime mortgages would collapse, the Banks "insured" their end of the bet with AIG – AIG lost the bet and now the American taxpayer "pays" AIG, AIG "pays" the Investment Banks and the Investment Banks Pay the Hedge Funds – so that is how the subprime mortgage scam worked – I want to know which Hedge Funds are being rewarded and who owns a piece of the action. Which members of Congress and the Adminstration are cashing in here – at Taxpayer Expense]
In doing so, AIG was set to gain less than a penny each year for every dollar of protection it sold, or less than $10 million annually on the $1 billion in insurance. [Isn't this an indication that the "real money" wsa being made in some other fashion?]
A close look at the transaction reveals that AIG was gambling on a strong housing market. When the housing market went downhill, Hedge Funds rang the cash counters of bank who in turn called on AIG for compensation. http://www.rttnews.com/Content/BreakingNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=886860%20&Category=Breaking%20News
As per the reports, AIG paid about $800 million to START after its credit rating was cut. The funds are held in the escrow and will be used to pay off Deutsche's swap contracts if mortgage defaults if the portfolio rises above a certain level. Deutsche may pass on some of the bucks to the hedge fund clients.
AIG, in case of a recovery in the housing market, is set to receive back the cash it transferred to START. With the assets of START to which AIG provided cover being downgraded to "junk" status from triple-A by Standard & Poor's, the outcome cannot be predicted. [See the articles below – the possibility of the American Taxpayer being completely repayed by AIG is just about "zero"]
The report, citing people familiar with the matter, revealed that the mortgage pool "Abacus", insured by AIG Financial Products, created by Goldman, have common features with START CDOs. [The Hedge Funds placed their bet with Goldman – Goldman "insured the bet, we, the American Taxpayers, lost and we didn't even get to cut the cards]
These mortgage pools were also made up of credit-default swaps tied to individual mortgage securities. When the assets value deteriorated, AIG had to post collateral with Goldman. The report anticipates some of this money to reach hedge-fund clients of Goldman.
AIG and the government had paid $5.4 billion to Deutsche and $8.1 billion to Goldman under credit default swap contracts written by the insurer.
AIG had insured many of the assets linked to subprime mortgages. Following the collapse of high-risk mortgages, AIG had to place billions of dollars in collateral, mostly to the banks.
Thus, AIG had to sell its protection on securities backed by physical assets. The company also sold positions almost entirely backed by other financial bets.
The report, quoting a senior investment banker whose firm bought credit protection from the insurer, showed AIG as the single largest ultimate taker of risk in the subprime mortgage CDO space until 2006.
The irony is that the bail out money intended to limit foreclosures and fuel housing market may end up in the hands of those investors who had taken contra positions with respect to the housing prices and mortgage holders. [Individuals who bet on the collapse of the mortgage market or in some cases, individuals who actively undertook activities to promote a collapse in the mortgage market will not only be made whole but will also profit from their reprehensible behavior, all at the expense of the US Taxpayer]
The report says that it is unclear as to how much government money might eventually flow to hedge-fund investors. The government has committed up to $173.3 billion to bail out AIG. Of that amount, AIG's housing-related bets have cost U.S. taxpayers some $52 billion, the report suggested. [That number now excceees $125 Billion, with the Treasury and Congress having pledged an additional $75 Billion for a current total of $200 Billion committed to AIG's bailout]
The hefty losses were the result of AIG moving out of its primary business which is selling standard insurance policies to businesses and individuals. Martin Weiss of Weiss Research, an investment consultant in Jupiter, Florida said, "AIG's financial-products division went heavily into the business of speculation and its gambling debts are what taxpayers are paying off right now."
So the money trail looks like this – As yet unidentified Hedge Fund Managers approach what the Government and AIG describe as "AIG Trading partners" – These trading partners, a group composed of other financial firms like Goldman Sachs, Deutsch Bank, Societe Generale of France and Barclay's Bank. The Hedge Funds "purchased" certain contracts related to the Hedge Funds Mortgage Business, those contracts were later "sold to" or "insured" by AIG. Specifically, the bailout dollars are traveling from the US taxpayer to the US Government, from the Government to AIG's trading partners and through those trading partners to the Hedge Fund Managers.
Additional Articles: Where is the transparency? http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/04/news/aig.transparency.fortune/index.htm ,
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29728732 "AIG likely won't be able to pay taxpayers back. Ties to foreign partners siphoning off some of the $170 billion lent to it. Pressure is mounting on the government to revise its bailout of AIG to ensure that taxpayers are repaid as much as possible of the $170 billion lent to the troubled insurer. Experts warn we shouldn't expect to get much back. Mark Williams, a former Fed examiner and finance professor at Boston University, said the AIG wind-down inevitably will cost taxpayers money. And he thinks it will take much more money — perhaps an additional $200 billion [$400 Billion Total] — to finish winding down AIG's financial dealings so its core businesses can be sold off."No longer can we call it an investment," he said. "We just have to call it what it is — and that's sinking money in a hole." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29728732/page/2/
NEW YORK, March 15 (Reuters) – American International Group Inc disclosed on Sunday that U.S. and European banks have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the up to $180 billion U.S. taxpayer bailout of the insurer. [Who have, in turn, passed the money on to Hedge Funds] http://www.reuters.com/article/fundsFundsNews/idUSN1546365820090315
Time to Unravel the Knot of Credit-Default Swaps : Credit-default swaps are insurancelike contracts that Wall Street created in the early 1990s. In recent years, these contracts became a haven for speculators who were doing nothing more than betting on whether a debt issuer would survive. The $150 billion rescue of the American International Group, for example, came about because of swaps the insurer had written on mortgage securities. And the $100 billion taxpayer backstop handed to Bank of America on Jan. 16 had a good bit to do with soured credit-default swaps that the bank inherited when it acquired Merrill Lynch. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/business/25gret.html?scp=1&sq=gretchen%20morgenson%20c.d.s.&st=cse
I don't support the payment of $165 Million in Bonus or Retention payments, however, I don't want to dwell on that topic while the Congress shovels money in the front door of AIG to have Hedge Fund Managers sneak it out the back. For every dime of "bonus" paid by AIG the Hedge Funds are getting away with a $100 Bill. I want AIG to drop the dimes – but I also want Congress to ID the guys running of with the hundreds so we can get that money back too and while they are at it – I want Congress to shut that back door and lock it. It's time to escort AIG to the Bankruptcy Court door steps.
Contact your Senator and Congress Person and demand that the "true recipients" of the bailout cash be identified. Not one penny more for these Hedge Fund Managers. http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
The relationship of $1 Billion Dollars to $1 Million Dollars is the same as a $100 bill to a dime. Lets not only focus on the dimes while they make off with the hundreds by the fist full.
By the way – when the Government talks Trillions instead of Billions, it's the same. A Billion is a dime to the Trillion being a $100 bill. The Government acts like it's spending dimes, but they'll be collecting our $100 bills.
FUTURE POST: Government "overpays" AIG Trading Partners
AIG was a hedge fund attached to a stable insurer, says Bernanke
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke was widely quoted as criticising AIG in a Senate hearing yesterday. "I think if there's a single episode in this entire 18 months that has made me more angry, I can't think of one, than AIG," he said, according to various press reports. He added that was angry about the way AIG had strayed from its core insurance business and took unmonitored and unnecessary risks through its financial products unit, describing AIG Financial Products as a hedge fund attached to a large and stable insurance company. http://www.creditflux.com/Structured/2009-03-04/AIG-washedge-fund-attached-tostable-insurer-says-Bernanke
Filed under: AIG, Bailout, Banking, Banking Crisis, Economic Crisis, Economy | Tagged: AIG Bailout, Bailout Cash To Hedge Fund Managers, Taxpayers Make Hedge Funds Whole |


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Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an American televangelist. He is the founder of numerous organizations and corporations, including the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), the Christian Coalition, Flying Hospital, International Family Entertainment Inc., Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, and Regent University. He is the host of The 700 Club, a Christian TV program airing on channels throughout the United States and on CBN affiliates worldwide.
Robertson is a Southern Baptist and was active as an ordained minister with that denomination for many years, but holds to a charismatic theology not traditionally common among Southern Baptists. He unsuccessfully campaigned to become the Republican Party's nominee in the 1988 presidential election. As a result of his seeking political office, he no longer serves in an official role for any church. His media and financial resources make him a recognized, influential, and controversial public voice for conservative Christianity in the United States.
Robertson was born in Lexington, Virginia, into a prominent political family. His parents were Absalom Willis Robertson, a conservative Democratic United States Senator, and his wife Gladys Churchill (née Willis). He married Adelia "Dede" Elmer on August 26, 1954. His family includes four children, among them Gordon P. Robertson and Tim Robertson and, as of mid-2005, fourteen grandchildren.


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After much family encouragement and a fair bit of penny-pinching, I recently ordered up a new personal laptop system from Dell.
This was to be a replacement for the well-loved Gateway MT6451 notebook I've been using. I had already had the DC plug repaired once and it was failing again. I wasn't ready to reinvest in another repair, so it had been sitting static on my desk to avoid having to re-jiggle to cord/plug to keep power flowing. Not very practical for a laptop.
As noted in a recent GSD post, I did a lot of research and consideration for this system choice. I wanted something "small" so it would be a bit more portable than the 17" + notebooks now commonly available. I wanted power, so that meant an Intel i7 core system, and I still needed something that was at a decent price point.
In the end, fueled by some good discounts, I settled on a Del Studio 15 (1558) notebook. It's got the i7 core, a 500GB drive (SATA…no SSD for me yet…),and a wireless 802.11a/g/n card that now finally allows me to take full advantage of the D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router wireless router I picked up some time ago.
I did spring for the full 1080p high-def display option (gorgeous!) though a Blu-Ray drive wasn't an available option at the time. However, standard DVD playback is really, really good. It also has dedicated 1 GB video video card. And I got the Ruby Red lid. A wise purchase as it really conceals fingerprints, and as my brother says, "…red makes it go faster."
Alas, the Gateway just couldn't successfully run many higher-end graphic applications under Win7; including Celestia, Photoshop C4 x64, Google Earth, and a few others. It was getting to be an annoyance. No more. Google Earth renders beautifully fluid.
It takes about a minute to go from a power-off state to desktop. I've yet to really challenge the i7 core. I've done some x64 bit Photoshop work already as well as video editing and it barely causes a bump on the utilization graphs. (I run Process Explorer at boot as a scheduled task, sending to the system tray with the "-t" switch.)
I've not had time to finish setting up my virtual machines yet, so I'm very hopeful the i7 core will really add virtualization performance.
Sure, an i5 core would have probably been sufficient, but this is the very first time I've actually allowed myself to get a system I really wanted (from a feature standpoint)…and then a splurge of a bit more in power.
I've christened it "Tatiana" due to the red lid and power in honor of the Last Exile character Tatiana Wisla and the complex relationship between Tatiana and Claus in the Last Exile anime series. She masterfully pilots a red "vanship" fighter and is Claus' match. Seemed fitting. Hence when it was on order and I was anxiously awaiting delivery, Alvis would tease me with a wicked tone, "Dad's been busy getting to know his new mail-order-bride. Tatiana."
The biggest concern after reading reviews that really gave me pause to consider were findings that the cooling fan was obscenely loud in early Dell 1557 Studio 15 models with the i7 core: Review Dell Studio 1557 Notebook - Notebookcheck Reviews and this Dell Studio 15 (1558) Review - Laptop Magazine. And they got really hot on the bottom/top. I am pleased to say that isn't the case with my experience with the 1558 model. While the power brick is thinner than I would expected (my work Latitude E6400 brick is almost twice as thick to only support a dual-core) it is the only thing that seems quite warm. The 9-cell battery pack lifts the notebook up creating a large air zone underneath. I find using a hard-board placemat to rest it on while on my lap is perfect. The fan rarely spins up unless the core is really working, and the keypad/wristpad does get warm, it is not hot to me.
Software is loaded up. Things are tweaked.
Thanks to Tiny Apps blog for the Tiny HDD activity monitors post. This notebook has no HDD activity LED indicators at all (what up with that Dell?) so I settled on the HDDMon utility. Sweet!
I've also tweaked it for some network usage requirements. I miss the old XP style network activity indicator icon in the system tray so I added in a free Network Activity Indicator for Windows 7 - IT Samples. More here Get the Classic Style Network Activity Indicator Back in Windows 7 - How-To Geek. I'm going to return to network tweaking for Win 7 systems shortly.
All in all it seems to be a rock-solid, wicked-powerful notebook that I hope to get a lot of use out of.
Hopefully this will expand my computing abilities and enhance the GSD posting activity and adventures to come.
So, the Valca home welcomes it's newest member, Tatiana!
--Claus V.


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7/13/1787: The Articles of Confederation Congress enacts the Northwest Ordinance.
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
The day a U S couple got arrested for Kissing!
Few Americans know that there still is a Connecticut law in force in Hartford, which states It is illegal for a man to kiss his wife on Sunday. At least one American couple couldn't believe itself when the pair were hurled in to a police vehicle for kissing in public on a Sunday!
This bewildered couple was not in Hartford but was visiting Kerala, an Indian State which takes great pride in calling itself God's Own Country, where laws written by Gods are still Gospel truth.
In fact the local police chief, who happened to be a lady, was simply enforcing an Indian law which makes it illegal for anyone to kiss in public on any day, when the couple, unaware of the local law, kissed before a camera at the request of a journalist who was covering an unusual event.
Anti Kiss of Life protesters being chased by police.
The unusual media coverage the event received in India and the way the whole episode sort of fissile out show the double standard on morality most Indians can't shed despite the progress the country has achieved.
Though initiated by a group of people with progressive views on liberty and freedom of speech and expression active on social media, the movement soon gained political overtones inevitable in one of the politically conscious states of India.
The puritanical moral policing was an act of the BJP, backed by India's Hindu religious fundamentalists, who aim to grab the power from the Congress party who currently govern Kerala.
On the other hand, Kerala's communists who are constantly fighting off the BJP has seen a political opportunity.
The result was that the Kiss of love event which was organised to be held peacefully was opposed and disturbed by various organisations under all of these political set ups, forcing the police to remove the handful of the participants even though the government did not intent to enforce the law.
The disruption by the political parties were organised with an eye on the coming election so as to position themselves on the right side of the kissing divide. But it clearly demonstrates the hypocrisy of a society which wants to align itself with the free and liberal outside world.
Though this was an isolated incident which occurred in Kerala, a state politically and socially ahead of rest of the country, the approach of the BJP which has succeeded in grabbing power at the national level by unifying and concentrating the votes of the Hindus who form the majority, in holding on to the archaic social set up of India is what worries the progressive minded in India.
Incidentally this was reflected in a cartoon by the New York times on the occasion of the success of India's Mars mission, which lead to widespread protests and eventual apology from the paper.
Meanwhile, the Kiss of Love brigade of Kerala has actually claimed success of their movement and promised to regroup and continue their efforts to change the social attitude of their countrymen regarding freedom to love and expression of love.
Monday, November 03, 2014
Tag : #lastingrose, BJP, Connecticut, Hartford, India, Kerala, Kiss of Love
Memories of an autumn day assassination
No summer's high, no warm July, no harvest moon to light one tender August night. No autumn breeze, no falling leaves, not even time for birds to fly to southern skies.
So wrote Stevie Wonder about an ordinary day he sang three ordinary words which meant almost everything to a generation. It was on such an ordinary autumn day that a woman who touched the hearts of a whole generation for her courage was felled by assassins.
It is exactly thirty years since that day dawned in the life of many people as an ordinary day and set like an extra ordinary day they could never forget.
For me, it was a train journey which started as boring as any in an Indian train but grew very frightening towards the end and ended with a very unusual and uncomfortable experience of having to be pulled home by another human being. That is what stand out as the background of the events of that tragic day for me.
It was because, the train which departed early morning on that day had all but one stop and there was nothing called a mobile phone. The news of an assassination at last trickled down towards the afternoon when the train pulled up at an unusual stop, waiting for clearance to proceed to the destination as massive disturbances started to occur all over India.
Not knowing what happened or if it was only a rumour, the immediate concern was getting home safe and the shock and the sinking feeling had to wait till watching the news being flashed on the TV screen of a neighbour.
Events that caused immense shock to the whole world has occurred before and after like the assassination of President Kennedy and the 9/11. Days everyone remembers what they were up to when they heard the news. The cold blooded murder of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi however was unique and different.
Though President Kennedy was assassinated at the height of his popularity as bold leader of the cold war era, the world was only on the verge of media revolution and less connected for the news to dissipate. Time lapse perhaps diffused the shock though the angst and agony of the aftershock of an entirely unexpected and bold assassination and the immediate events which followed undoubtedly shook the conscience of the free world. No doubt the assassination of the young president Kennedy has left a indelible mark on everyone's memory.
In contrast, Mrs Gandhi's murder did not come as a surprise, at least to those who were aware of the Indian politics. But when it came, it came down like a ton of hot metal on India's conscience and a world at large which couldn't believe such a tragedy could strike India and the Gandhi name twice.
It didn't go down to the bottom of every heart with the force of the bullets which ripped her body but as a deep strike of knife which pierced the deepest affection and admiration for a leader who willingly sacrificed herself for what was right for the integrity and unity of the nation.
Unlike President Kennedy Indira Gandhi was not at the height of her political career. Mrs Gandhi could have run away from it all. She was warned. She knew it was coming. She could have the protection she wanted to avoid it.
Yet she was a leader who somehow knew that it will not be her political legacy and achievement but her courage and valour as a woman which will be the most precious gift she could leave for the nation and the world, which will make them to hold her close to their heart.
Yet she was a leader who somehow knew that it will not be her political legacy and achievement but her courage and valour as a woman which will be the most precious gift she could leave for the nation and the world, which will make them to hold her close to their heart.
The nation heard with apprehension and discomfort when she spoke on the eve of her death about her premonition but couldn't fathom her courage of conviction about what she will be dying for till that actually happened.
Nobody knows how many attempts have been made to shoot me; lathis have been used to beat me. They have attacked me in every possible manner. I do not care whether I live or die. I have lived a long life and I am proud that I spent the whole of my life in the service of my people. I am only proud of this and nothing else. I shall continue to serve until my last breath and when I die, I can say, that every drop of my blood will invigorate India and strengthen it.
Indira Gandhi will be remembered not as woman who wanted to build a dynasty and leave it behind but as someone who spoke out those words loud and clear for the world to hear, fully aware of the approaching death before her.
Naturally, you need to have a feel of what women are made of to appreciate the greatness of Indira Gandhi.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Why Chennai Express of Sha Rukh Khan is an amazing sine qua non for a course on world cinema
It is almost a year since Chennai Express, a record breaking Indian blockbuster of the king of Bollywood, Sha Rukh Khan, was released. This Indian flick may have a few surprise lessons for students of the movie craft.
It is one of those rare events on the silver screen, which provides a lot of insight to anyone seriously considering to master the craft of cinema and how to press the right buttons to enter the hearts of millions.
Bollywood films routinely become blockbusters with record collections at the box office, thanks to a captive audience looking out for a pass-time and burdened with a deficit of IQ and excess of money in their pockets both in India and abroad.
Chennai Express which got only sub zero marks from film critics, but managed to add a record number of zeros to its box office collection, however, is different and something of a a mystery of the Indian silver screen.
No one really knows how and when the 'rail cars' of Chennai Express, with such complexity that they could all have hardly come alive in a single brain, came together.
If Chennai Express was a typical director's film it might have been a Rohit Shetty film. It is actually a unique flick, with a lot more deeper and serious facets to it than a film director's work of entertainment. Many of those can be attributed to its hero, the Indian movie star and entrepreneur, Sha Rukh Khan.
A rail car named desire.
It is clearly the enormous desire of Sha Rukh Khan to make more money by investing wisely in a sure-fire formula which compelled him to venture out to make a film with Rohit Shetty, who is a young Indian director with a string of blockbusters under his belt. Rohit had cracked what the modern Indian audience wanted and was ready to to pour oil on any desire which made good commercial sense. The result could hardly be anything but explosive. Chennai Express, a deceptively dangerous theme, was the product of bold commercial vision of Khan, as suicidal as it is genius.
A script no one will touch
With the fire of desire in its gut, the express train of Sha Rukh and Rohit Shetty could have gone in any direction, but it took a southern turn with its script writer Subhash, son of a veteran southern film director, connected with the leaders of linguistic strife in India before independence.
It was no surprise that his script came with a genesis of an impossible dream of unity and harmony between southern and northern India, which broke down with the departure of the British and was aggravated by the linguistic division of India after independence.
From Helen of Troy to Gone with the wind, regional human conflict had been the backdrop of great classics, depicted truthfully and presented to audiences who can discern life from entertainment.
However, it would be utterly irresponsible to ignore consequences of chauvinism, even if it is in mere movie entertainment, in the 21st century India more divided and ignitable than ever.
The script of Chennai express, dealing with the love of a northern man to a southern belle was explosive any day, novel yet fraught with danger of massive protests and national grief if not a civil war, with the risk of negative stereotyping of south Indians. Though the script has a strong message of the power of love to unite everyone, almost impossible to deliver today as it was nearly a century back, the great Khan was audacious enough to grab it because he saw a divine touch of great commercial success.
The divine touch
What actually created the spark of creation of Chennai Express was a touch almost divine as the one in the Creation of Adam of Michel Angelo. It was the final touch of Khan's own blockbuster Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, still running in Mumbai after two decades, as the longest running flick.
Khan has instantly recognised that the feel of goodness where he left off in DDLJ is his ticket for Chennai Express which had the pulling power to drag millions of Indian hearts along with him in to it. It not only sealed the script of the movie but also the soft corner he has managed to sneak in to in millions of hearts worldwide.
Friday, June 27, 2014
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Chicago: Episode 27
Season 10 • Episode 27
Unsuspecting passengers hail a Chicago taxi cab and find themselves on a TV game show. They can win cash for correctly answering trivia questions & making it to their destination. But answer questions wrong, it's three strikes - and they're out!
22 min||Premiered 03/24/2011


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Is it a parable about social justice?
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is traditional progressive storytelling. It uses an axe-swinging superhero, Abe Lincoln, to retell the Left's primary mythos – a parasitic few live off the misery of the people.
An attempt to grapple with dark chapters in our nation's history?
The idea of America as a nation secretly created and controlled by vampires actually builds on a long history of popular "subversion myths" in which Freemasons, communists, or other conspiracies have secretly taken control of an otherwise good nation and threaten its social order. Like vampire stories, subversion myths frame good and evil in clear, unwavering terms. As nocturnal creatures who attack unseen, the vampires of folklore represent one of the oldest forms of subversion myth.
A "White Guilt Fantasy"?
When Abraham starts in on his vampire-hunting career, the movie still takes time to drop plot cookies that illuminate how awesome and pro-abolition he is, and how this fact makes him beloved by all good people. Such as the moment when Mary Todd, his future wife, gets all interested in him after he says something vaguely anti-slavery. Or the time when he and the black boy from the first act (Will Johnson) end up in jail for fisticuffs against some men who are determined to cart Will away as a slave.
And here I thought it was just a gimmick.