text:
NuBra Invisible Silicone Adhesive Bra, Nude, B
What if I am not satisfied with my purchase?
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase from TVTimeDirect, please contact customer service at or call us at (800) 238-7119. Please see our return Policy Below. We can not accept returns on certain item such as products used on the mouth, or other parts of the body. This may include products such as the Fukuoku 9000 line of massagers, Permanent Kiss Lipstick, Forever White etc. If you have any concerns, please contact us before ordering.
Return Policy:
TVTimeDirect guarantees against manufacturer's defects for 30 days from date of delivery. Defective merchandise will be replaced with another like product upon return and receipt by TVTimeDirect of the defective item.
1. You must acquire a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number prior to returning any item. RMA's are available by request and are only good for a specific product and specific order. Please include the product you want returned, the order number, the order date, and the reason for return .
2. Once you have received an RMA#, you may send the product back to us at your expense. We will not accept a collect or C.O.D. return. We will ship you a replacement at our expense (applicable within the continental USA only). If return is for a refund, the shipping and handling will not be refunded only the cost of the item. All Sales are Final on Export Orders.
3. TVTimeDirect reserves the right to refuse any return that doe's not have an RMA # on the box, in any case there will be an additional $5.00 charge if there is no RMA#.
4. Any returns that do not fall within our return policy are non-refundable and you will not receive credit.
5. All returns must be shipped to The address we give you when requesting an RMA number. Not all productys ship from the same location and products returned to a wrong location are inelligle for a return
*Products that exceed the TVTimeDirect 30 day return but have an extended Manufacturer's Warranty should be returned directly to the manufacturer according to their instructions.
*Rejected Delivery or Return of Unwanted Product requires TVTimeDirect approval. These type of returns may incur a restocking fee in all cases. Call for approval! We do not refund shipping charges on rejected deliveries, and Shipping charges will be doubled as we have had to pay for shipping both ways.
How will my order arrive?
Most orders are shipped the same or next day via UPS, or USPS. US Mail should be chosen for international and P.O. BOX customers. We use both UPS ground shipment and US Priority mail. Shipping times will vary depending on shipment location.
Most orders are shipped from our Florida, or Georgia warehousing locations.
What is the address for returns?
The address for returns will vary depending upon product and shipping locations. Mark your return with the return authorization number and send your items to: As Seen On TV Returns RMA #_______
Contact Us:
Phone: (800) 238-7119
Fax: (770) 913-3998
Address: TVTimeDirect, 3641 B Pierce Drive, Chamblee, Georgia 30341
You May Also Like
Boobs in a Box Silicone Breast Enhancers Inserts (Nude)- Large
TVTime "Boobs in a Box" Silicone Breast Enhancers (Nude)- Large The bustline you always wanted instantly! Now you can have a fuller figure that feels and looks as natural as your own without the risk or cost of surgery. The Breast Enhancer (Nude w/ nipple) gives a more natural and sexy look. The Silicone enhancer is perfect for adding to the bus...
Cami Secret Mock Camisole (Brown, Ivory, Navy)
Lock Wallet - RFID Blocking Wallets (Black)
The Lock Wallet is the perfect alternative to large, bulky wallets that do not organize your cards well and take up too much space. This stylish, compact wallet holds as many as 36 credit cards, debit cards, and IDs, and it also has a handy pocket for your cash. Thanks to the built-in RFID protection, you do not have to worry about thieves or co...
DELUXE Lock Wallet (Black) - RFID Blocking Wallets
The DELUXE Lock Wallet is the perfect alternative to large, bulky wallets that do not organize your cards well and take up too much space. This stylish, compact wallet holds as many as 36 credit cards, debit cards, and IDs, and it also has a handy pocket for your cash. Thanks to the built-in RFID protection, you do not have to worry about thieve...
Slim Clip - Double Sided Money Clip! (Black Chrome)
Slim Clip is the amazing new double-sided money clip that holds up to 30 bills on one side and up to six credit cards on the other! Slim Clip is engineered from durable stainless steel, so now matter how much or what the abuse, you'll have a lifetime of use. Slim Clip's have special raised edges and locking clips, so you can shake all you want ...
Ahh Bra (White, 1X)
Ahh Bra (White, 1X)
The Ahh Bra - White, features breakthrough body-form technology that eliminates unsightly rolls and bra lines forever, so you will look firm and beautiful with the ultimate support and comfort. Material 96% Nylon and 4% Spandex SHIRT SIZE: 22W-24W BUST: 43.5- 45.5Machine Wash, Tumble Dry Pullover bra featuring elasticized band and wide straps C...
Lock Wallet - RFID Blocking Wallet - Brown
The Lock Wallet is the perfect alternative to large, bulky wallets that do not organize your cards well and take up too much space. This stylish, compact wallet holds as many as 36 credit cards, debit cards, and IDs, and it also has a handy pocket for your cash. Thanks to the built-in RFID protection, you do not have to worry about thieves or co...
Miss Belt Pro Instant Hourglass Shape S/M - 2 Pack- Black/Nude
This waist trainer and body shaper helps you obtain a slimmer waist, and an hourglass shape in seconds with an adjustable closure. Miss Belt hourglass shaper instantly provides the envious curves and that alluring hourglass shape that you've always wanted. Your midsection will appear slim and smooth in seconds. Dual adjustable hook and loop clos...
Miracle Copper Anti-Fatigue Compression Socks (Small/Medium)
The secret is the fusion of two technologies, graduated compression and copper-infused fibers, to help improve circulation and reduce swelling, also helping to relieve aches and pains. Miracle Copper Compression Socks are anti-microbial to naturally eliminate odors with breathable, wickable fabric to get rid of embarrassing smelly feet! Nylon/co...
Lock Wallet - RFID Blocking Wallet for Men and Women - Protection from Identity Theft (Red)
Lock Wallet - RFID Blocking Wallet for Men and Women - Protection from Identity Theft (Red)
Keep things sleek, simple and secure! Help protect your cards, information and identity with these RFID blocking wallets. It features plenty of interior pockets and sleeves to hold all of your card, coins and cash. No one can prevent all identity theft, but the Lock Wallet, with its tested and proven RFID signal blocking features, can help give ...
Walkfit Platinum Orthotics- Size C (W 7-7.5/M 6- 6.5)
New and improved design! NEW! We��ve added a unique gel pad to our Bio-Lock heel cup for advanced cushioning and shock absorption. So you get cushioning where you need it and firmness where you need it! NEW! Patented Nano-Silver technology Realigns your spine and pelvic area to reduce knee, hip and lower back pain. Independent clinical study sho...
Walkfit Paltinum Orthodics-Size F- W 10-10.5/M 9.95
If you suffer from foot or back pain, WalkFit Platinum Shoe Inserts by Phase 4 Orthotics can help you walk and live more comfortably. Available in men's and women's unisex sizes, these orthotic inserts are easy to customize and may be used in any pair of shoes for temporary relief of foot, knee, leg, hip and back pain. A clinical study showed th...


text:
The Chaos Computer Club e. V is responsible for the contents of this pages.
Appreciated ways to get in touch with us are listed in the Contact Area. You are invited to show up at one of the local clubs to get to know us personally, too.
The Chaos Computer Club e. V. is registered at the Vereinsregister of the Amtsgerichts Hamburg with the Vereinsregisternummer 10940.
Please refrain from sending us registered mail as we do not have regular office hours and hence no possibilities to accept any registered mail which in turn makes the mail go back to the sender. If it really needs to be a registered letter, please make it a registered drop-in letter (as opposed to a registered hand-over letter).
From every visitor we collect and retain the following information for an unknown period of time:
The IP address, which requested the page, is not saved. Hence it is hardly possible to tell visitors apart. We do not use cookies to identify our visitors either. We do not give the logged date to third parties. We try to protect -within the usual boundaries of server safety mesarues- the data from access by third paties.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Human Capital and the Theory of Life-Cycle Investing
Human capital is something we all have, and it's becoming a front of mind issue in the press and in the field of financial planning.
What's up with that?
What Is Human Capital?
For economists, there is a very specific definition for human capital. They say it is the value of future earned income expressed in today's dollars as if it were a lump sum.
That's an idea that makes conceptual sense, but is hard to specify in a practical sense. Who really knows what the range and pattern of their future earnings will be?
But even if you don't know the exact value for your human capital, it is possible to develop a sense of its character—and that's important for investment planning. You would manage investments differently depending on how high and how secure your earned income is likely to be, how long it may last, and how correlated it will likely be with financial markets.
For you personally, "human capital" is simply your God-given gifts. From a financial planning point of view, the implied planning issues are: How will you use these gifts and how will society financially reward you for doing so?
Why It's a Hot Topic
People are living longer, and we are beginning to understand the implications of that. Protecting against the risks of longevity and inflation are coming into focus for baby boomers as the key retirement planning goals, especially in light of declining pensions and job security.
As a result, we're seeing more personal investment products and services that incorporate academic theories—in particular, the theory of life-cycle saving and investing.
Life-cycle theory, first developed in the 1970s, points out that each person has both human and financial capital, with the former usually being the most important. [The theory of life-cycle investing discussed here should not be confused with the target-date or age-based life cycle asset allocation process, adopted by many mutual funds and that is a common investment choice in many 401(k) plans.]
It seems like a small change to focus more centrally on human capital than on financial capital, but it has major planning implications. So let's take a closer look at the theory of life-cycle investing.
Life-Cycle Investing: The Theory
In life-cycle investing, a person's total wealth is defined as the sum of their current financial wealth and the present value of their human capital—that is, what their labor will earn during their lifetime.
Under this theory, there is a key assumption that, in general, people like to smooth consumption across their lifetimes and that they especially want to avoid big downward swings in their standard of living. Using this approach, financial planning consists of transferring consumption across time and across contingencies, throughout the entire life cycle of the individual.
How does this work?
As an example, the act of saving for retirement shifts consumption from high earning years to years when the individual is no longer in the workforce. Student loans and mortgages, on the other hand, allow individuals to shift in the other direction, consuming more in the present by borrowing against income expected in the future. And health insurance is a vehicle for transferring purchasing power across contingencies—that is, from "good" times of robust health to "bad" times when medical care is needed.
From a life-cycle investing point of view, preparing for retirement thus requires investing savings in safe investments to the extent that is appropriate for one's personal circumstances, and insuring or otherwise addressing the risk of catastrophic losses, such as from poor health or challenging longevity. Then and only then does one consider how to capture the upside potential of volatile investments with an acceptable level of risk.
An additional tenet of life-cycle investing is that the source of labor income must be taken into consideration when making investment choices in order to avoid having the investment portfolio move in a highly correlated manner with labor income.
For example, if you are a stockbroker, you may think that because you are familiar with investment trends, you would be a good candidate for investing in stocks. Yet if your income rises and falls with the market, a more sensible strategy would be to manage financial capital as a counterpoint to earned income. Thus, as a stockbroker, you would keep portfolio volatility low in order to avoid having investment wealth plummet at the same time labor income sinks in a market downdraft. So, odd as it may sound to modern ears, not investing in stocks at all is a reasonable default choice for someone whose income goes up and down in lockstep with the stock market.
A Different View of Risk
In this context, "safe" investments are investments such as annuity-based products, inflation-indexed savings bonds, Treasury inflation-protected securities, and targeted savings accounts (for example, a college savings plan where the promise to the investor is a payment of tuition instead of a payment of a specific dollar amount).
In fact, a key implication of life-cycle investing is that there are safe investments, and further, that safe investments are appropriate as the base layer of personal wealth, an idea that is quite different than the notion that stock investing should be the mainstay of an individual's portfolio.
For example, financial planners frequently focus on an individual's time horizon: "If you have a long time horizon, invest in stocks because you have time for everything to work out OK."
However, from a life-cycle investing point of view, this statement doesn't work. There is no reason to think that time softens market risk. The long-term average return is likely to be a positive number, perhaps a number even above inflation. But the range of possible ending values grows rapidly as the time horizon expands. This means that you might earn a nicely positive average annual return over your lifetime, but on the day that you need to start drawing cash from the portfolio for living expenses, your portfolio could be a fraction of total deposits—not a good outcome, and not financially safe.
Using a life-cycle investing planning perspective, the more correct statement would be that, rationally, you can consider increased investment risk to the extent that you have resiliency in your labor income. Thus, a young professional at the beginning of his career, everything else being equal, can consider ramping up investment risk, not because he has a long time horizon, but because he has resiliency in his labor income. If something goes wrong in his investment portfolio, he can ramp up lifetime labor income by working harder or longer.
In contrast, consider the situation of a 60-year-old. Given current longevity trends, he has a long time horizon, and so according to current popular lore, might consider investing heavily in stocks. But, if the 60-year-old is not able by preference or personal skills to ramp up lifetime labor income by working longer or harder, then he cannot really afford to take considerable investment risk. To the extent that he needs portfolio income for daily expenses, he also cannot afford to have anything go wrong in his portfolio and so must keep investment risk commensurately limited.
The Outlook
As the life-cycle theory of investing washes into daily financial life, you can expect to see an increased focus on safety first in investments as well as increased attention to coordinating investment policy with human capital.
Human capital is something that we all have and there is tremendous choice about what to do with it.
The financial planning implication is that what you do with your God-given gifts has a lot to do with personal happiness and your mark on the world—and everything to do with how you manage your investment portfolio.
This article was written by Paula Hogan for the May 2008 issue of the AAII Journal. Paula Hogan, CFP, CFA, is a fee-only adviser based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a frequent speaker and author in the financial planning field. She maintains a website at www.paulahogan.com.


text:
To kick off the Christmas season, I'm offering a great deal on Gift Certificates. Order any gift certificate over $25, and I'll add an extra $25 to the value! Or I can put the extra $25 on a separate one and you can keep it for yourself.
- One certificate can be used per person.
- Can buy additional as gifts.
- Expire 1 year from date of purchase.
- May be used towards classes and/or cake decorating supplies.
- Can be used towards custom cake orders valued at $75 or more.
Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com to buy yours today!
Basics class - $60
Chocolate class & Rolled Fondant Class - $40 each
Easy Cake Decorating Ideas class - $25
Check out our Facebook Page


text: If you are looking for adult games, free games, games of a sexual nature that Meetandfuckgames for you! Massive amount of free porn games. You can play online all the adult games or download them to your computer. Sex games are not only fun... Meetandfuckgames works that you would rest.


text:
Editor's Note: Last but not least, here is the fourth in a four part guest post series from a team of OM&IS students. They talk about what motivated them to create and manage the Dreamworks Scholarship campaign as part of their project management class (OM&IS 352).
My name is Tyler Gancarz. My OMIS 352 team and I decided to start a scholarship for our community project (in OM&IS 352). All the members of our team have been helped in some way from scholarships and grants — that's really why we wanted to help other students in the same way others have helped us.
My experience at NIU and the College of Business has been a special one and I would hate for someone to miss out on something so life changing because of financial need. This scholarship project is a way for us to pay if forward, an opportunity for us to give back to the college and help dedicated students who demonstrate financial need. The impact this project will have goes way beyond the classroom and could actually change someone's life in such a positive way.
Visit the Dreamworks website here and give to the cause if you feel strongly about this too.
Current posts in this series:
- part 1 of 4: Gabriella's story: "Big Dreams, Little Wallets."
- part 2 of 4: Jake's story: "Friends helping friends."
- part 3 of 4: Mason's story: "Giving help, creating opportunities."
- part 4 of 4: Tyler's story: "a Life Changing motivation."


text:
A Haunting In Horicon *long*
#1 Guest_HelenaHandBaskettGStudy_*
Posted 10 June 2005 - 10:58 PM
Ghost Story
Reporting on the haunted house of Horicon
By Barrett J. Brunsman
'Devil be gone'
Douglas D. Glamann, the chief of police of Horicon, Wisconsin, first heard rumors of a ghost in his town on January 21.
"My nightshift officer came in to see me mid-morning that Thursday and said, 'Did you know that we have a haunted house,' " the chief recalls.
"I said, 'Right. Get outta here.' And I just dismissed it as, you know, someone was just screwing around. I never even bothered to pursue the matter."
By lunch time, five people had asked the chief about the haunted house.
"I was hearing it wherever I went," Glamann says. "I was catching this 'blood is oozing from the wall' and I was very skeptical because I thought, 'If it was your house and you had blood coming out of the walls, wouldn't you call me?' "
The Tallmann family -- husband, wife, two toddlers, and an infant who lived on Larrabee Street -- were the presumptive hauntees. Neither Allen nor Debbie Tallmann had called the chief.
Glamann, who didn't know Allen Tallmann, got on the phone and tracked the man down at work. Tallmann was edgy; he hadn't had much sleep because he had been staying up at night with his kids, who were frightened.
They had reason to be. Tallmann described the unnerving things the family had seen and heard in the four-year-old house since June 1987. On January 11 of this year, the family left home for good and moved in with relatives.
At the chief's urging, Tallmann and his wife came to the police station the next morning, a Friday.
Allen Tallmann sat in a chair, his head down, refusing to make eye contact, Glamann says. The man appeared deeply troubled; Debbie Tallmann's words were punctuated by nervous laughter.
Glamann became convinced that the Tallmanns were serious about what they claimed to have seen. The chief promised to search the house and to shield the family from the press and the public as best he could.
Late that night, however, Glamann and his men were nearly overwhelmed by the onslaught of people who came to gawk at the Tallmann home, a small, three-bedroom ranch house.
Ghost rumors had swept through the crowd at the Friday night basketball game at the local high school. Hundreds of cars swept down Larrabee Street past the Tallmann home. People walked through the yards of the other nine houses on the block, climbing over fences, peering into windows.
Drunks showed up -- they weren't afraid of no ghosts. They tried the doors and windows of the Tallmann home, intent on getting inside to prove their bravery.
When the police ordered the drunks and gawkers to stay away from the house, a few would-be ghostbusters told the cops to "go to hell."
Arrests for disorderly conduct were made; the street was barricaded.
But people began driving around the roadblocks. Others viewed the rear of the house from a parallel street. More arrests were made.
About 2:30 Saturday morning, a man from Waupun, Wisconsin, a small town about 15 miles from Horicon, showed up. After the police stopped him for driving erratically, they noticed he had open beer in the car -- and a Bible.
"I come to help you guys, you're my buddies," the man told police. "I'm going to perform an exorcism on the house and say, 'Devil be gone,' and it's going to be all over, and you guys can go home and go to bed."
"Super," Police Chief Glamann responded. "Thanks." The man was arrested.
Glamann worked more than 21 straight hours, from 8:00 a.m. Friday to 5:30 Saturday morning, as he attempted to keep the lid on and the drunks at bay.
The runaway snowblower
Midnight, Monday, January 25: Milwaukee Sentinel reporter James B. Nelson was alone in his apartment, catching up on some reading, when the telephone rang.
He picked up the phone to find the Sentinel's state editor, Richard Feyrer, on the other end of the line. Feyrer had a peculiar assignment for the reporter: a ghost chase in Horicon, 60 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
Nelson did not second-guess his editor, though the assignment was a far stretch from Nelson's last story: How low-calorie artificial fat developed by the NutraSweet Co. might affect the dairy industry in Wisconsin.
Nelson made the one-hour drive to Horicon early Tuesday morning.
Though it has a population of just 3,800, Horicon is one of Wisconsin's best-known towns, because it lies at the southern end of the Horicon Marsh, a major stopover on the Mississippi Flyway, a migratory route for fowl.
Each fall, Canada geese stop at the marsh for a few days, and sometimes weeks, on their journey to warmer climes. Last fall, more than 400,000 geese were at the marsh during the peak of the migration.
But on that day in late January, most of the giant birds had long ago departed. Instead of geese, the talk was of ghosts and of blood dripping from the ceiling of a house on Larrabee Street, of a hole to hell in the basement of the house, and of a snowblower that had been seen running up and down the driveway by itself.
Unfortunately, Nelson was unable to locate anyone who had seen any of these things.
Nelson stopped at the office of the chief of police, located in the basement of the Horicon Library, just across the street from Fat's Tavern.
The chief wasn't in, so Nelson sat down to wait.
An amazing story
Shortly thereafter, Connie Polzin Dornfeld, a reporter for The Daily Citizen in nearby Beaver Dam, dropped by the chief's office. What's the word on the haunted house? Nelson asked.
Dornfeld showed Nelson a clip from her page?one story from the previous day's edition of The Daily Citizen. The head read: "Haunted House in Horicon?"
The story said: "Rumors have it that furniture is flying about the house, blinds are going up and down, blood is dripping from the ceiling, lights coming on with the power off, writings on the walls, and green lights flashing...."
Says Nelson: "It was the most amazing newspaper story I had ever read."
The article, written in a light style, poured on the details, including reports that "exorcists" had come to Horicon from as far away as California, and that sight-seeing traffic near the house had gotten so bad that the mayor had declared that the commotion was "scaring the hell out of the children" in the neighborhood.
Dornfeld had not used the name of the family in her piece. Nor had she talked to the Tallmanns. Only the chief of police knew where to find them, and he wasn't telling.
When Nelson had first heard about the Horicon ghosts, he had figured -- as had his editor -- that pranksters might be lurking about, rather than ghosts. Nothing much would come of the trip to Horicon, Nelson had thought, other than a funny feature story.
But as Nelson skimmed the Daily Citizen piece, he sensed that a light approach might not be the right one for the Sentinel. If townspeople and others in the area were really that worked up over reports of a haunted house, maybe the Sentinel ought to report the story straight.
Shut down the bar talk
Chief Glamann finally arrived, and he ushered Nelson into his office. The interview was not enlightening.
Yes, there had been reports of a haunted house. Yes, the chief had been in contact with the family. No, he couldn't confirm any of the rumors. No, he wouldn't tell Nelson how to contact the family. In fact, the chief wouldn't even tell the reporter the name of the family.
Glamann wasn't playing fast and loose with the press. He had promised confidentiality; that promise was the only thing that had persuaded the Tallmanns to talk to him.
But Nelson was undaunted. He walked the five feet from the chief's office to the city clerk's office, where he ran a tax check on the address of the house, which he had obtained from the Daily Citizen reporter. The computer check, which took about 15 seconds, told Nelson the name of the house's owner, Allen Tallmann, the purchase price of the house, how much Tallmann paid annually in taxes, how long the family had lived there, and the name of the previous owner.
Then Nelson pushed on to South Larrabee Street, just a little more than a half mile from the police station. The reporter found the home, but he discovered that the family had moved out.
Neighbors said they didn't know where the Tallmanns had gone. And, no, the neighbors hadn't noticed anything strange about the house. Only one neighbor told the reporter that the family had mentioned weird events. But all the neighbors had heard the rumors.
Nelson then drove to the manufacturing plant where Allen Tallmann worked. Tallmann had taken a few days off, the reporter was told.
Nelson drove to several churches in the community, trying to find out where the family worshipped and whether church officials knew anything about the haunted house. The reporter tracked down the family's church, but the pastor refused to speak about the matter.
Then, it was on to the Dodge County clerk's office in Juneau, some 15 miles from Horicon. Nelson figured the couple's marriage license might provide a lead - the names of relatives with whom the family might be staying.
He hit paydirt. The marriage license included the names of the couple's parents, as well as the names of other relatives. Nelson then had the birth certificates of the Tallmann family members pulled, looking for any other details that might aid him in learning more about the Tallmanns and where they might be staying.
Armed with that background information, Nelson began calling relatives. Some hung up on him after he identified himself and said he was looking
into the haunted house story; others seemed interested. In any event, the reporter succeeded in leaving the message that he would like to speak to Allen and Debbie Tallmann.
Nelson returned to the police station about 4:00 in the afternoon. He had amassed a lot of detail and a lot of hearsay, but he still didn't have enough information for the kind of story he wanted to file. So he had decided to take another crack at the chief.
"What in the name of God is going on around here," Nelson asked Glamann. "Rumors, rumors, rumors. I can't believe some of the crap that's flying around this town. Things are way out of hand."
The rumors were so bizarre that it was no wonder people were rushing to Horicon to take a gander at the house, Nelson said to the chief.
If the family would speak to the press, stating for the record what they had actually seen, perhaps the wild rumors could be quelled, Nelson argued. A complete story might "shut the bar talk down."
No 'Joe Idiot'
Nelson wasn't the only person to want the whole story to come out. Chief of Police Glamann wanted it, too. It might satisfy the curiosity of those who had been flocking in from all over the state. The situation had gotten out of hand. Glamann and his seven officers were being pushed to the limit in trying to keep order.
And, so far, news coverage -- which had been extensive -- had been of no help at all. If anything, it had made matters worse.
Though Nelson had shown up while the story was still fresh, other news people had been on the scene for two days.
The story about the haunted house was first reported Sunday, January 24, by WMTV in Madison, one of the most intellectually and culturally sophisticated small cities in the nation.
Horicon is about 40 miles from Madison, and WMTV News Director Brian Brosamle says the station learned of the haunted house after making a routine anything-happening-there phone call to the Horicon Police Department.
The station sent a crew to Horicon, and an item on the Horicon ghost was featured on Sunday's 10 o'clock news.
In Milwaukee, the state's largest city, the morning drive?time comedy team of Bob Reitman and Gene Mueller on WKTI-FM picked up on the story the next day, Monday. They milked it.
The Beaver Dam Daily Citizen, a 10,000-circulation afternoon paper, followed with its Monday page?one feature story.
WBEV-AM in Beaver Dam did a live interview with the police chief, and WISN?TV and other Milwaukee television stations sent feature reporters to Horicon to prepare pieces that would air that night. (It was the Monday night WISN story that tipped off the Sentinel's state editor.)
None of the reporters, however, was able to track down the Tallmanns to get the family's version of what had happened in the house. The reporters were content to report the hell-hole and oozing-blood rumors that were flying around town.
But, Glamann told The QUILL, there was something about the Sentinel's Jim Nelson, who arrived Tuesday, that led the chief to think that Nelson might be different; maybe the family ought to talk with the reporter.
"I didn't realize it till he appeared back at my door with a little smile on his face at four o'clock in the afternoon that he had been out pounding the pavement and doing his homework," Glamann says.
"He had all the answers to all of the questions. He sat down and went through the whole thing ... and he was on the money with everything he was talking about, so I knew I wasn't just dealing with Joe Idiot."
The Tallmanns, Allen and Debbie and the children, came to the station that Tuesday night, entering through a back door. Glamann suggested that they meet with Nelson, whom the chief had told to return to the station around 7:30.
The Tallmanns were wary. But they, too, were fed up with the rumors. They agreed to speak with Nelson.
Playing it straight
That night, Nelson filed his first story. The piece ran at the top of page one of the Sentinel's Wednesday, January 27, editions. It said, in part:
"HORICON -- A local couple Tuesday night told of terrifying experiences they said included months of paranormal events -- including an apparition of an old lady and flames shooting from their garage -- and vowed never again to live in the home they fled two weeks ago.
"Although rumors of mysterious incidents at the house have swept through this small Dodge County community ... Police Chief Douglas Glamann said that, until now, the facts about what happened to the young couple, parents of three children, had not been revealed.
"In an interview, the couple said the experiences began about six months ago when a clock radio in their son's bedroom kept changing stations by itself."
The story also said:
* That the couple had heard inexplicable strange noises; that a suitcase once had slid out from under their son's bed and back again by itself?, and that a baby?sitter had told the parents that a kitchen chair "had started rocking back and forth" on its own.
* That the mother had quoted her two-year-old son as having said, "I saw an old lady standing in the door of my room. A little old lady, really ugly, with long black hair and a glow about her like fire."
* That the father said he had "challenged" whatever mysterious entity had been causing the commotion. Nelson quoted him thusly: "I walked in the house yelling at the top of my lungs, 'Pick on me. Leave my kids alone. If you want to fight, I'll fight.' "
* That a day after making the challenge, the father said the entity had spoken. The father's quote went like this: "It said, 'Come here!' real loud. Then it was glowing inside the garage, an orange red. There were flames coming out of the overhead door. There were two eyes in the windows."
* That, around the beginning of January 1988, the father said the entity made a threat. The quote:
"This thing came right out of the floor. It was gassy and foggy ... it rose up there and that voice came out of there and it said, 'You're dead.'
"These green eyes appeared right out of this thing, and then I saw flames and it was gone."
The deluge
Nelson's story was a straight account of what the family had claimed to have seen. It noted that the police had found no evidence that any of the alleged paranormal events were pranks, that no damage had been done to the house, and that no family member had ever been harmed.
As a condition of the interview, Nelson did not name the family or report the address of the house. The story caused a stir.
The Associated Press rewrote the Sentinel piece for the wires, and it wasn't long before calls from media outlets throughout the country -- and from Canada and from abroad -- began coming in to the Sentinel, the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen, and The Horicon Reporter, the town's 2,500-circulation weekly.
The Horicon Police Department was inundated. Chief Glamann did hundreds of interviews over the next three days, many of which were live radio interviews, including one with the BBC. Even The Times of London wanted an interview.
Glamann, his secretary, and the department's second in command "were on the phone all the time," the chief says. "And when you hung up the line, there was another one waiting to be answered.
"I occasionally stopped answering the phone to go on TV. I'd be doing the interview, and a lot of reporters [in the room] didn't have to ask me very much because while they were waiting to talk they got most of the information they needed just by listening to my conversation with the TV guy."
In response to a question, the chief declined to be specific about how the reporters acted.
"There are good reporters and there are bad reporters," he said, "Just like there are good cops and there are bad cops."
But he notes, when prodded, that some reporters, particularly TV reporters, were a little "more pushy" than others. They seemed offended when the chief refused to tell them how to contact the family.
"Do you know who I am?" was a phrase Glamann heard too often from television journalists.
Drive-time radio personalities of the zany persuasion from around the country joined the rush to interview Glamann. A few radio people did live remote broadcasts from Horicon, in which they needled the town and its response to the rumors.
Even "mainstream" radio stations had fun with the story. When Chief Glamann picked up the phone to do a live interview with WGN-AM in Chicago, a national heavyweight, he realized that the station was playing the theme from the movie The Exorcist in the background.
Glamann, who upon becoming chief of police had instituted a departmental policy calling for cooperation with the press, tried to meet every media request for an interview. He mentioned that the family was having a hard time dealing with the strange events and the attempts by the media to interview them. But he refused to expand the story beyond what Nelson had written.
In fact, Glamann would refer to Nelson's story during his interviews. The chief had highlighted quotes from the family, and he simply passed those quotes on to the press.
Some broadcast stations reported the address of the house and noted that it was owned by the Tallmanns. The family and the Tallmanns' neighbors were upset by that, telling Chief Glamann that they feared more gawkers would show up.
Glamann says he figured it might have been a good thing that the address of the haunted house was reported by the press -- since he had heard that someone might try to set fire to the house.
At least if someone did want to torch the vacant Tallmann home, Glamann thought, the arsonist would know the right address -- and not burn down a neighboring house with a family inside. Nothing came of the rumor that the house would be burned down.
In the meantime, the Tallmanns continued to duck reporters, except for Nelson. Only two media outlets, other than the Sentinel, were able to get anything from the couple.
A Current Affair, the quasi-news program produced by the Fox Television network, managed to get a brief voice-on-tape interview with the Tallmanns one night after the couple showed up to meet Chief Glamann at the police station. The arrogant attitude of the crew and the subsequent caustic story annoyed Glamann, who by then had become very protective of the family.
Milwaukee's WISN-TV also managed to get a brief voice-on-tape interview with Debbie Tallmann after bumping into the couple at the police station. Reporter Julie Matsko was polite, and she played the story straight.
But Nelson had the inside track on the story -- and for a week the Sentinel ran page-one scoops about the family, the house, and the parapsychologists called in by police to investigate.
'Herd journalism'
Peculiar by its absence, or rather by the absence of stories on the haunted house of Horicon, was The Horicon Reporter.
The local paper ignored the story until Thursday, February 4, when it ran a page-one column that said the Reporter hadn't run any stories previously because a "haunted house" was not a legitimate news story.
"The basic story did not really involve the people in the house, nor did it really involve the Horicon Police Department -- who were caught in the middle especially the middle of the media attention," wrote columnist Ed Marolla.
"What brought on the big media attention to Horicon around the state and the country was not so much what did happen in Horicon, but rather the reaction of morbid curiosity seekers and people who 'got their kicks' out of what might have happened to somebody else," Marolla said in his column.
And the "mass hysteria" that had gripped the town was the direct result of "cruel witticisms, gleefully recited by people who invented things out of thin air, plus irresponsible daily newspapers, TV stations and radio who kept playing up a story where a story didn't really exist," he wrote.
The columnist noted that the Tallmann family had never been physically harmed by any ghosts, and that the house itself had not been damaged. "The only real damage was done by the curiosity seekers, the rumor mongers, and the media that reported the rumors," he wrote.
Marolla bought The Horicon Reporter 30 years ago but has since retired, except for the column he writes. But his viewpoint was in harmony with that of his two sons, Ed junior and Julius, who put out the Reporter.
"It was a non-story," Ed Marolla Jr. said in a recent interview with The QUILL. "There was no story here; it was a case of herd journalism. Unless something is significant news, we're not going to run a story about it.
"We sympathize with the family," Marolla added. "This man believed he saw something, but that doesn't mean he did. It was just a minor incident that got blown out of proportion."
The Sentinel's stories "stank of sensationalism," Marolla added. "They were trying to sell papers. We don't have to do that; people buy the Reporter anyway."
Why discuss it?
While the Sentinel is Wisconsin's oldest paper, The Milwaukee Journal is the state's largest, richest, and most prestigious paper.
Both papers are owned by the Journal Company, a media conglomerate of modest size that embraces TV, radio, and commercial printing operations.
The Journal and the Sentinel share facilities -- the building (actually, two buildings, joined), presses, advertising staff, business offices, art and photography departments, even a cafeteria.
But the news staffs are separate, and hotly competitive.
Nevertheless, like the Horicon paper, the Journal ignored the story -- until Sunday, February 7, when the Journal ran a story by science reporter Paul G. Hayes.
Hayes quoted from the senior Marolla's column about the matter and then echoed the weekly's assertion that the "haunted house" didn't deserve coverage.
The science reporter took a not-so-subtle jab at the Sentinel, saying the police chief's "strategy" to quell the rumors, by introducing the family to Nelson, had "backfired."
"Instead of squelching the rumors, the publicity fueled them," Hayes wrote of the first Sentinel story, which had recounted what the family had claimed to have seen.
Hayes later amplified his criticism in a conversation with The QUILL.
"Why do we even have to discuss whether there's blood dripping from walls or other supernatural events," Hayes asked.
"We [at the Journal] just began with the presumption that this was just another claim of spiritualism. I don't doubt that belief in spiritualism is rampant, but reporting on it in a way that suggests that a daily newspaper believes in it is the real story here.
"That's not objective at all, to give credence to haunted houses," he adds. "Anybody can claim anything. That's just letting people get away with unsubstantiated claims.
"Ghosts never occur to the skeptical," Hayes notes. "Just because someone claims something and claims it sincerely doesn't mean we're obliged to run it. We're not the supermarket press; we have a certain obligation to our readers to test these claims."
As for the hometown paper ignoring a story that was the talk of the town, Hayes says:
"I'm a science reporter, and I think community newspapers ought to be pretty chary about reporting on supernatural events, even if the individuals claiming to have witnessed these events are sincere."
Adds Hayes: The Horicon Reporter had taken "an incredibly enlightened and responsible stand."
Chief Glamann disagrees with Hayes. He told The QUILL that the citizens of Horicon were well served by the Sentinel stories because they did end the wild rumors that had been circulating.
'Ghosts make news'
Not expectedly, Dick Feyrer, the Sentinel's state editor, takes issue with Hayes and The Horicon Reporter. "I don't buy the argument that because the local paper doesn't pick up on the story it is, by definition, improper for a major daily to do so," Feyrer says. "I think there's a wide interest in phenomenon such as this. At one meeting when the [Sentinel] editors discussed it, a senior editor said, 'Ghosts make news.'
"It never occurred to us that we couldn't cover a ghost story responsibly," Feyrer adds.
"There was no indication that this was in any way a publicity stunt," says the state editor. "I just felt it had to be treated as a legitimate news story."
Tom Luljack, news director of WTMJ?TV in Milwaukee, says he didn't see anything wrong with running the story, either -- as long as a station or newspaper didn't take the alleged paranormal events seriously.
"We took a light-hearted approach to the story, to be honest," Luljack said. "We did not report any of the supernatural occurrences up there as fact, and I think some people in this town -- the Sentinel and WISN -- came very close to taking the family at their word."
WTMJ's feature reporter handled the first story that the station aired, and a subsequent longer piece was promoted with the teaser "Spooky or Kooky?"
"We chose not to approach it in a serious way," Lu1jack notes. "If a ghost appears on camera on our five o'clock newscast, I'll change my mind."
However, said Lu1jack, the story could not have been ignored -- if for no other reason than because of the uproar in the community.
"For us to totally ignore the phenomenon is to ignore the definition of what news is," Luliack said. "It certainly was very important to the people of Horicon; it was interesting to the rest of our viewers.
"My advice is to be skeptical, but not to be blind to the fact that something is going on in the community," he added. "Don't simply spike a story because we say to ourselves that it can't possibly be true. These people were upset and excited. We had a responsibility to cover it."
Steve Olszyk, news director of WISN-TV, one of the media outlets that treated the story straight, echoes Luljack's viewpoint that the story deserved to be covered -- particularly because of the town's reaction to reports of ghosts.
"Everybody in Horicon was talking about it before the first newspaper story or the first television story, and to ignore something that everybody is talking about is ridiculous."
As to his decision that the station should cover the story without making light of it, the WISN-TV news director has no regrets.
"These people were very, very genuine people," Olszyk said of the Tallmanns. "I was able to do some background checking, and they're as solid as the day is long."
The Sentinel's Nelson echoes that point: "The thing that should really be stressed is that all the way down the line, the family wanted to avoid the media they didn't want to be news.
"They were offered $5,000 to be news," Nelson says, alluding to an offer The National Enquirer made in an attempt to get an interview with the family. "And when they became news, they hid because they were afraid of being exploited.
"They were staying with relatives in another town, Nelson adds. "They did not return to their house at all. And eventually they moved to a motel, and then on to another one because they were afraid the media would be able to track them down....
"I don't care whether they saw a ghost or not," Nelson says. "They've lost their home, they've moved out of their home, they're living in a motel. It's not like they're sitting on a flagpole trying to draw attention to themselves."
With regard to how the family views the press coverage, Nelson says: "My impression is they are just stunned by how the media did this. I felt sort of funny being a part of the pack, though they trusted me. They knew I wasn't going to turn around and make fun of them. I mean, it's not our job to make fun of them."
Jeff Hovind, editor of the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen, acknowledges that his paper treated the story as less than serious at first -- but he adds that it wasn't long before the paper changed its approach.
"The question I had at the outset was, 'Is this a joke? How do you cover a ghost story? Is this something that actually happened to the family?' " Hovind says. "It was definitely the brunt of many jokes in the area, and in our newsroom too.
"So, do you cover it as a legitimate ghost story?" the editor says he kept asking himself. "Or do you cover it as a troubled family?
"From our perspective, the focus of the story changed from, 'Is there a ghost or isn't there, did these things happen or didn't they,' to, 'This is happening to this family.'
"And our stories from that point on took a more sympathetic approach," Hovind says. "It was basically based on my perception that we weren't going to answer the question, 'Was there an apparition or not?' "
Hovind dismisses assertions that the haunted house story didn't merit coverage. "How can a guy say it's a non?story? It's what everybody in the whole town was talking about. It's probably the most newsworthy thing to come out of Horicon in as long as I've been here, eight years. For anyone to say it's a non?story, when it's the big event in town -- that's just mind-boggling."
Defining 'news'
Whether the haunted house of Horicon merited the coverage it got depends on how one defines "news" and "newsworthy."
For some -- particularly The Milwaukee Sentinel- - the story was the definitive example of what news is at its most basic: the talk of the town.
For others, such as The Milwaukee Journal, the story was not legitimate, except insofar as they might comment on how bizarre it was for others to treat it as if it were.
For many news operations -- especially out-of-state media -- the story was just something to be mined for yuks, for further proof that anything can happen amid the barns and silos out there in the boonies.
But for the Tallmann family, the story was just one long nightmare. The apparitions they saw, or that they think they saw, prompted them to abandon their home. And their desire to avoid the media glare caused them to move from the home of relatives to a motel room then to another motel room, living, as Chief Glamann told The QUILL, "like criminals."
Though the Tallmanns may never know what caused the strange sights and sounds they experienced, or thought they experienced, they have decided that the events were somehow linked to a second?hand children's bunk bed set that the couple had bought for $ 100.
On February 19, Nelson reported in the Sentinel that the family had buried the bunk beds in a private landfill in the Horicon area where no one is likely to build a house.
That story also noted that the Farmers Home Administration, which held the mortgage on the Tallmann's $50,000 house, had agreed to assume title. Mrs. Tallmann estimated that the family would lose about $3,000 on the deal.
The wire services picked up the Sentinel's bunk-bed article, and papers and broadcast stations in the area -- and nationwide -- reported the final chapter of the Horicon ghost story.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin's paper of record, The Milwaukee Journal, was content to let the rest of the press cover the burying of the beds, much to the approval of science reporter Paul Hayes.
"Do you think we ought to run stories about quartz crystals being a cure for cancer?" Hayes responded when The QUILL asked why the Journal hadn't run the bunk bed story. "Do you think we ought to report as fact that UFOs will determine the fate of Milwaukee?
"In fact, ghosts are a little more preposterous than UFOs -- at least there's a percentage of a chance that other forms of life exist out there in the universe.
"It's far easier to explain this as the imperfectability of the human brain," Hayes says, noting that people throughout the United States have claimed to have witnessed paranormal events.
"Many people throughout the country believe in the supernatural," Hayes adds. "In that respect, Horicon is no different from any other place.
"What was different about the events in Horicon was that no one bothered to ignore the story."
The thing that immediately came to my mind were the comparisons to the Amityville case, they even fled their home in January too!!! This was one of the only accounts of this story that I could find on the net, but the one that I read in "Haunted Heritage" was just *way* too long to type out!!!
In the account that I read, the pastor upon his first visit immediately told the family it was the Devil. I though that was a bit harsh!! He also told the family that it happened because they didn't go to church, my second thought was "what a load of malarky!!" (to the priest's comment anyway!)
Posted 11 June 2005 - 06:57 AM
I agree that the pastor seemed pretty harsh and wanted to put his own spin on things, but if you read a lot of the details it sounds like maybe he was right? Maybe.. I'm not sure I even believe in "The Devil."
The things that creeped me out most about the account was looking outside the window and seeing the glowing red eyes, and the night when the father was sleeping with the girls and the misty figure formed in the room. Gahhh!!
Was that the story, too, where the mother had told the children that the apparition they saw was the Baby wow, so they wouldn't be scared? And at one point the little kid is telling everyone not to be scared, it's just Baby wow? I got such a huge kick out of that!
I have GOT to find and re-read this one.. I know I said that the other day but these books are just golden.. Golden baby!
1 witty phrase
1 cool picture
2 links to your sites
Mix together, add some formatting.
Click 'Update my Signature'
*sigh.. I never do anything right*
#3 Guest_HelenaHandBaskettGStudy_*
Posted 11 June 2005 - 08:34 AM
I agree that the red eyes were really creepy, but the way that the father saw them, the green eyes with the blazing red pupils creeped me out the most. I don't think I could get over that one myself.
It's interesting that the family while the haunting was going on went through the attitude changes as well. If I remember correctly, Dark Angel mentioned that this is very common in extreme hauntings.
With the pastor, I felt like he was *almost* blaming the haunting on the family because they didn't attend church regularly enough. That's the thing that really ticked me off.
I have been trying to find more about it on the net, and the few stories that I have found said that the hauntings started to intensify after the family bought a set of bunk beds for the little girls.
Oh, and I almost forgot, the youngest girl, who was about 2 when the hauntings began for her, used to sit up at night and talk to someone or something in her room, and her sister that shared a room with her was never disturbed. Her parents would hear her giggling and almost playing with whatever was in her room.
Another thing that the story in the Norman/Scott book, was the fact that the enetity seemed to single out the children. What I mean to say is, that if one child saw it, and was frightened by it, the other to would be in a dead sleep, and not bothered by it, no matter how loud the poor victim was. I also believe that it affected Debbie and Allen the same way.
Edited to add: Interestingly enough, the Tallmann's sold their house and the people that bought it have not reported any strange activity.
Posted 11 June 2005 - 09:30 AM
I have been trying to find more about it on the net, and the few stories that I have found said that the hauntings started to intensify after the family bought a set of bunk beds for the little girls.
Edited to add: Interestingly enough, the Tallmann's sold their house and the people that bought it have not reported any strange activity.
Perhaps it was a 3-way conglomeration of that particular family, the bed, and the location? Or maybe the new family actually attended church! Just Kidding, of course.. playing the part of the pastor from that story
1 witty phrase
1 cool picture
2 links to your sites
Mix together, add some formatting.
Click 'Update my Signature'
*sigh.. I never do anything right*
Posted 11 June 2005 - 01:27 PM
[rant mode]
The public's reaction to all this makes me mad. The townspeople behaved like cattle and the press behaved like vultures. Rumor really brings out the best in folks, doesn't it?
Sorry...it hasn't taken long at all for me to become very cynical. I just feel bad for this family that the real h*ll came from the publicity as opposed to whatever was haunting their house. The ghosts seem almost friendly in comparison! Jeez!
Oh yeah...they were haunted because they didn't attend church?!? Please! If that were the case, then my house would be putting Amityville to shame. The silly things people say!
[/rant mode]
#6 Guest_Guardian_*
Posted 11 June 2005 - 02:26 PM
Also, when I was at a Lutheran Youth Conference in Atlanta in 1998, I had the pleasure of listening to a lecture by a Lutheran pastor who was in service in Horicon while all of this was taking place. As "easy" as it is to read about the events here, to hear about this strange, strange haunting from someone who had to deal with the results was quite bone-chilling. I left that room more scared than I had ever been. Although we will never truly know what happen in Horicon, I thank G0d that I was not in the place of that family, the police chief, or anyone else even remotely connected with this case.
Immediately after the conference, I had emailed the pastor for a copy of his presentation, which I, or course, have since lost. I am trying, however, to contact him in order to present this information to everyone here.
Edited by Guardian, 11 June 2005 - 02:44 PM.
Posted 11 June 2005 - 03:27 PM
"I myself am... strange and unusual."
Posted 11 June 2005 - 07:19 PM
I remember this story!!! I used to get nothing but paranormal books from the library when I was a kid, and this story especially gave me the willies. I remember being VERY glad I didn't have to sleep in a cramped back bedroom while I was growing up!
#9 Guest_Guardian_*
Posted 13 June 2005 - 06:07 AM
#10 Guest_HelenaHandBaskettGStudy_*
Posted 13 June 2005 - 01:42 PM
I do know that the police in the town (city?) did a thorough investigation of the house, and no evidence of a hoax was found. No recording devices, no wires, not evidence that the dust in the house was disturbed by wires and recording devices.
#11 Guest_Guardian_*
Posted 14 June 2005 - 12:48 PM
#12 Guest_HelenaHandBaskettGStudy_*
Posted 14 June 2005 - 04:34 PM
Posted 15 June 2005 - 09:11 AM
Posted 15 June 2005 - 02:31 PM
I live pretty close myself.. but wasn't living here at the time of the haunting.
1 witty phrase
1 cool picture
2 links to your sites
Mix together, add some formatting.
Click 'Update my Signature'
*sigh.. I never do anything right*
#15 Guest_HelenaHandBaskettGStudy_*
Posted 15 June 2005 - 07:18 PM
It's not the first time the media has attacked a family that has supposedly gone through an extreme haunting. Look what happened to the Lutz's in Amityville.
#16 Guest_Guardian_*
Posted 17 June 2005 - 11:23 AM
I conducted the usual investigation of the circumstances in the Tallman home. No, they had no Ouija Board, they had not held a seance and, as far as they knew, there was no such activity going on their home. Well, I said, do you have any occult books or other occult things in your house. No, they replied.
There were only a few other possible answers. A demonic power could have been invited in by someone who was babysitting their 3 children or by someone who had been in the home before. I never was able to determine the exact cause of the haunting of the Tallman home. Thats probably why the Cosgrove-Meurer Production Co. decided to tell this story on UNSOLVED MYSTERIES. The Police Dept. and I were able to learn that there was an Astrologer in the neighborhood, a woman with whom Mrs. Tallman did not get along. There was a strange note that Debbie Tallman received several weeks afterwards. It read: Dear Debbie: Im sorry I did this to you. Signed, A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Let me review for you what we have learned thus far by asking the same questions you would use when making a sign or writing a term paper
>>WHO? The Allen Tallman Family of Horicon, WI, as you saw on the video, but I soon learned that there were many more such cases out there. Whether they called me or the Chief of Police, they said the same thing: Believe them; theyre telling the truth. Pretty much the same thing happened to me.
>>WHERE? Horicon, Wisconsin, a town of 3700 people in Southeastern Wisconsin about 50 miles from Madison and Milwaukee, but it could just as easily have been your town. How do I know that? Because our local Police Chief followed guidelines for handling such a case which he received from The International Police Chiefs Association, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. He later received an award from this organization for his handling of THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORICON. Heres my point: If a heavy-weight organization such as The International Police Chiefs Association has guidelines for the handling of haunted houses, its happening a whole lot more often than just once in awhile. At least 28 States have a law regarding a realtors responsibility to disclose what is called a stigmatized property. One such stigma is a haunted house.
>>WHAT? All I can say for sure that these things happened. The family saw/experienced: 1) a fiery, witch-like figure that appeared to all 3 of the children in their rooms. 2) an invisible being that changed stations on the radio, moved suitcases in and out from under the bed and snatched the dinner bucket out of Allens hand one nigh after work. 3) a visible fog-like entity that threatened Allen Tallman and later, his brother, with death.
I saw the direct effects upon Allen Tallman and his brother after they were confronted by the presence in their house on separate occasions. Their body language was one of terror.
When demonic spirits are driven out of one place or person, they go where there is a spiritual vacuum or where they have been invited.
That takes us to the next question: How did this happen? Again, the details are sketchy, but we can point to several well-documented ports of entry for occult happenings such as in the Tallman home. The scary things happening in the Tallman home for 9 months, culminating with the abandonment of their home, were not nearly as unusual as I first thought. I had handled such a case twice before, so I knew a few of the things to look for and a few of the right questions to ask. One of the first things you ask people who are experiencing such things is whether or not they have any occult objects in their possession. A Ouija Board is the first suspect. A Ouija Board is a DIVINATION DEVICE. It seeks to use the power of Satan to obtain information that is otherwise unavailable. Occult experts tell us that this is the most common means of demonic possession, either of a person or a home.
Another suspect is occult activity in a seance. I recall a young couple inviting me to their apartment. She began the story in familiar fashion--Pastor, please dont think were crazy, but there are some strange things going on here. She then told me of a dresser which would shake and make noise with no one near it. I told her that this usually doesnt happen unless this object has been set aside for some form of occult activity--Seance or the use of a Ouija Board. Did you do anything like that? I asked. Yes, she said, we used the dresser as a table for a Seance.
#17 Guest_HelenaHandBaskettGStudy_*
Posted 17 June 2005 - 08:30 PM
I think that it's interesting that over half of the states in the US have disclosure laws. Maybe sometime in the future, there won't be the stigma on a "haunted house".
Thank you for getting this information Guardian! It's fascinating to get the information from a source close to the haunting!
#18 Guest_Guardian_*
Posted 18 June 2005 - 05:00 PM
Thank you for getting this information Guardian! It's fascinating to get the information from a source close to the haunting!
One day a few months ago, I was wondering why I chose to go to that one seminar out of a week's worth of speeches. We're talking over 100 presentations, and this is the only one I went to in the entire week. Now I guess I know! This whole situation is still fascinating to me.
Also, I know that the disclosure laws in Indiana are that the realtor only has to mention something if they are DIRECTLY asked. Other than that, it's don't ask, don't tell...lol.
#19 Guest_HelenaHandBaskettGStudy_*
Posted 18 June 2005 - 09:46 PM
Which kind of amounts to they don't really have to say anything right? I mean honestly, present company excluded, how many people would think to ask if the house that they are considering buying is haunted?
Posted 18 June 2005 - 09:51 PM
Honestly? Depends on how old the house is. I am perfectly aware that a house doesn't have to be old to be haunted, but I'm such a fraidey purr that if the house were over 50 years old I'd be asking the realtor. Especially if it was spooky and had red eyes glowing in the window.
1 witty phrase
1 cool picture
2 links to your sites
Mix together, add some formatting.
Click 'Update my Signature'
*sigh.. I never do anything right*


text:
Are you in the United States?
Visit our U.S.A. & International site for relevant pricing, distribution and product availability information.Go to StarTech.com
Dual Port PCI Express (PCIe x4) Gigabit Ethernet Server Adapter Network Card - Intel i350 NIC
Add dual Gigabit Ethernet ports to a client, server or workstation through a PCI Express slot
Product ID: ST2000SPEXI
- Two 10/100/1000Mbps compatible RJ-45 Ethernet ports
- Fully Compliant with IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3ab, IEEE802.3ad (link aggregation) and supports IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging
- Jumbo Frame support up to 9k bytes
- Teaming Support
- Supports Checksum Offload (IP, TCP, UDP), Transmit Segmentation Offload (TCP, UDP) and Large send Offload
- Wake-on-LAN / Remote Wake-up support
- Configured with standard profile bracket, low profile/half-height bracket included
- Supports Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-c, VMDq, SR-IOV)
- Four-lane (x4) PCI Express compatible with x4, x8 and x16 PCIe slots
- Compatible with PCI Express Base Specification 2.1 (backward compatible with 1.0a/1.1)
The ST2000SPEXI PCI Express Dual Port Gigabit Network Card lets you add two gigabit Ethernet ports to a desktop computer through a single, four-lane (x4 or higher)PCI Express slot.Each port is fully compatible with IEEE 802.3/u/ab standards, for 10/100/1000 Mbps auto-negotiation.
This 2-port GbE network card is based on the high-performance Intel® I350 chipset, which offers several advanced driver options including IEEE 802.3ad link aggregation / teaming support, enabling you to add additional bandwidth to your system. Support for Jumbo Frames, full-duplex operation and 802.1q VLAN tagging also aid in creating an efficient network configuration.
Also useful for virtualization applications (check your VM software for chipset compatibility) or setting up a dual-homed host configuration, this dual-port network card lets you accommodate several complex network scenarios, to meet your business needs. For added versatility, the controller card is equipped with a standard profile bracket and includes a low-profile/half-height bracket for installation in small form-factor computers.
Backed by a StarTech.com 2-year warranty and free lifetime technical support.
- Ideal for VM environments with multiple operating systems, requiring shared or dedicated NICs
- Provide redundant connectivity to ensure an uninterrupted network connection
- Configure a dual-homed proxy or gateway system for an added layer of security
- Specially designed for desktop PC clients, servers, and workstations with few PCI Express slots available
The StarTech.com Advantage
- Double the network bandwidth to a single system through link aggregation / teaming support
- Optimize network traffic with support for advanced features such as Jumbo Frames and VLAN tagging
- Maximize your virtualized server networking efficiency with dedicated ports
Product Numbers
Ingram Micro Colombia
UPC Code
Technical Specifications
|Warranty Information
|2 Years
|Bus Type
|PCI Express
|Card Type
|Standard Profile (LP bracket incl.)
|Chipset ID
|Intel - I350-AM2
|Industry Standards
|IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3ab
|PCI Express Base Specification 2.1
|RJ45 (Gigabit Ethernet)
|Port Style
|Integrated on Card
|Auto MDIX
|Compatible Networks
|10/100/1000 Mbps
|Full Duplex Support
|Jumbo Frame Support
|9K max.
|Maximum Data Transfer Rate
|2000 Mbps (full-duplex), 1000 Mbps (half-duplex)
|432,400 hours
|Promiscuous Mode
|Supported Protocols
|IEEE 802.3ad (link aggregation), IEEE 1588 (time sync) / 802.1AS, IEEE 802.1q (VLAN tagging)
|Connector Type(s)
|1 - PCI Express x4 Male
|External Ports
|2 - RJ-45 Female
|OS Compatibility
|Windows® 7, 8, 8.1, 10
Windows Server® 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019
Linux 2.4.x to 4.11.x LTS versions only
|Special Notes / Requirements
|System and Cable Requirements
|Available PCI Express x4 or higher (x8, x16) slot
|LED Indicators
|2 - 10/100/1000 Mbps Indicator
|2 - Link / Activity
|Operating Temperature
|0°C to 50°C (32°F to 122°F)
|Storage Temperature
|-20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F)
|Physical Characteristics
|Product Height
|4.8 in [12.1 cm]
|Product Length
|2.6 in [67 mm]
|Product Width
|0.7 in [19 mm]
|Weight of Product
|2.8 oz [80 g]
|Packaging Information
|Package Height
|1.1 in [29 mm]
|Package Length
|5.7 in [14.4 cm]
|Package Width
|6.8 in [17.2 cm]
|Shipping (Package) Weight
|5.8 oz [165 g]
|What's in the Box
|Included in Package
|1 - 2 Port Network Card
|1 - Low Profile Bracket
|1 - Driver CD
|1 - Instruction Manual
Windows Server® 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019
Linux 2.4.x to 4.11.x LTS versions only
Product Support
- Intel_i350_i210_Network_Linux_Driver.zip Version: 184.108.40.206
- Linux_Release_Notes.txt
- [Intel] Windows Network Card.zip Version: 24.1
- Windows_Release_Notes.txt
Data Sheets
Frequently Asked Questions
Prior to installing this device, ensure that your operating system is up to date (for example, you have installed the most recent service pack).
To install the driver:
- Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website (http://www.startech.com/Support). You can find the part number and product ID on the product's packaging.
Note: Windows will typically save the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:\Users\your_name\Downloads).
- Once the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, select Extract All, and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Open the appropriate folder for your operating system.
- Right-click on either Windows 32bit.exe or Windows 64bit.exe as appropriate for your operating system.
- Click Run as Administrator.
Note: If the Run as Administrator option is not available, you might be attempting to run the installer from within the zipped file. Extract the files using the instructions in Step 2.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to install the device drivers and restart the computer when prompted.
- Your computer will automatically complete the driver installation and your device should be ready to use.
How to
StarTech.com does not support a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) as this requires third-party software. However, our devices can be used as long as the following conditions are met:
- The BIOS must support PXE.
- The BIOS must see the card.
- The environment must have drivers for the chipset used in the card.
- If using a USB networking card, the environment must have support for USB devices as well.
Virtual local area network (VLAN) tagging requires that the network interface card (NIC) and the router or switch that you use support protocol IEEE 802.1q.
Depending on the NIC, you can set your VLAN ID in Device Manager. Not all NICs that support VLAN tagging have this option.
Setting your VLAN ID in Device Manager
Note: Log in as the local administrator before continuing.
To open Device Manager:
- Press Windows key + R
- Type devmgmt.msc
- Click OK.
- In Device Manager, open Network adapters.
- Right-click on the NIC and choose Properties.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Scroll down to VLAN ID.
- Set the ID that you would like the NIC to have and click OK.
Setting up your VLAN Tagging and Setting a VLAN ID
How you perform this task depends on your router or switch. Consult the manual or manufacturer of your router or switch for more details.
In your router or switch, you can VLAN tag a device by the VLAN ID if you set one previously, or by the MAC address of the computer. Your router or switch will list all IP devices by MAC address.
For products related to this article, click here.
For most operating systems, network interface card (NIC) teaming requires that the NIC and the router or switch support the protocol IEEE 802.1ax or IEEE 802.3ad.
Windows Server 2012, however, has native support for NIC teaming, so the NIC and the router or switch do not need to support the protocols. To configure NIC teaming in Windows Server 2012 do the following:
- Click Start.
- Click Server Management.
- Click NIC Teaming enabled.
- Set up the NIC team as you would like.
If you view the Networking Connections section in the window, you can see the NIC team in the list as well as the Ethernet and wireless adapter cards.
When you troubleshoot issues with a network adapter, there are some quick tests that you can complete to rule out potential problems. You can test to make sure that the following components are working correctly and are not the source of the issue:
- Ethernet cables
- Network devices
- Computer system
To test your setup components, try the following:
- Use the Ethernet cables, network devices, and computer system in another setup to see if the problem is with the components or the setup.
- Use different Ethernet cables, network devices, and a different computer system in your setup to see if the problem persists. Ideally, you should test a component that you know works in another setup.
When you test your cables, it is recommended that you do the following:
- Test each cable individually.
- Use short cables when you are testing.
When you test the Ethernet cables, network devices, and computer system, it is recommended that you do the following:
- In Device Manager, check under Network Adapters. To open Device Manager, press the Windows key + R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
- If you are using a USB network adapter and you do not see the network adapter listed in Device Manager, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/support/faqs/technical-support?topic=expansion-cards#usb-cannot-detect-windows.
- If you are using a PCI/PCIe network adapter and you do not see the network adapter listed in Device Manager, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/support/faqs/technical-support?topic=expansion-cards#pci-pcie-cannot-boot-os-or-detect-windows.
- If you are using a CardBus/ExpressCard adapter and you do not see the network adapter listed in Device Manager, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/support/faqs/technical-support?topic=expansion-cards#cb-ec-cannot-detect-windows.
- If the device is listed with an error, follow the instructions on the product page to reinstall the drivers.
- Check to see if your network devices (for example, a network switch, router, and so on) use compatible protocols (for example, 10/100, Gigabit, and so on).
- Make sure that the link LEDs on the adapter are illuminated when it is plugged into a network device. If the link LEDs are illuminated, it means that a good electrical connection exists between the devices.
- If you use a wall jack with an Ethernet cable, make sure that the jack is patched in properly.
Sometimes an on-board network interface card (NIC) conflicts with a new NIC. In these cases it is best to disable the on-board NIC.
The best way to disable your on-board NIC is to go into your BIOS and disable it there if possible. To do this, consult your motherboard manual.
You can also disable any NIC in Windows. Here is how you do this:
First click Start, or, in Windows 10 and 8, hold down the Windows key and press X. Then click Control Panel.
Windows 10
- Click Network and Internet.
- Click Network and Sharing Center.
- On the left, click Change adapter settings.
- Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.
Windows 8
- Click Network and Sharing Center.
- On the left, click Change adapter settings.
- Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.
Windows 7
- Click Network and Internet.
- Click Network and Sharing Center.
- On the left, click Change adapter settings.
- Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.
Windows Vista
- Click Network and Sharing Center.
- On the left, click Manage network connections.
- Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.
Windows XP
- Click Network Connections.
- Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.
If you are experiencing speed or connectivity issues, it is best to set a specific speed at half or full duplex in your settings. You can set your network adapter to perform at a certain speed, but the device that the adapter is connected to (whether it is a router, switch, or computer) must also be able to perform at the same speed.
Note: You must log in as the local administrator before you continue.
To open Device Manager:
- Press Windows key + R.
- Type devmgmt.msc.
- Click OK.
- Open the Networking adapters section.
- Right-click the network adapter that you want to change and select Properties.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Scroll down to Speed & Duplex. By default, it is set to Auto-Negotiate. Select any of the speeds that you see in the list.
- Click OK and restart your computer.
Compliance and Safety
Compliance Letters
Safety Measures
- If product has an exposed circuit board, do not touch the product under power.
- If Class 1 Laser Product. Laser radiation is present when the system is open.
- Wiring terminations should not be made with the product and/or electric lines under power.
- Product installation and/or mounting should be completed by a certified professional as per the local safety and building code guidelines.
- Cables (including power and charging cables) should be placed and routed to avoid creating electric, tripping or safety hazards.
* Product appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.


text:
Campus Life @ Winnipeg Campus
At Herzing College you will find a variety of things to get involved with, and a large group of supporters to cheer you on as you study for your new career. Join our student associations, participate in regular campus events and show your school spirit by sporting our Herzing merchandise. Engage with us on our social media pages, which are updated regularly with campus news and events. Community involvement is one of our core values and we regularly provide opportunities and support for students to give back to local charities and organizations.
Herzing has developed a framework of behaviors and attributes that support a successful and meaningful career. This framework is called the "P.R.I.C.E. of Success." (Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Caring, Engagement). Herzing has created a culture where staff, faculty and students are expected to exhibit these behaviors and attributes in all interactions, in and outside the classroom. We believe that individuals who apply themselves and embody the P.R.I.C.E. characteristics will be more likely to reach their full potential.
Are You Career Training Ready? Find Out! Try our Career Exploration Kit
The fun, online quiz takes 3-minutes to complete and you'll get a personalized report. Identify your strengths and social style plus the training and positions you're best suited for. Get Your Career Readiness score now.


text:
OAKLAND, Calif. - Art is not always in the eye of the beholder. That may be the lesson one Southern California man learned Thursday night at Oakland International Airport after he tried to get through a TSA security checkpoint wearing a watch fashioned to look like a timing device.
"The watch had a toggle switch, wires coming out of it and fuses," said Sgt. J. D. Nelson with the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, which is leading the investigation.
The man was detained and then arrested for having the material to craft a bomb, the sheriff's department said.
The bomb squad was called and it was determined the man did not have a device "that could function."
KGO-TV reported the man said the watch was art.
The FBI in San Francisco is assisting with the investigation.
"No explosives were found," said Julianne Sohn, FBI spokeswoman. "He was arrested on local charges."
A law enforcement source said the incident doesn't appear to have anything to do with terrorism. The official did not provide details about why the man had the suspicious device.
The discovery of the item "resulted in the closure of the Terminal 2 checkpoint," said Nico Melendez, TSA spokesman.


text:
Letter to Col. Shepley on circumstances in New Orleans, 1862
Item 71042 info
Maine Historical Society
Negotiating the political climate of occupied New Orleans and of Louisiana while the war continued could not have been easy for Shepley and other Union military personnel.
Many of the issues they faced preceded the war and Shepley often heard from people on various sides of the political and economic issues.
Henry A. Sample wrote to Shepley in June 1862, shortly after Shepley became military governor of the state.
Sample discussed the cotton economy, debt, unreliable newspaper reports, and the prevalence of "musketoes having a full chance at me." He noted that he lacked sleep because of the pesky insects.
Sample, who wrote a number of times to Shepley, may have been from Maine.
Item 1 of 9


text:
No One is Going to Kickstart Your Career (Except You)
Ashton Kutcher's 2013 Teen Choice Awards acceptance speech is making the rounds on Facebook, and for good reason: Kutcher takes the opportunity to talk about the value of hard work, creating your own opportunities, and acknowledging your power to shape your life.
It made me think about my experiences working with teens and young adults. I love it. I love them. They make me proud and give me hope that the future will be better than the present.
But there's one thing that makes me cringe: their tendency to ask other people to help pay for what they want to do.
This is especially prevalent among theatre and arts students, as summer programs, arts schools, and classes can be extremely expensive. I remember feeling that combination of excitement (I got into this amazing program!) and dread (how the heck am I going to pay for this?). Had Kickstarter or IndieGoGo existed when I was a teenager, I would have jumped on the bandwagon and asked friends and family to help pay for my education, my travel, even my move to LA after graduation.
I am so glad these options didn't exist.
Now, a lot more has changed since the early 2000s than the availability of online fundraising platforms. The economy has tanked while the cost of education continues to rise. In the arts and arts management fields, having a Masters degree has become more and more of a necessity for many jobs. I would argue it's more difficult to be a young adult in 2013 than it was in 2002.
That said, here's what always comes to mind when I see these Kickstarter requests. First, I picture myself at 17 or 18, big with the sense of my own talent and intelligence. And I think:
There is only one person in the world in charge of your success.
Your parents do not owe you anything, nor do your relatives (even if they have money).
Your friends love you, but they do not need to help pay for your cat's surgery, for your trip to Europe, or for the summer arts program that will change your life. And it will change your life. Your life.
See, the difference between a charity asking for money to bring joy or reduce pain, or an artist asking for money to create an art product that will be enjoyed by others, is that your ask is fundamentally about you: your growth and development as a person, an artist, a citizen.
Asking for people to fund your life makes you a product. It crowd-funds you away from the driver's seat.
If you are waiting for other people to make your dreams come true, doesn't that feel just a little scary? It takes away the certainty– I will succeed, no matter what– and adds a conditional– I will succeed, if other people come through and help me do so.
It also– and here I'm really speaking to 17-year-old-me– presumes that you are worthy of being funded, just for being you.
Millennials already have to fight against our "Trophy Generation" perception and older generations' complaints about our overdeveloped sense of entitlement. Just Google "millennial entitlement" or "Trophy Generation" and you'll see litany after get-off-my-lawn litany about people born in the past 30 years.
You are entitled to a damn good life and a successful career. You get those things by believing in yourself and fighting for them. Even if you do get people to pay for your education, your travel, your unexpected expenses, eventually those opportunities will fall away and you will be standing alone on the merits of your accomplishments. If your college resume shows no work experience or volunteer service, every accolade in the world won't get you a job.
Before you set up that Kickstarter, ask:
1. Am I doing everything in my power to make this opportunity happen? I see many students fundraising for opportunities while also posting about how boring their summer is. Are you working? First jobs suck. Second jobs suck. But they can make a little money, and show you're serious about getting what you want. This summer, I saw nearly a dozen young people post Kickstarters. I saw one person post about needing a job to raise money for college. Guess which person I helped? Also: guess which one was most successful? That student is on his way to an excellent school, with two flexible jobs, and will not need to take out loans for his first year.
2. Does this experience benefit others, or only me? If you're creating art, doing volunteer work or community service, or generally helping others, please ask your network to support you. If the experience solely benefits you, see #1. If you are doing everything you can and are trying to close the gap, make that clear.
PS: You, as a person, are not art. Even if you're planning to write about your trip or become a better actor through the experience, solely being you is not a reason for people to pay for you to do so. I don't care how talented you are. Here's the beautiful and terrible part about being an artist: someone is always better at it than you are. If they're working harder, you're fucked.
So work harder, be kinder, embrace humility, and know that the power to be successful is in your– and only your– hands.
And paradoxically, that's when people will go out of their way to help you succeed.


text:
Fitness Singles is the #1 Online Dating Site dedicated to singles living an active lifestyle.
Whether you're looking for a fitness date, fitness partner or someone to share your active
lifestyle with, Fitness Singles is the group you should join! View photos of local singles in
your area and get started now for free. But hurry. Our singles don't stay single for long!


text:
Metro-North riders vent at 'Speakout'
Fairfield County commuters blast railroad officials during Tuesday's 'speakout' event
FAIRFIELD -- Neal Edelson, a Greens Farms commuter, got a round of applause Tuesday night when he accused state Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker and Metro-North Railroad officials of not caring about late trains or improving New Haven Line service.
"Everybody is thanking you guys for coming here tonight to listen to us, but I don't know why," Edelson said. "That's part of your job."
During what was billed as a "Commuter Speakout" at the Pequot Library, Edelson echoed others who vented about trains that were 20 minutes late and about a lack of transparency from the railroad since the derailment of a train in Bridgeport last May triggered increased track work.
"I ask a conductor about why there is cold air coming into the train and he'll say, 'It's a 40 year old train,' " Edelson said. "That's not a good answer."
Other Fairfield County commuters also lambasted Redeker and the Metro-North executives in front of a crowd of more than 100 people at the forum. It was sponsored by the Connecticut Citizen's Transportation Lobby, a group headed by Jill Kelly and Carol Leighton which focuses on state transportation issues.
The "Speakout" was widely promoted by the Commuter Action Group, which is headed by former state-appointed rail council chairman Jim Cameron, which has garnered the attention of hundreds of New Haven Line's disgruntled commuters with its website, Twitter feed and Facebook page urging riders to demand better service.
"We shouldn't be the first people telling you this and we can't be," Edelson said to rail officials at the forum. "I'll tell you, I really don't believe you guys care enough."
Spencer Brown, of Westport, said the problems at the railroad, which grew worse in 2013, are rooted in a lack of accountability for most Metro-North employees in all areas, from safety to customer service.
"If this was a restaurant, nobody would eat here, and if it was an airline, nobody would fly," Brown said. "The real problem is that there is no responsibility being taken, and there won't be any change until that happens."
This week, the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, a 15-member body meant to serve as the official voice of commuters, announced it would hold its own forum on Wednesday at 7 p.m., at the Stamford Government Center. Redeker is to be at that gathering as well, along with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
The state's official council which has met only intermittently and has had multiple resignations in the six months since it was reconstituted to represent rail riders statewide under a government streamlining law proposed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. The council issued a press release on their forum last week, said its chairman, Terri Cronin.
"All I wanted to do is get people here in front of (the officials) and get a dialogue going," Cameron said after the meeting.
Carol Leighton, co-chairwoman of the Citizen's Transportation Lobby, said the group decided to have Tuesday's forum because commuters deserved a chance to describe how the railroad's ongoing problems were impacting their lives.
"You should just be embarrassed &We're not only customers, we're family people," said Thomas Orofino, a Greens Farms commuter. "People rely on the railroad to get them to work in the morning in a reasonably refreshed state, so they can be productive."
Redeker said that he believed that a 100-day plan that new Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti pledged to deliver within two weeks will result in measurable improvements to on-time service and greater clarity about needed repairs.
"A top priority for the state of Connecticut is to make this railroad the safest railroad," Redeker said. "The fact (that) there is a question among people whether they should ride it or move out of state is a very sore concern for us. We're addressing the question of upgrading as quickly as possible."
Mitch Fewkes, a member of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, said the council being beaten to the punch by a different group illustrates how Cameron and others have surpassed the state's official group.
"Our main sword has always been the media, and you've seen us fade while Jim's group has gone on," Fewkes said. "We've been ineffective. Where have we been the last four weeks? We're talking about our bylaws, freedom of information, and expanding service around the state instead of our immediate needs."
In 2012, the previous version of the council was critical of state transportation officials for not publicizing a hearing on a controversial redevelopment of the Stamford train station. The group was successful in turning out dozens of commuters to the hearing who spoke adamantly against the proposed station project if it would create more distant parking from the railway tracks.
Malloy proposed making the council a statewide organization in January 2013 as part of House Bill 6363, which targeted more than two dozen citizens advisory groups for elimination, consolidation or reorganization.
A week before Christmas, the new group canceled a scheduled meeting at the last minute at which Redeker was expected to speak to them about service problems and delays on Metro-North when several members said they could not attend.
Cronin said that the new official state rail council, which first met over the summer of 2013, hopes to establish a set meeting schedule and have a website soon.
"The problem is, we need to have some money to host (the website)," Cronin said.
John Kesich, Metro-North's senior vice president of operations, said that the vast majority of people who work for the railroad are upset about its travails and service disruptions.
"I know at least 4,900 of 5,000 people at Metro-North care," Kesich said.
"That's not true," Edelson retorted.


text:
Goodbye Capital Gains Tax Breaks
Momentum is building for a tax code overhaul, and lower taxes on stock transactions could be doomed.
Tax breaks for capital gains and dividends are likely to end by 2015, as lawmakers look for ways to broaden the tax base, allowing income tax rates on individuals to be cut. There is precedent for this — the tax break for long-term capital gains was axed in 1986, the last time that lawmakers significantly reformed the tax code.
Tax overhaul won't happen swiftly. Lawmakers won't have time to complete tax reform until 2014, and when they do finish it, the effective date probably will be prospective, so changes aren't likely to occur until 2015. There will be plenty of time to mull the impact on your investment portfolio and contemplate actions to minimize the tax wallop.
But discussions will intensify in the coming months. One reason: Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), who heads the Senate committee responsible for writing tax laws, has announced that he'll leave the Senate when his term ends at the end of 2014. Look for him to push hard for tax reform before he leaves, making a revamped tax code his policymaking legacy.
In the end, we expect long-term capital gains and dividends to be taxed as ordinary income — a big change from the 20% maximum rate they now incur. If President Obama succeeds in winning a top income tax rate on individuals of more than 28%, however, it's possible that the maximum rate on long-term capital gains and dividends will be limited to 28%.
Consider taking gains before 2015 to lock in the lower rate currently in place. But be careful not to let the tax tail wag the investment dog. Tax savings aren't the only consideration when culling your portfolio; your moves should also make financial sense. Note that we expect taxwriters to keep the stepped-up basis rule for inherited assets, so 100% of pre-death appreciation on those assets will escape income tax when the heirs sell, regardless of the capital gains rate.
Take care in engaging in installment sales before then. The 1986 law provided that installments received after the capital gains rate rose weren't protected, even though the sale occurred before the rate change. We expect that a similar rule will be passed this time, too.
Weigh the impact on succession plans for family firms. Corporate redemptions of shareholders' stock will be hit. Family firms hoping to redeem stock of senior owners to shift control to the next generation will need to take that into account.
Keep in mind that the relative advantages and disadvantages of components in your portfolio may need reevaluating. Dividend paying stocks will lose their tax-favored status if dividends are taxed at ordinary income rates. And there will be no tax disadvantage for having growth stock in retirement plans. Without a capital gains preference, it won't matter that appreciation on the stock will be taxed as ordinary income when distributed to the owner of the retirement plan or IRA.
And it's worth noting one other tax reform proposal that affects investors: Stock sellers could lose the right to direct that the highest-basis stock be sold first. They may be forced to use the average basis of their shares to compute the gain or loss recognized on a sale, rather than use the specific identification method. The tax reform plan drafted in the House includes such a provision, and we think it has a good chance of making it into law.


text:
Weekend picks: Super Bowl eats
Before the Ravens and the 49ers take the field, you should find your seat. Here are three choices.
Willy Parkers American Bar & Grill suits the spectacle with chicken wings seven ways, from Buffalo to Thai chili. Burgers: beef, turkey, salmon, bison, chicken varieties. And you can bite into a Cuban sandwich or Philly cheesesteak, too.
The Main Event in Plainview kicks in with "field goal fries," topped with chili and mozzarella, brown sauce on the sidelines. There's a generous supply of chicken wings, mini-burgers on pretzel rolls, quesadillas, steaks, seafood.
Rookies Sports Club in Huntington is ready for you to eat in or take out. Plenty of wings here, basic to boneless. The "loaded NASCAR fries" take in chopped bacon, two cheeses, japalenos, more. Start your engines.
Willy Parkers American Bar & Grill, 71 Hillside Ave., Williston Park; 516-750-8125.
The Main Event, 799 Old Country Rd., Plainview; 516-935-5120.
Rookies Sports Club, 70 Gerard St., Huntington; 631-923-0424.