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Ask the Readers: How to Cope with Spending Addiction?
Published on - September 5th, 2008 (Modified on - September 8th, 2008) (by J.D. Roth)
Nicki wants to get out of debt, but she can't — she has a spending addiction. She's hoping that other Get Rich Slowly readers can give her advice. Here's an abridged version of her story:
I am writing for advice on managing debt. I've been reading your website for the past month because my boyfriend recommended it after he noticed I spend a lot of money. Here's a summary of my debt:
- Visa: $9900 at 11%
- Mastercard: $10,000 at 11%
- Car loan: $4800 at 8.5%
- Student loans: $12,500 at 11% (I think)
I earn nearly $2800 a month after taxes, and my expenses total just over $1400, leaving me about $1300 to put towards my debt. I'm nearly 26. My goal is to be debt-free by the time I'm 30 years old. I want to start a family then, but cannot do so with so much debt. At this rate, I won't even be able to get a mortgage.
My original plan was to pay off the Mastercard and to use the Visa only for emergencies. Unfortunately I spent money on clothes, shoes, etc. At the same time, I was moving and buying new furniture, and before I knew it I had two credit cards with $6000 debt. The closer I got to my credit limits, the higher they would be raised. Sadly, I kept spending. I truly believe I have a problem with spending and saving, similar to a drug addict.
I know what I am doing is harming my finances, but I just do not know to control myself. I lack discipline, and I do not know how to gain it. I'm not averse to working hard, and I always intend to follow my debt reduction plan — I just need help in maintaining focus and staying on track.
Do you have any advice for dealing with spending addiction? How can I attain the principles of frugality? I am desperate!
Nicki's e-mail hit home for me. What she describes is exactly the same relationship I used to have with money. Last year, when I wrote about my own experiences with compulsive spending, I shared six tips that eventually helped me to overcome my problem. These may also be useful for her:
- Cut up your credit cards. Do it now, and don't make excuses. If you're a compulsive spender, getting rid of your credit cards trumps all other considerations. (Don't cancel the accounts — just cut up the cards.)
- Only carry cash. Don't carry a checkbook or a debit card. Your goal should be to make spending as inconvenient as possible.
- Track every penny you spend. Use Wesabe or Mint or Quicken or Microsoft Money. Use a notebook if you have to. Just write down where your money is going. You must learn to see the spending.
- Play mind games. Use the 30-day rule to control impulse shopping. Tax yourself. Develop tricks to circumvent your urge to splurge.
- Avoid temptation. Stay out of the mall. If you spend too much on knitting, keep away from the yarn store. Don't set yourself up for failure.
- Ask for help. Seek support from your friends and family. Listen to them when they earn you about your behavior.
(For more detail on these techniques, read my six steps to curb compulsive spending.)
Overcoming addiction is not easy, but I believe Nicki can do it. Admitting she has a problem and asking for help are great first steps. As she gets her spending under control, I think Nicki will find it easier to get out of debt. In fact, she may be surprised at how addicting saving money can be.
Do you have any advice for Nicki? How can she cope with her spending addiction? What's the best way for her to tackle her debts? How can she learn to be frugal?
This article is about Ask the Readers, Psychology, Real-Life, Shopping
The balance and interest rate is a bit frightening, but that's entirely doable if one buckles down to get it paid off.
But that's not the problem. The problem is the spending habit to begin with, which I am glad that it is being addressed. As the author states, to realize that one has a problem is the first step towards recovery.
However, addictions of any kind may also indicate a root cause that has nothing to do with the addictive behavior in the first place. (In this case, spending.) Perhaps some kind of psychological insecurity? Perhaps one was a victim of abuse? Or is it something more abstract, like bi-polar disorder? Finding out the root cause of the addiction is the most important thing, because you can't cure something if you don't know exactly what's causing it.
The second thing is to look around and consider some kind of support group or counseling. Addiction of any kind isn't something you have to or should tackle alone, and depending on the root cause, it may also require professional counseling.
The third thing is to realize that having addictive spending doesn't mean that you are broken somehow. It just means there's an issue that needs to be worked out, but you are not a lesser person. (In fact, being made feel less will probably only worsen your addictive behavior.)
The simple fact is, nobody is perfect. And it's OK if we are not perfect. The question isn't whether we have flaws or not. The question is what do we do in light of it. Adversity can breed greatness, and I hope that you will come out of this better than ever.
JD had a good list to start with. (Ah, this is so much like struggling with weight — compulsive behavior is compulsive behavior . . . )
I would add that Nicki should become part of a community of people who wrestle with the same issues. I'm not sure it matters whether she interacts with the people over the internet or in real life; each has its strengths. She needs the daily support and a place to openly discuss the feelings that drive her to spend, to ask for new strategies to try when she runs out of ideas, and to have a place to celebrate the victories that are only understood by others struggling with the same issue.
If she's not quite ready to start, I would suggest she read at least the first few chapters of Your Money or Your Life, which I found invaluable in getting a handle on where I was financially, how to get out of debt, and how to set a path in the right direction.
I wish her the best in finding her way.
I concur both with JD's practical tips, and the idea that she might want to explore why she feels the need to spend.
From what I've seen many people who buy a lot of things do so to fill a gap. Maybe they're doing a job that they don't really enjoy and buying nice things makes up for that. Anyway if you address the underlying issue it might help.
Sometimes there isn't a reason, but if the urge to spend is compulsive, there often is.
Aside from cutting up cards, I've found that the best idea is the 30 day rule, it's one that I use a lot.
I found myself in the same situation as Nicki did about a year ago. Although the numbers weren't has high, I was overspending. From experience, I can tell you that the best advice offered by GRS is NOT to set yourself up for failure.
In my case I had an internet shopping problem. Anytime I found myself tempted to click "Purchase" I would stop, take a few seconds/minutes to regain control of myself, and close the web browser. I even went one step further and started applying the same amount of money as my potential purchase to my debt. (Most of the time these expenses were books, DVDs, and electronics ranging from $10-$150.) As an example…
One day I caught myself looking to purchase an MP3 player that cost $125. Before clicking "Purchase" I stopped myself, thought it out, went to my bank online bank account, and applied $125 towards my credit card debt. After a few times of doing this I noticed my account balances shrinking, but also my credit card debt shrinking. Not only did this help me start to pay off the debt, but it eliminated my online shopping habits because I realized I didn't have the money to even pay off the debt, let alone buy the "stuff" online that just added to my debt.
Put mail-order catalogs in the recycling bin the moment you bring them in from the mailbox; ditto for the advertising supplements in the paper if you get the paper. Don't read magazines. Keep a gratitude journal. Find out whether you can get free counseling through an employee assistance program at work.
I find one of the hardest things is to stay motivated. Spending is a right now thing while earning is usually a monthly type thing. You have to set goals and see the progress you are making toward becoming debt free (charts, excel spreadsheets). Like everyone mentioned, the buddy system helps tremendously to keep you in check. Someone who will hold you accountable for your actions other than yourself because you can usually talk yourself into spending. Visiting the library for all the top money management books is also a big help. I enjoy reading stories of people who have been in the same situation and accomplished their goals.
Good luck and stick with it.
Congratulations to Nicki for taking the first step. The advice from JD and readers (so far) is excellent.
Nicki, you have been sent an angel in the form of your boyfriend. Do not lose sight of this. Enlist his help at every opportunity. Perhaps ask him to take over your finances temporarily and provide you with weekly spending money. Yes, there will be times when you resent his help. But do not refuse it, disregard it or diminish it. An angel can leave your life just as easily as he walked into into it.
This I know.
I'm a fan of the boards at fool.com. They are great at tough love. There have been some pretty miraculous stories where people show up with 6 figures of debt and within 1-2 years are debt free and are the go to guys for advice.
Unfortunately, it costs a bit of money to post.
There are some things you may be able to do to help, on top of the advice already mentioned.
Can you further reduce your spending? When your lease is up, can you move to a smaller apartment or share a place? Before I bought a place, I was living in a house with 2 other people. The monthly expenses were $600 including utilities. On top of this, it was a blast.
Of course, you'll want to stop eating out for awhile and start shopping at discount grocery stores. This has an added benefit of learning to cook yourself, which is cheap and fun.
Can you sell some of your stuff? Can you replace some of it with cheaper stuff? If you can sell your sofa for $1k and get a smaller or older used one on craigslist for $200, your car debt is then down to $4000.
If you live in a place that has public transit, consider selling your car. The bus isn't for losers.
You're going to need to make some lifestyle changes until your debt is paid off. You're going to need to accept this.
It is important to remember that this does not happen overnight and you WILL have setbacks! Don't be too hard on yourself! I like JD's comment "In fact, she may be surprised at how addicting saving money can be." Its almost as if you have to take the rush you get from spending and refocus it toward being creative about saving and paying bills! The rush you are going to get from sending that last CC payment is going to be terrific! This will be a daily challenge that you can celebrate at the end of every month when you tally the numbers! It's a challenge, one that is not out of your reach!
I'm going to add one more tip that has helped me immensely. Limit your exposure to marketing. Get rid of cable and limit your exposure to TV in general (We use Netflix only now). Don't buy magazines.
I find that if I don't know about products, I don't want them!
I can't remember the book that gave me this advice, but I started treating using credit as if I were an alcoholic: I took it one day at a time. I believe the phrase the book had was something like: Just for today, I will not debt. (Grammatically incorrect, but you get the point.) It was extremely helpful to me when I was spending more than I earned, and now it has become a habit.
What do you do to help someone that you know has a spending addiction, but either will not admit to it or does not see it?
If it's an addiction, JD is right, you need to cut those cards–NO excuses. Remove the temptation entirely.
Secondly, you have to figure out why you feel the need to spend. What is it you're buying? Why do you want it? Is it filling a void or giving you a high?
I used to spend money to feel good about myself, until one day I realized that my life is great, I had a wonderful family, and buying a dress I thought I had to have wasn't going to dramatically improve my life, but putting the money in savings could dramatically improve my life if, say, I lost my job or my husband lost his. Now saving gives me a sort of high.
Another thing you might try is to use a website like Wishlisting to "save" anything you think you want. I find that if I "save" something there for a couple of weeks, I can look back at it later, and I don't want it so much. Find ways to curb impulse spending, and you'll learn to step back and use logic before you buy.
In one of my posts I described how I deal with unnecessary shopping. Feel free to check it: http://www.kacperwrzesniewski.com/how-to-restrain-from-unnecessary-shopping/
For every credit card I have/had, (I carry 4, all of them paid off every month), I called up the issuing bank and explicitly ask them not to bump up my credit limit. In addition, I never remember the PIN (so no cash advance at ATM), and I shred all the cash advance cheques they so "kindly" send me every month or two (if I haven't explicitly told them not to send them to me any more).
Granted, I don't have a spending addiction as bad as Nicki's, but I do then to go on a spending spree and spurge once in a while.
Having a frugal partner helps curbing the temptation. You are very fortunately to have a boyfriend who really cared about you. For me the thought of "he wouldn't like it if he knew" was generally a great deterrent for (further) spending, but that sometimes make me feel bad after an impulse buy.
I suggest Nicki to build a very strong vision of her future — her dream home, comfortable retirement, tour around the world, etc. — and keep a visual reminder of it in her wallet. The next time she pull out the plastic/cash for that pair of designer shoes, that goal will stare back and her and scream, "you want WHAT instead of me?"
The first step is to recognize the problem and you have done so.
Second, if you have a mental health problem with money (addiction as you call it) you need professional help. If you can't afford prof. help seek out a 12 step program like http://www.debtorsanonymous.org/
Third, follow JD's advice. No credit cards ever, only use cash. Track your spending. Set up a budget, etc.
Spending is a hard habit to get rid of. I think JD has a great list.
Savings can become a great habit that is also addictive. As she starts paying off her debt she should also set up a savings plan.
As she sees her debt load going down she will also see her assets going up.
I agree with the comments here. Sometimes the shopping addiction is all about just trying to be somebody you are not and trying to make up for simple issues at home, like too much clutter. Often our home is overwhelming, so we don't want to be in it and we think buying the "right" things will make all okay. It can, but doesn't have to be a serious underlying problem that's driving one to shop, but obviously the impact to one's finances is serious. The good news is that Nicki wants to change. It takes a lot of courage to face those finances. First thing she should do is find out exactly how much she owes on that student loan. Specifics are needed when facing one's finances. Then with her income after expenses she should start tackling the debt. (Personally, I still think the snowball plan is the best. Seeing more immediate results makes sense for someone with a shopping addiction; i.e., someone used to instant gratification.) Instead of shopping, she can focus on her home and purging items through return (chances are she has stuff she's never even used, perhaps with tags still on–find the receipts or credit card bill and take them back!), resale (if possible), or charity (holding onto stuff because you paid so much for it, but don't want it, only hurts you through guilt, being overwhelmed by the stuff, and so on). With her shopping addiction, she probably has so much stuff in her home that she never ever uses. She should take baby steps for the decluttering, so it doesn't become overwhelming, but focusing on those actions will be very satisfying (even addictive like J.D. says) and keep her focused and away from shopping.
I struggle with this as well, but I congratulate myself on getting much, much more responsible within the past 6 months. What has worked for me is a combination of things:
1. Don't go even go near malls, shops, catalogs, shopping sites, etc. I go to the grocery store with a list and now do the same when I go to buy clothes. I have to really NEED something and then I will research where I can get it for a good deal.
2. I read several personal finance blogs, including this one, daily. Reading about other people who have succeeded is so encouraging. Also, you can learn some great tips along the way.
3. I created a realistic budget that included some "play money". I allow myself $20 a week to go out with friends or shopping, etc. It's not much, but with planning I haven't felt at all deprived.
4. I faithfully update my budget with my spending. I also have committed to sending a set amount towards debt each money and by saving elsewhere in my budget it has started to feel very rewarding when I can send even more than I planned towards credit cards.
Good habits take a little bit of time to take hold. I still trip up, but I have committed to larger goals (like buying a house and having a wedding) that are much more exciting than a new pair of jeans.
The first step is recognizing the problem and asking for help- and Nicki should feel good that she has done that. I second the suggestion that she tie into a group(s) that deals with the various aspects of this- debt, frugality,credit. I think internet is better than human- since humans tend to meet infrequently in person(1X a week or 1x a month)- and it is easier to "confess" when you don't actually do it in person. Plus there is a much wider range of experience/suggestions available.
Good luck, Nicki-I believe you can do this – and be able to have a home and a family by 30.
One habit I suggest, which must be accompanied by cutting up the credit cards, is to pay your bills on payday. If you write the checks and mail them on the same day you get the money then you won't have the oppportunity to spend the funds anywhere else.
I also recommend starting a Life Happens savings account at the same time you're paying down the debt. Start it at a bank you don't already use, one that's inconvenient to get to, and don't get an ATM card. Make depositing to the account just one of the bills you pay every payday so that you get in the habit of saving. The goal would be to get the account to about $1,000 so that if you have unexpected car repairs or doctor bills or the like you don't have to go back to your credit cards.
FWIW – I agree that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself if you slip a little, but also, I think you shouldn't be too easy on yourself. If you spend your grocery money on shoes, forgive yourself but then also survive on ramen noodles, rice, baked potatoes, and vegetables until you get your next budgeted money for groceries.
Congratulations Nicki. You've realised that you have a problem and you're willing to tackle it. That's the first step towards financial freedom.
J.D's advice is excellent so I won't repeat it. I will suggest that you get some support in your quest to pay down your debt. An excellent support is the Women in Red group at MSN Money. They are a wonderful, supportive group of women, each with their own story, who are cheering each other on as they face their finances.
Good luck!
Some excellent advice provided by both J.D. and his readers above. They have all given great tips on the mechanics of getting out of debt, controlling your spending, etc. However, you have to have a real philosophical shift to finally beat back spending too much money.
I recommend reading the book Your Money or Your Life for some thoughts on frugal living. Surround yourself with positive examples of how to handle money–blogs, magazines, library books, etc. Give away some of your possessions to those who need it. Volunteer your time for those less fortunate. Examine how much money your earn per hour after factoring commute time, lunches out, work clothes, etc. (your real wage, not what your paycheck tells you it is) and when you want to buy something think about how many hours you have to work to pay for that item. You might just find that it isn't worth the exchange of life energy.
Best wishes on your journey to debt freedom. You can do it, one dollar at a time!
I had a similar problem (between car, student loans and credit cards, was up to about $60K), but am now debt free!
A couple of things that helped me (in addition to some tips already offered–definitely use those!):
-Create a spreadsheet or some type of document where you track your debt reduction. Every time I would make a payment on something, I would enter the balances of ALL of my debts and then calculate the amount and percentage my total debt went down. I became OBSESSED with that number going down and when it didn't go down from month to month, I would get pissed. Eventually, when I would go to make a purchase, I would think about how it was going to impact my spreadsheet. If it was going to mess up my progress, I didn't buy it! Seeing that big number go down was a big motivator for me. Even if it only went down a little bit each month, I was that much closer to the big 0!
-When you go to buy something, just tell yourself NO. You have been living without it, you can keep on living without it. You can buy it when you actually have money (you do NOT have money if you have that much debt). Your life is not going to improve by having a brand new couch instead of your hand-me-down couch in that new apartment. You will regret this purchase later… Learning this sort of self-talk was key for me. You're the only person in charge of your spending choices, choose wisely! Develop a Sybil-style alter ego if you have to! Make sure SOMEONE in your head is telling you not to buy things that are only going to worsen your financial situation. There will be plenty of time when you're out of debt and have a positive cashflow to buy things that you'd like to have in a smart way.
Good luck! It's not always going to beeasy, but you CAN do it!
Tracking your spending is good, but planning your spending is better. Use an envelope budgeting system. Develop a plan for every dollar you bring in. You already know how many dollars to earmark for living expenses. Now make sure dollars are getting earmarked for debt payoff. You've already calculated your debt and set a date goal for having it paid off. That's how much per month? That's how much per paycheck? Now you know how to earmark those dollars. Don't let any dollar come in or sit in an account unless it has a specific purpose assigned to it. Then, don't spend unless you have the necessary dollars for the particular purpose. PLAN! Manage your money rather than let you money manage you.
This is all great advice. I would add two things for Nicki not mentioned:
First, a slight spin on removing tempation. You will have it, so every time you do, do something else. For example, every time you want to spend, go to the gym or go for a run. This type of outlet can be a great way to have a different "release" mechanism. Of course, you can always try the rubber band on the wrist too!
Second, my guess is you actually have decent credit if you paying your bills. Look into a debt consolidation loan to reduce the percentage rates and potentially even get some of the amounts reduces (interest removal).
Good luck!
When you get paid, immediately pay your bills and then make a payment to your credit card or move money to a savings account. Again, this makes it harder to access your money unless you really need it. And, you won't want to withdraw money from the savings very often, since you are only allowed a few withdrawals per month.
(I get paid twice/month and make a payment to my credit card each time I get paid, so I make lower payments frequently instead of trying to come up with a large payment once/month).
I would like to mention that closing credit cards IS important. Cutting up my credit cards made no difference. I had all the account numbers memorized. Also, department stores are more then happy to look up your credit card number with their store and run it for you. I know this to be true from experience. Just my two cents… having ended up in collections for YEARS and eventually SETTLING the debts, it would have been far better for my credit score to have simply closed these accounts years ago.
Such good advice you're getting from everyone! I just had to add two thoughts:
1. sometimes you shop because you're not busy enough or have nothing occupying your mind – so occupy your mind tracking your money, calculating payoff dates, reading the books everyone's recommending and the blogs as well
2. when you REALLY feel like you want to shop start at the library You can load up on THINGS there that will give you some satisfaction – books with shiny covers, even cds and dvds – usually free [my library charges $1 or something for dvds but most don't] and you'll have the feeling of a successful shopping trip without the expense. If you really must shop try a thrift store or a few garage sales – you may be surprised at what you find and either way you'll spend MUCH less – and spend cash!
I disagree on the "only carry cash" advice.
If the goal is to make spending as inconvenient as possible, cash is the wrong answer. Everywhere takes cash. I only carry my debit card around. Even though the number of places that take credit/debit cards is on the rise, it's still more inconvenient for me than having cash.
I have far too many entries in Quicken with a payee of "cash pixies"; when I have cash on me it just evaporates.
What works for some doesn't work for others, of course. The best advice is to read all the advice and then tailor it to yourself.
Good luck!
good luck to Nicki! I truly believe that wanting to change and recognizing the problem are most of the battle. the rest is just learning some financial discipline and knuckling down for the "long haul". If I were Nicki I would shop around for lower interest rates and think about picking up another job to ramp up her pay off schedule. And, if you are working you can't go shopping! I would also set aside some savings. this is because I think that seeing savings grow is one of the best ways to learn how to save and live more frugally. If there is a way to work in a field that assists with student loan payoffs, I would really consider it too. Nicki is doing a very smart thing and I wish her all the best.
Debtor's Anonymous, Debtor's Anonymous, Debtor's Anonymous. We use compulsive behaviors to make us feel comfortable when we aren't – in order to overcome these compulsive behaviors, we have to learn to live comfortably without them. Depending on the extent of your problem, this is probably not something that you can teach yourself. Ask for and obtain the support of people who have experience with your problem and have overcome it.
Just a quick thought, consolidate and refinance your student loans. This process is not credit dependent, and mine are currently at 4.25%. You can save a nice chunk of money, and be able to get the credit card/vehicle debt out of the way faster.
Here's an old-fashioned idea that can help you adjust to using cash on a budget. Put money in monthly envelopes for spending on different things (food, gas, clothing, fun, etc.) You'll see the affect to your budget every time you take money out.
And you should have a "fun" category each month, although it should be modest — depriving yourself completely can backfire if you're not careful. There are plenty of ways to stretch a $30 or 40 monthly fun budget. And then if you really want to go to a concert or another large expense, you can save that budget up for two or three months.
Hi. Some sort of counseling, group or individual would definitely be helpful. I'm not sure that replacing an addiction to spending with an addiction to savings is really the best long-term solution; balance is the key, and I think couselling can help with that.
and I want to strongly support something cherie at 25 said — find other things to do! Distraction via something physical is one idea, if you schedule exercise and cooking and cleaning for non-work hours there is less time to shop or even to think about shopping. Or a slowish hobby, like knitting or quilting, where you can see progress from the time you put in but you also won't finish immediately — and you can make presents instead of buying them!
Also, make it difficult to shop in as many ways as possible; and make sure to ask on-line retailers to stop sending you email. Maybe give up your car keys, too, and carpool to work so that you're not stopping off after work to shop, and do other shopping with that supportive boyfriend…
I found myself with $15k in credit card debt a few years after graduating college.
What saved me was my FEAR. One day, I was looking at my CC bills, and made a realization that it will take me a LONG time to pay it all off, even though I was paying 2 times the minimum required payments. It truly, honestly, SCARED me. It was a HUGE wakeup call.
My "bold" strategy was to buy a house, get some roommates (who will pay for most of the mortgage payments), and use what I can save towards paying off my debt. I also started selling off expensive hobby equip (for me, that was computers I used for video editing). In addition, every 5-11 months, I would look for a 0% balance transfer (intro rate) credit card to transfer my balances as I paid it off.
It took me 2.5 years to pay off that $15k of debt. My rent at an apartment was costing me about $800 a month. When I bought a house, my mortgage was $1200 a month (incl PMI), but the 2 roommates I had paid for about $1000 of that (I even rented out the master bedroom of *my own house* to get a higher rent – friends thought I was crazy).
But even after paying the debt off, and learning to pay off my CCs every month in FULL, it took me a few years to get my mindset into SAVING mode.
Now, I'm insanely frugal. People make fun of me. But honestly, I do it for myself, not for them. I try to think of the future, and not now – probably more than necessary. Currently, I'm 35, and 22% of my salary goes into retirement. It's overkill, and I plan on bringing that down to between 15-20% – but I need to make sure. I also want to retire (maybe go teach high school) between 50 and 55 and live financially happily.
I second, third, and fourth Debtors Anonymous. Do not pass go. Do not spend two hundred dollars.
I'm a 22-year-old with $9000 in debt. I'm paying it down slowly, but I've made a lot of sacrifices in my life to be able to do it (like moving back in with my parents. It's hard living in their house again, but I'm saving $500/month by paying my parents a much smaller monthly payment). I haven't cut up my credit cards, but I put them each in a sealed envelope with the balance and APR written on it. That seems to be enough for me to keep away from them.
Also, I downloaded a Debt Reduction spreadsheet (found http://www.vertex42.com/Calculators/debt-reduction-calculator.html) to give me a good visual of how long it'll take me to pay off all the balances. Knowing a time frame for when each card will be paid off definitely helps with my motivation. And although $9000 in debt is overwhelming for a 22-year-old with a decent-but-not-great salary, I was pleased to see that even with a low starting snowball amount (about $50) all of them will be paid of by March of 2011. It's also pretty motivating to see how much interest I will have paid on each card (thousands of dollars, wasted!).
I think visuals are important. With abstract thoughts, it's easy to start feeling hopeless and be pulled into a mindset of it-doesn't-matter-I'm-too-far-gone. You need to make small, realistic, achievable goals that will give you the confidence and knowledge to know that you can overcome this. Good luck!
[And thanks, JD, for a great site. I've been reading for months and this has helped me change my life.]
I millionth Debtors Anonymous. For a good, solid, and cheap intro to the DA principles, find a copy of How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously by Jerrold Mundis. Sometimes the hardest thing about breaking the cycle is believing it can be broken. Mundis' book is a classic.
Try finding an addiction support group. There are support groups for every addiction. And for the loved ones of those addictions. And a twelve step program for every addiction. I believe I saw something for spenders annonymous or something like that in the back of a Melanie Beatie book, on of them in the Codependent No More series. I would also seek help from a therapist. There are a lot of steps to addressing an addiction, if addiction truely is your problem. Taking steps to eliminate temptation, like cutting up credit cards and staying out of shopping centers, is one step. Treatment is another.
Good luck!
Here are some things that helped me, even though once in a while I will have a relapse!
I throw away all junk mail, including catalogs and sale store ads, don't look just throw, there is always a good deal somewhere.
Sometimes the people we hang around with influence us to spend, this one is hard but try doing things that either cost nothing, or maybe even find some one else to hang out with. This one is poisonous.
Since I am trying to get out of debt I really question why I am buying something.
I grab books related to personal finance and read them to stay on track. Such as: Are you being suduced in to debt, by John cummuta.
It is a journey if you fall off don't beat yourself up to hard, just get back on and go again.
I recommend to use an Accountability Partner to help on your journey to becoming debt free. Whether it is a close relative, spouse or close friend, have someone that you can share your plan with and make weekly checkups to review your current financial state.
Also, formulate a plan and set up automatic accounting to apply the funds to where they need to go prior to you being able to spend them. If you do not have the access to the credit cards (by following JD's recommendations to cut them up), then you cannot spend money that is not in your bank account.
More than anything, believe in yourself and know that you can beat the "addiction" in spending. It seems like a desire is there but the decision has to be made to take control of this portion of her life. Once that decision has been made, you will be able to beat this issue! I wish you the best of luck!
Stay Disciplined!
Ahh been there done that. She can do the Ice Glass method, which I will have a post coming on 9/7/08 in my blog. Put all credit cards in a glass full of water, and hide it in the freezer. Seemed like a good method to stop impulse shopping.
One possible solution to her credit limits however is to pay a card down and then call the company to lower (yes lower) the limit to a more acceptable range (say $500-1000) and restrict their (the companies) ability to automatically up the limit. Yes you can do this with most CC companies.
Now she has less of a limit and can max them out all she wants it will no longer be an issue.
Spending addicts will always have max limits so restrict the limit and restrict the damage.
I used to be the exact same way. A few things that worked for me were not shopping. Window shopping is dangerous!
Also being a female I felt it was important to always have a credit card with me for emergencies (flat tire, car breakdown, etc). I went to the motley fool site and found this little envelope you print out and cut out then put your credit card in it. Then to use it you have to break the seal. It makes one more barrier and makes you really think about what you are doing. It worked for me and my husband!
We are now out of debt (not just by doing this) but it did help significantly!
cut up the credit cards, get a 2nd job
Try doing The Work when you feel the urge. It's a way to examine your beliefs, which in turn fuel your emotions and compulsions. It's helped me immensely. You can also call their toll-free number for a trained facilitator and find a group in your area. Good luck!
I am trying this one, withdraw 1/3 the normal amount each time you go to the ATM (provided your bank refunds your atm fees or use your own bank branch) in addition to leaving the CCs home. It makes spending a bit more inconvenient when you have less cash on hand.
Nikki, congratulations for seeing that you need help and seeking it. That's a brave thing to do!
Something we've done for my SIL, who has problems saving money, is to act as her personal bankers. Basically, we set up a savings account in our names, but for her money. Each month she'd send us a check for an agreed-upon amount and we'd deposit it in the account for her. Because it wasn't in her name and she didn't know the number of the account, she couldn't access it. When she needed the money for a savings goal, we'd withdraw it and send it to her.
Obviously, this is only a good idea if you have someone you trust implicitly with your money. But if there is someone you can trust this way, it's a way to take the money out of your immediate control. There might be a way you can adapt this concept to help you pay off your debt as well. Good luck!


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Articles that are news items
Ramo Wins Key SM-liiga MatchupSubmitted by pete on December 5, 2005 - 16:11
HPK and Karpat squared off today in a marquee matchup between the #1 and #2 teams in the Finnish SM-liiga. The high stakes contest for first place in the league was the second of a back to back pair of games between the two squads. In the first, on Saturday, Miika Wiikman helped defeat Karpat 2-1 in overtime. Today, his tandem mate Karri Ramo bested Wiikman defeating Karpat 2-1 in regulation, stopping 25 of 26 shots for the victory. The young netminder's record now improves to 4-2-3 on the season.
- 447 reads
Game Night 12/4: Chiefs at GullsSubmitted by pete on December 4, 2005 - 23:03
Rematch... JHN-5 SD-4 (SO) Morgan Cey extracted a measure of revenge for last night's 7-1 blood bath stopping 33 of 37 shots faced in regulation and overtime before winning in the shootout. Justin Kelly once again led the way offensively for the Chiefs with a goal and two assists. Brady Greco had one of two Johnstown shorthanded goals in the first period. Game sheet from [url=http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/ppublic.cgi?action=box&id=2486]ECHL.com.[/url]
- 578 reads
Game Night 12/4: River Rats at FalconsSubmitted by pete on December 4, 2005 - 16:01
I will be live blogging this during the game using the B2 Networks feed. Harlan Pratt, Marek Kvapil, Dennis Packard and Steve McLaren are the scratches for tonight's game. Gerald Coleman will be starting his third straight game. Holy cow does the young woman doing the national anthem tonight have a great voice. I've sat through some bad ones in these minor league games, she was outstanding. ALB-6 SPR-2 (Final)
- Read more
- 791 reads
Koshechkin Beats BarulinSubmitted by pete on December 4, 2005 - 12:40
Goaltender Vasily Koshechkin defeated highly touted goaltending prospect Konstantin Barulin and Spartak 3-2 today in overtime. Koshechkin improved his season record to 12-4-1 with the win. Barulin, a third round pick of the St. Louis Blues, is often mentioned as the best young goaltender in Russia. Not so today, however, as he ran into the quiet juggernaut that Koshechkin has been this season. For Yaroslavl, Anton But scored the game winning goal today as Loko defeated Ufa 4-3. But leads all Lightning Russian prospects with 10 goals and 24 points in 31 games.
- 483 reads
Hagglund Scores Winner for OskarshamnSubmitted by pete on December 4, 2005 - 12:32
C/LW Johan Hagglund scored the game winning goal today for Oskarshamn as they defeated Bjorkloven 3-1 in Allsevenskan action. For the past month, despite modest offensive production in the role, Hagglund has been moved up from second line left wing to first line center for the club. His +9 rating this season is tied for the 9th best rating in the league. Oskarshamn currently sits at 8th in the league with a 7-5-5 record.
- 499 reads

subset: commoncrawl


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good info for time out
Win a signed, limited edition Bob Dylan print
You could win a signed print of 'House on Union Street', worth over £3,000, to celebrate the exhibition 'Bob Dylan: Mood Swings' at Halcyon Gallery
CommentsAdd +
To celebrate the opening of their 'Bob Dylan: Mood Swings' exhibition, Halcyon Gallery are offering readers the chance to win a framed print of Bob Dylan's 'House on Union Street' worth £3,450. The giclee print on paper is from a limited edition of 295 and has been signed by the artist.
'House on Union Street' is part of Bob Dylan's iconic 'Drawn Blank' series, the culmination of which is exhibited as part of 'Bob Dylan: Mood Swings', an exhibition of iron works, original works on canvas and signed limited editions. Iron gates and wall hangings welded out of vintage iron and other metal parts created by Dylan in his studio are displayed publicly in the exhibition for the first time. These works are the outcome of the artist's lifelong fascination with welding and metalwork.
For your chance to win, just answer the question below. View 'Bob Dylan: Mood Swings' at Halcyon Gallery (144-146 New Bond Street) for free until January 25 2014. More details at www.halcyongallery.com


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Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes - Art is kn...
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______________________________________________________________ -->>>TARA LEE GRADY<<<-- E-MAIL: firstname.lastname@example.com http://coroflot.com/taragrady ______________________________________________________________ ||PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE|| >>>TRUCKERDELUXE.COM Nov. 2010-Present ----[In-House Graphic Designer] >>>SAMPLE ROOM 2009-Present ----[Graphic Designer] >>>FIFTH SUN, CHICO, CA, Summer 2009 ----[Apparel/Graphic Designer/illustrator] >>>IVORY TRENDS INTL, MIAMI, FL, 2008-2009 ----[Apparel/Graphic Designer (freelance-vendor)] •Design art and graphics for toddlers, juniors, young men's, and sports apparel •Color separations & cad design/tech packs >>>MR. CHIPS CLOTHING, North Miami Beach, FL, Feb. 2008-Dec. 2008 --[Apparel/Graphic Designer (full time)] http://mrchipsclothing.com/ •Design and create apparel graphics, labels, logos, layouts, & cad sheets •Color separations & cad design/tech packs •Innovate creative concept and design production Experience working directly with top clothing companies including: Fight Capital Punishment American Fighter Aeropostale Grail American Rag Enyce INC Urban Outfitters Lulus.com Truckerdeluxe.com Perry Ellis Route 66 Structure Casual Male Alfani Calvin Klein IZOD Journey's Hot Topic Buckle Redsand Gotcha Foot Locker Lady Foot Locker Champs Steve & Barry's Rue 21 MACY'S >>>ART FOR MARKET INC, Delray Beach, FL, 2006-2007 --[Web/Graphic Designer (internship)] www.artformarket.com •Efficiently designed & managed client websites •Coordinated and organized all updates •Efficiently executed site alterations •Consistently met deadlines and requirements •Designed production from concept through completion >>>OTHER FREELANCE WORK, 2003 - Present •Apparel design/label creation •Business card / promotional flyer / logo & letterhead design •Corporate Branding / Marketing •Webpage Creation / Layout & Design •Custom user interface layouts •Photography / Photo editing & retouching •Traditional portraits (various mediums) •Children's book illustration ______________________________________________________________ ||TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY|| >>>SYSTEM PLATFORMS •Windows VISTA/XP/NT/2000/98 •Mac - ALL systems >>>SOFTWARE EXPERTISE •Adobe Creative Suite CS3/CS4 •Macromedia Dreamweaver •Microsoft Office Suite ______________________________________________________________ ||EDUCATION/TRAINING|| >>>FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - Boca Raton, FL --Graphic Design Major (2003 - 2007) --Degree in Graphic Design >>>HONORS & EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES --Selected Participant of: The Graphic Imperative & Graphic Noise poster show (Fall 2006) Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL --Wallpaper contest winner for www.vampirefreaks.com – 2 designs selected (2007) --Full Athletic Scholarship at Florida Atlantic University (2003-2007) --Awarded All-Academic Team Atlantic Sun Conference (2004-2007)
Florida Atlantic University


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RT @BazzaBReal: @ImmortalDJRayne Exclusive Part 6 by Bazza B on SoundCloud - http://t.co/au5tM0ksbI #RT #TellaFriend #TNM #SLH
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We're thrilled to reveal the first of this year's Webby Sessions taking place at Internet Week New York!
The Webby Sessions are a series of panels and discussions touching on the latest Internet trends and inspirations specially curated by us. Each day, we will bring you thought-provoking content and leaders representing the very best of the web.
The first Webby Session is taking place on Monday, May 20 at 11am and will feature the incredibly popular, engaging, uplifting, and Webby Winning photo blog Humans of New York.
Photographer Brandon Stanton will join Webby Executive Director, David-Michel Davies to discuss the Internet's ability to foster altruism and build supportive community along with sharing the meteoric rise of his blog over the past couple of years.
We look forward to sharing ideas from some of our most inspiring Webby winners, judges, and friends.
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They came, they sang, they strutted: the top 10 style moments from @TheGrammys http://t.co/JviU6Jy4
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Do you like to play ocarina? You can be protagonist of the next OCARINAFESTIVAL 2013 in Budrio!You can inscribe as "musician" until April 20th just filling the form. No fee is required. – all the ocarina players and Groups from all over the world are invited to take part at the Ocarinafestival as "musicians". – it is requested a description of the solo player or Group (curriculum) and a audio/video of you (website or/and youtube channel is ok!)- the place and the time of the concert will be decided with the organizators of the Festival- those who are interested to receive assistance for hospitality (hotel booking; hospitality at Budrio theatre (limited places) can contact us by mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Here are the musicians who will participate in the 2013 Festival! There is time to enroll up to 20 April 2013. The order of the musicians follows the chronology of the concerts.
Lieto Quartet (Corea)
Friday 26th April at 9.00 pm -Accademia dei Notturni
Gaggle (Livorno – Italy)
Friday 26th April at 9.00 pm -Accademia dei Notturni
Gaggle – which in English literally means "group of geese on the ground" – was founded in 2010 by the will of five musicians friends and colleagues to rediscover the ocarina, the Italian traditional instrument typical of Budrio.
Gaggle performed during 2011 on many occasions, performing a repertoire ranging from popular music of Emilia and Tuscany, traditional dances, such as jigs and galoppe, going for classic songs arranged and specially composed pieces. From 2012, the original lineup has expanded to become septet and extended its repertoire to traditional and folk music from all around the world. Gaggle also has performed for the play "The Visit of the Old Lady" that was staged at the theater "G. Puccini " (Altopascio, Lucca) in November 2012 under the direction of Michela Innocenti. Luisa Pardini, oboist. From her friendship with Tiziana was born Gaggle, in which Luisa play soprano ocarina. Rossana Pansani, flutist. Since 2010, she approached the study of the ocarina, becoming an integral part of Gaggle. Valeria Marzocchi, flutist. Embraced with enthusiasm the proposal of Gaggle since 2010. Silvia Marchetti composer. With the expansion plan becomes part of the original septet as an instrumentalist. Francesca Rossi, cellist. From 2012 she joined as a new purchase of the septet of ocarinas Gaggle. Alessandra Rossi, clarinetist. Since 2010, she is member of original group of Gaggle. Tiziana Gallo, flutist. Gaggle was born by an idea of Tiziana.
Atsuko Kawasaki (Giappone)
Friday 26th April at 9.00 pm – Accademia dei Notturni
Atsuko Kawasaki a musician of ocarina in Japan (Tokyo). A leader of ocarina. In 2009, I participated in Japan and Italian combination ocarina septet concert (Tokyo performance). In 2010, I performed as a guest in Taiwanese ocarina concerts, Concert of Taiwan Ocarina Orchestra, Concert of the Rubato Ocarina ensemble, Taiwan International Ocarina Interchange Concert. ocarinakawasaki.web.fc2.com
Vera Unfried – Wegscheid (Germania)
Friday 26th April at 9.00 pm -Accademia dei Notturni
Vera Unfried was born in Passau (Germany). She started with seven years with recorder lesson and added piano and organ lesson. With the recorder she won numerous prizes at national and international recorder competitions during her school time. She also participated in several master classes with the famous recorder Professor Paul Leenhouts. After high school she studied at the University of Passau "Music Education" and "Psychology". Now she works at University as a teacher and as music teacher and music performer.
Vera started to play Ocarina in 2007. Since then she attended the International Ocarina Festivals in Bludens (Austria) 2008, Budrio 2009, Miesbach (Germany) 2010, Budrio 2011, and Hong Seong (Korea) 2012. Last year she also had performances with the Ocarina on National Television in Germany. She gives performances, concerts, lectures, classes and lesson for the Ocarina. Her musical roots began with classical music, but today she plays a lot of crossover between classical music, traditional music, Latin and world music.
Concerto delle ocarine (Italia)
Venerdì 26 aprile ore 21.00 Accademia dei Notturni
"Il concerto delle ocarine" è formato da musicisti di varia provenienza. I suoi componenti sono infatti tutti attivi professionisti nei rispettivi strumenti (tromba, oboe, flauto dolce, clarinetto), ma in prevalenza attivi nel cosiddetto campo della "musica antica", cioè musica storica con strumenti originali. Per chi pratica questa musica è grande l'amore per le cose insolite e ingiustamente neglette,una sorta di archeologia musicale. Poter riscoprire questo repertorio, che peraltro richiede un notevole impegno tecnico, è stato per i musicisti del settimino un grande divertimento e, soprattutto una grande sorpresa è stata la generosità di questo strumento così "povero". I musicisti: 1° Paolo Fanciullacci 2° Ugo Galasso 3° Simone Bensi 4° Marco Di Manno 5° Diego Carraresi 6° Alessandro Piccinetti 7° Filippo Brilli
Gruppo Ocarinistico di Grillara (Rovigo – Italy)
Saturday 27th April at 5.30 pm – Torri dell'Acqua
FonFone (Croatian and Austrian group)
Saturday 27th April at 9.00 pm – Teatro Consorziale
Riko Kobayashi (Giappone)
Saturday 27th April at 9.00 pm – Teatro Consorziale
Ocarinista and ocarina teacher. She has participated in several editions of the Budrio Festival of the ocarina, from the first (2003). She has recorded several CDs and performed in concerts in prestigious halls. This year she will be in Budrio with a group of her students, two of whom will be performing with her.
Genial Breeze Ocarina Quartet (Taiwan)
Saturday 27th April at 9.00 pm – Teatro Consorziale
Yfan Zhang (China)
Saturday 27th April at 9.00 pm – Teatro Consorziale
First Chinese musician in the history of the Festival
G.O.B. – Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese (Budrio – Italy)
Saturday 27th April at 9.00 pm – Teatro Consorziale
The Budrio Ocarina Group continues a musical tradition that began about 140 years ago, with the first Ocarina Group in Budrio. In the last years the Solo players of GOB have played ocarina also with guitar and piano (cd "Magical Ocarina"). GOB made more than 800 concerts in Italy and abroad (Australia, USA, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Venezuela, Korea) and recorded many CDs. In February 2014 there will be a tour in Japan. GOB: Fulvio Carpanelli – ocarina do1, Fabio Galliani – ocarina sol2, Simona Vincenzi e Marco Venturuzzo- ocarina do3, Emiliano Bernagozzi – ocarina sol4, Piero Callegari e Elide Melchioni – ocarina do5, Gianni Grossi – ocarina sol6, Giulio Bondanelli – ocarina do7. www.gobitalia.it
Ocarina-Seven (Japan)
Saturday 27th April at 9.00 pm – Teatro Consorziale
Our group, Ocarina-Seven, was formed in March, 2012 from seven well-known ocarina players who originally come from deferent parts of Japan, and have been actively presenting performances both in Japan and overseas. 1st Kazumi Sato(佐藤一美)、2nd Kyoko Oyama(小山京子)、3rd Nanako Yamashiro(山城奈奈子)、4th Taro Enami(江波太郎)、5th Yuuko Okazaki(岡崎裕子)、6th Sachiko Muto(むとうさちこ)、7th Atsushi Ueda(植田篤司). We are one of the renowned Japanese septets group, performing the traditional Budrio-style. Atsushi and Kyoko arrange music with unique ideas which adds excellent originality to our performances. We have earned increasing reputation for out contribution towards development of septet ocarina performances in Japan.
[Our performance history] May, 2012, a special guest at "international ocarina Festival in Korea" (sponsored by Noble Ocarina ). August 2012, "The 2nd Asia ocarina Festival in Nagoya" (sponsored by AOA). November,2012 " Ocarina-Seven 1st Concert "(Saitama Japan). November, 2012, a special guest at " The 2nd International Ensemble Contest in Korea" (sponsored by Noble Ocarina). We will make special appearance at "Mori-no-kuni Ocarina Festival" (Hyogo Japan) on April 7, 2013 and also at "2013 Budrio Ocarina Festival". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMQ3JIDzIZ8
Flauto di Primavera (Russia)
Sunday 28th April at 11.00 am – Terrazza Torri dell'Acqua
Family ensemble "Flauto di Primavera" (Russia) exist since 2012 as a band of multi-instrumentalists, which promotes the play on ethnic wind instruments (sopilka, ocarina, panflute, floyara). Among them ocarina is one of the favorite, because the famous Italian ocarina is the sister of "swistul'ka" (whistle), a popular traditional toy in Russia.
Ensemble Novecento (Italy)
Sunday 28th April at 11.00 am- Terrazza Torri dell'Acqua
The Ensemble Novecento is made up of seven musicians who are dedicated to the rediscovery of musical repertoires unjustly forgotten to bring them to light in our time. The group proposes in concert music typical of the early twentieth century: tasty dance music, sonatas, dances, variations and paraphrases of famous arias. At the Festival Ensemble Novecento will present a new cd of ancient transcripts for ocarina Septet of music by Giuseppe Verdi. Emanuela Di Cretico: Ocarina prima in sib Fabio Galliani: Ocarina seconda in Fa Marco Venturuzzo: Ocarina terza in Sib Alida Oliva: Ocarina quarta in Fa Fabio Bonvicini e Piero Callegari: Ocarina quinta in Sib, Usignolo ad acqua Margherita Degli Esposti: Ocarina sesta in Fa Gerard Antonio Coatti: Ocarina settima in Sib
Quartetto Ocarinamania (Bologna – Italy)
Sunday 28th April at 17.00 pm – Piazza Filopanti
INFO: www.fabiogalliani.it
Ocarina Ensemble Budrio
Sunday 28th April at 17.00 pm – Piazza Filopanti
Ocarina Ensemble is a Budrio project in all its components. It combines the contributions of youth groups Budriesi of the past to new generations of school ocarina. Is enriched, participation and support of the school teachers and musicians Budriesi of great quality. The group was formed at the end of the last century has been characterized her performances with traditional and original music for ocarina. Assets has already hundreds of concerts and performances in several important international occasions. The group has participated in all the international festivals so far Ocarina held in Italy and abroad.
Scuola comunale di Ocarina
Sunday 28th April at 17.00 pm – Piazza Filopanti
The Municipal School of Ocarina is free for children and young people. The basic course is aimed at pupils aged 7 to 10 years and includes a weekly group lesson. The program ranges from the introduction to the practice to ocarina music group and popular music and the teaching of theory and reading music. The Intermediate Course, running from second year onwards, provides individual lessons in technique and the establishment of a group of young ocarina Ocarina Ensemble Junior. The Advanced Course includes the study of the repertoire gradual insertion of young musicians in the group OCARINA ENSEMBLE. The school works with ocarina classes in the school of music (guitar and percussion) and the chorus, offering a rich repertoire of stimuli in the sound and musical concerts featuring in Italy and abroad.
Mr Ikarula (Tom Vanopphem – Belgio)


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Making tea and Facebooking…
Welcome to an average office worker's life in the UAE (and probably the rest of the world).
January 24, 2010 2:38 by kippreport
Kipp is relieved that we are not the only procrastinators at work. An office employee in the UAE spends an average of 46 days a year on non-work related activities, according to a survey conducted by The Office Exhibition.
The survey found that an office worker spends an average of 11 days per year paying bills or using online banking during office hours. Almost seven working days a year are spent chatting with colleagues, while six days are spent researching and booking holidays. Office employees in the country make 150 million cups of tea every year, with each person spending almost four and a half working days making them, the survey says.
"The majority of companies have IT policies in place regarding social networking and internet use, but almost a third do not, and this is something we would encourage them to look at as a significant number of days a year are spent on these activities at work," said Sinead Bridgett, show director, The Office Exhibition. More than 1000 office workers across the country took part in the survey.
Considering the fact that 'Facebooking' has become a verb in colloquial vocabulary, Kipp thinks it's unfair that social networking sites should be blocked at work. We do admit that sites like Facebook can be addictive at times (we have fallen prey on select occasions), but if you are sitting long hours at the office, short breaks can be really refreshing, and can actually improve productivity.
And while we may still understand the concept of blocking social networking sites, one of our non-media friends told us that the internet connection was recently disabled at their office because it was "not required." Which means no access to news websites, general information – and Kippreport.
Life can be unfair. And now, it's time to make another cup of tea.
More on Kipp's Blog
Cityscape: Dubai, building up for a fall
How to spend $1 million in one day
Totally Gaga ticket prices
Top 20 ways you KNOW you're in Dubai
Why we don't like the 'Ice Bucket Challenge'
Dubai hates dogs?
Will I ever win a raffle prize?
Just Falafel: Local flavour, global fervour
Media iftars: Too many calories, not enough content
Celebrating H.H. Sheikh Mohammed
5 annoying people you meet at the cinema
Football: worst fouls in history
2014 Football World Cup: in bad taste
2014 FIFA World Cup: Referees shown red card
Is Dubai set to become the dominant gold loco market by 2020?
The internet people will embrace
'My grandmother's not buying it'
There's a robot in my living room!
What does it take to host 16,500 business visitors?
Best practises of corporate governance
Lately on Kipp
Gitex Shopper 2014: Deal or no deal?
Top 5 affordable places to live in Dubai
Are you planning to invest in the UAE property market?
Apple Watch: The answer to fitness management?
Spotless: Cleaning industry set to shine
Bayut.com unveils redesigned website


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Way back when we were calling the SLS the SLC, the men and women at AMG in Affalterbach were keeping a secret: there would be an SLC in addition to the SLS. The current car that we have had the opportunity to love in coupe and roadster forms is slated to end production in 2015. What will pick up where it leaves off is the SLC, a so-called "baby SLS" with a 4.0-liter V8 and an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission.
Car magazine predicts the future coupe will have aluminum-intensive construction and be a better performer than the SLS it replaces. It could also be a median point, itself a 911 rival but perhaps serving as the basis for both an SLK variant and some other carbon fiber supercar beyond the SLS that could challenge a McLaren. After the unloved offspring that was the Mercedes McLaren SLR, we'd be in the front row of any grudge match to see if a hotted-up SLC could settle that sore score.


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Charles Ramsey -- the Cleveland man who helped free 3 missing women -- is the best kind of hero ... the kind that saves lives, and makes you laugh your ass off.
Check out TMZ on TV -- click here to see your local listings!
He is hilarious!! He is the REAL hero in this story!
im curious as to what the cops were doing.they reporting that the cops had been called about naked girl in the back yard yet took it not serious at all.and when the cops would go over they would knock and no one would answer the door.at some point you would think they would decide to knock the door down.looking at the neighborhood it doesnt look that nice.which leads me to wonder did they even care considering the location.had this been an upper class neighborhood they would have done something sooner.
R we sure that isn't Katt William's daddy? lol
Love Him! Fearless and honest and genuinely real why can't there be more like him!
anyone remember Enter the Dragon? He looks like Sho Gun.
There's no way in hell he didn't know what was going on.
Living legend!! But let's not forget Angel Cordero he rescued them too. Well done to both
I felt kind of bad laughing when the situation was so dire, but he really did help to lighten the mood a bit and make me happy that she chose the right man to run to. And, he did step up, so I'm a fan of his now. Plus, finally, it was a happy ending for all except the moron creeps that kidnapped the girls. Glad they will get a special little piece of hell in the prison shower.
He is awesome! He made my day. His honesty and play by play of his day.
I want to see him have his own Bravo Reality Show. I really do. He deserves it and it would be a hoot to watch him.
Did anybody notice what the biker guy's patches say on the back of his vest?
Check out the biker guy in the vest when he turns around. Two patches stand out. They have such hilarious jokes on them as "I'd tell you about my d***, but it's a Looonnnng story" and "I may not be Mr. Right, but I'll f*** you till he gets there."
I was tripping when I saw the news broadcast...all the men standing around looked like bad news, including Mr. Ramsey. Turns out the man is a hero! Just goes to show that you can't always judge a book by its cover. Well done sir! My hat is off to you :)
omg he is too funny...now this is someone worth bragging about tm...he's a hero and a comedian ...God Bless him and the victims


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Michigan Wolverines dual-threat quarterback will be heading to the NFL following this season but many believe that the signal-caller will need to change positions in order to be successful at the next level. It is a situation that Robinson will need to deal with as he considers his NFL future.
Fortunately for Robinson, he will have a great opportunity during the offseason to spend time up close and personal with NFL coaches and scouts at the 2013 Senior Bowl. Robinson has received in invite to the big college all-star game in Mobile, Alabama and it will be up to him to take the chance to show off his talent.
The Senior Bowl is the premier pre-NFL Draft event and it has provided dramatic changes in draft stock among participants in the past.
Robinson is the kind of player who's dynamic play making ability could steal the show at the Senior Bowl and be the talk of the town in Mobile. This could be a golden opportunity for Robinson to show his skill set.
The man who spent his time at Michigan protecting Robinson, offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, is expected to enter the 2013 NFL Draft.
The 2013 Senior Bowl will take place on January 26, 2013 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. As always, the game will be broadcast on the NFL Network. Leading up to the game, NFL scouts will be in attendance for the full week of practices.


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Kelowna News
When 'OOPS' is a really good thing
Oops, a word to signify a mistake, a mess up, something gone awry, but for one East Kelowna winery it was the best mistake they've ever made.
At Vibrant Vine's Winery, an upside down label on all their bottles filled with their 'not as good' white wine blend has just been named the best white wine in the world, the whole world, and it was just an oops.
"The wine sold five times what anything else sold last summer and all customers did tell us what a wonderful wine it was, but it was our blend, and I didn't think a blend could possibly win a big international competition," shared Winery Co-owner Wyn Lewis when he spoke to Castanet.
So how did the wine 'OOPS' come to fruition?
His wife and he were headed south for their annual winter vacation. They said goodbye and left their capable assistant Jasmine Branderhorst with the task of shrink-wrapping about 16,000 bottles while they were gone.
"She put a label on upside down by mistake and thought 'hmm I like that I think I will do a few more', so she did a few more and then she said to herself , 'hmm it looks much better upside down I like that', and so she carried on," laughs Lewis.
Owners Wyn and Marion Lewis then arrived home two weeks later from their lovely vacation to find 8,000 bottles labeled upside down.
"I yelled, oh my god Jasmine it is upside down, expletive expletive, what the heck have you done?"
Lewis says Jasmine was then crestfallen, thinking she had done something wonderful, but here was her boss saying that it was terrible.
With no other choice but to use the upside down bottles they chose to fill them with their blend and not their 'super duper reserve,' laughs Lewis, and in light of the event they named it OOPS.
"We put it out for sale last May and it started to sell like hotcakes and everyone wanted to buy it!" exclaims Lewis.
He shares that it got to the point where he started to realize it was the best white wine they had and that he knew after tasting their entire selection visitors to the winery would buy OOPS at the end of the day.
"I would put a bottle of OOPS in a brown paper bag before the visitors started the tasting and I would say to them this is the wine you are going to buy," laughs Lewis.
"Then we would go through the tasting and I would tell them the exquisite details of each of our wonderful wines and then at the end they would say yup I'll take a case of the OOPS, so we knew we had something special."
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think it could be the number one wine in the world."
And what else is unique in this situation is that the Lewises didn't even enter the contest or know their wine was being considered.
In collaboration with TricorBraun, The Vibrant Vine's supplier of glass bottles, the winery participated in the 2013 World Beverage Competition "Packaging of the Year Awards" to win a Silver medal for their spectacular Chardonnay label, which they knew.
But what they didn't know was TricorBraun put their wine in the mix of 10,000 other wines vying for the prize.
"Then they received an email at the end of December that we had won the packaging award again and about how wonderful it was and how wonderful their product (the glass bottles) is," shares Lewis who says the email was clearly from the packaging perspective and not the wine.
"Then at the last line of the email...oh by the way, well we were there our agent entered your wine into the world wine competition and I thought you might want to know that you have won the best white wine in the world," laughs Lewis. "As if it was no big deal!"
He read it over again and again and called the packaging company.
"I called them and they said well what's important to us is that you won the packaging prize and I was just like, have you any idea what it means to win best white wine in the world?!"
After taking a few breaths, he and his wife found the contacts for the 2014 World Beverage Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, to confirm the unbelievable news.
"We got ahold of Geneva and they said yes indeed out of the 10,000 wines you came first, you are the first Canadian winery ever to win a medal at the competition…and if I were you I would hire a PR department because this is very, very big news…have you seen Bottle Shock?!" chuckles Lewis.
Bottle Shock is a 2008 movie based on the 1976 wine competition termed the "Judgment of Paris", when California wine first ever defeated French wine in a blind taste test basically exploding the wine industry in California.
"I laughed yes I have seen Bottle Shock, but this is a little tiny family owned winery in Kelowna, are you pulling my leg? I just couldn't believe it," adds Lewis.
Next thing you know wine writers from all over the world are calling them for interviews and his 'little family winery' has international acclaim.
So what's the next step for them?
"I am heading to the City of Kelowna to get the permit to double the size of the winery and then we are going to do a whole load of stuff that this has given us the confidence to do," shares Lewis.
"Plus the recent changes in the liquor laws has made it a lot easier for us to do some of things that we wanted to do like a picnic area that is a decent size and things like that."
Now getting your hands on a bottle of this international acclaimed OOPS of a wine is going to be hard as they are entirely sold out in store. But, for this weekend only as a celebration for the vineyard and a thank you to the locals who support them they are releasing a few extra bottles of OOPS for sale.
"We had not planned on doing this, but we are going to open this weekend Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. just for locals who want to buy some, we have a little stock left, it will be a bit of a celebration!," shares Lewis.
As for the 2014 vintage ... how does 'WOOPS' sound? A name change to signify a little bit a woo-who and to recognize the recent success of the 2013 OOPS label.
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Faculty of Humanities
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Now, my theory is that BG w/ BS represents Sorkin, since this show about a show is already very meta with its storylines of network troubles and uncertain futures, and I think BG w/ BS is like Sorkin hurriedly trying to finish the last couple of episodes, so he's drinking and trying to come up with storylines while the cast hangs out on the Anthony's set and drinks and improvs, and then Dana goes over to Sorkin to find out what the newest plot twist is, and Sorkin is drunk and says, "Uh, uh, Time-Warner kicks out at 27!" and then of course the next day the script is finished and Time-Warner kicks out at 27.
But it's just a theory.
I find it really annoying that there was a tornado warning in effect on the ABC feed we get up here in Saskatchewan, but the giant Tornado Watch graphic that sat in the corner during the show disappeared whenever commercials came on, like "we are very proud of the community service we provide by warning viewers about life-threatening weather, as long as those warnings don't get in the way of showing them commercials for Shanghai Noon."
Next week: the love of Dan's life, Rondell White, returns. Jeremy and Natalie kiss. CSC is sold. Also, in the words of Voiceover Woman, "An ending so shocking, we saved it for the season finale." We see a clip of a tearful Dana saying, "I don't know what to say." Maybe Sorkin hasn't finished the script for that scene yet.


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A simple beginner guitar lessons approach will save most beginners from frustration. The truth is no beginning guitarist will say that learn to play the guitar is easy. There are some new things to learn, from training the chording fingers to do what the player wants, putting the picking fingers on the right strings and tell them what string(s) to pick or strum, coordinating both the fretting and picking fingers to work in harmony, not to mentioned that they have to figure out what chords should be played as well. To help you overcome these problems here you will learn some simplified guitar lessons for beginners.
Beginner Guitar Lessons Theory – What to Expect?
When we are talking about guitar theory the most important things to cover are guitar scales and some basic guitar chords. Don't worry as we will cover this part in the next posts. You will also learn about guitar tuning and guitar tabs. A good beginner guitar chords approach will help you learn guitar chords as soon as possible and apply them in some easy guitar songs so you'll be ready to show off in no time. Sounds cool? You bet! Read the rest of this entry »


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Appearing on-stage sporting a brand new tattoo, the rest of the humorous 1D boys promptly ribbed Zayn Malik during the gig, holding their microphones to their arms in the same place where Zayn has his.
Zayn's a big tat fan and this is tattoo number eight!
One Direction's US touring took them to the Gibson Ampitheatre in Los Angeles on Saturday night, quickly followed by a stop at The Theatre at Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday.
The boys get a full weeks break after that before hitting the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Houston next Saturday.
You can view all their concert dates and ticket information on this page.


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Thanks for the note! We miss him, too. He was the best.
I found Charlie on squishfacedogs and oh my goodness, he really does look a lot like Duke.
Amy and I think about Duke every day. We made a 2012 calendar using photos of him so his photos are always there in our kitchen.
When we lost him, we had this big hole in our hearts. Every day for the least two years, we put all this love into taking care of him, and when he was gone, that love had nowhere to go. We couldn't channel it into anything. It hurt.
Then, in January, Amy found a orangish brown Pekingese on Petfinder. Apparently he'd been sealed into a cardboard box and thrown into a dumpster in the dead of winter. Someone heard him rustling around in there and took him to a nearby vet, who took excellent care of him, and now they were trying to find him a home. As soon as he was healthy again, we went to visit him and within hours we were taking him home. We named him Barnabas, or "Barney" for short.
But Barney was young, and we figured he might want company during the day. So, in April, Amy found a fluffy white Pekingese on Petfinder. His name was Jay, and his owner had given him up because she had to go back to school while working. We met him at a PetSmart adoption event. I hesitated at first, because it'd been so long since I'd had a small white Pekingese on my lap. (You ever break down in a PetSmart? It's… awkward.) But in the end, we took Jay home, and now he's ours.
And that's how it works, I guess. I wasn't a dog person before Duke, and then I grew to love him, and now I'm a dog person. Then when he left, I was still a dog person, I just didn't have a dog. That love had to go somewhere, so we found Barney and Jay, and now they receive all the care and attention that Duke taught us to have.
Duke may be gone, but his memory lives on as we take the love he taught us and pay it forward.
Some of you have expressed interest in making a donation in Duke's honor. Amy and I thought about which dog charities would make the most sense, and these are the two we settled on:
Duke knew the importance of giving dogs a second shot (or, in Duke's case, third or fourth shot) at a great life. Duke came from Midwest Small Breed Rescue, a rescue that knows how much value and love senior dogs can bring to our lives. You can support Midwest Small Breed Rescue at: http://members.petfinder.com/~MI559/donations.html.
Duke also came to know and love Chicago. A wonderful organization in Duke's adopted "hometown" called New Leash on Life in Chicago also gives dogs a second chance by finding loving homes for shelter dogs who might otherwise be euthanized. You can support New Leash on Life here: https://newleash.ipower.com/chicago/donationform.asp.
Thanks again for your kind words. I've still got a ton of photos I want to share, and even though he's gone, I hope they'll bring you joy.
Duke's foster mom, Marsha, sent us a very sweet message about the time we took Duke to visit her and the other foster pups after we'd had him for a year:
Duke will always be very special to us. We remember the day we went to pick him up from the lady that had adopted him the year before you did. We pulled into her driveway and got out of the car and the lady opened the door and Duke came flying out to meet us. He wanted to get in the car and go. He was so different when he went to you. Last year when you came to visit on Thanksgiving we knew he had the very best and the right people for him. He left our house and didn't look back.
This means the world to me. Amy and I like to think we gave him a good home, and that he knew he was loved. We miss him so much.
We'd like to thank everyone who's offered us kind words of support here, on Duke's Facebook page, and via text and email. We miss him so much, and all the nice things you've shared with us have helped us in our time of mourning.
We'll continue to post old photos we find, or other things that help us remember what a fun, sweet dog Duke was. Just because he's gone doesn't mean we'll want to stop sharing all the memories we made with him.
I'm sorry to report that Duke passed away tonight. He stuck with us through kidney and heart failure. He was a sweetheart, and a loyal companion. He was my best friend.
Over the last couple weeks his appetite dwindled, and Amy and I gave him his food and pills via feeding syringe. He still wanted to go on walks, and smell leaves, and sit with us. Then, in the last couple days his health got worse. He cried when we fed him, and he didn't want to go on walks anymore. We could tell it was his time.
He left us peacefully, at the vet's office, surrounded by Amy, myself, the vet tech who took care of him whenever we went out of town, and the veterinarian who took such good care of him.
We've enjoyed getting so many messages from all of you about how much you've enjoyed following Duke's adventures, and we've loved sharing them with all of you.
We still have so many pictures and memories of our favorite little guy to share, so this blog will continue to be what it always was: a loving tribute to Duke.
Rest in peace, little buddy. We miss you.
Duke was very tired and sick for a while, but then we put him on a new medication in the last two weeks he's been feeling much, much better. Here's what he has to say:
"Hi, there! I have good days and bad days just like any other 91-year-old. But the pills they're giving me are doing the trick and I still like to go on my walks around the block and look for hamburger patties in the bushes! I'm not really enjoying this fancy health food they've got me on, but my doctor says I might come around soon enough. We'll see. Give me a hamburger in a bush any day! I'm 91 — I deserve it!"


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Though it occurs less frequently than coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death among American adults, valve disease can be just as serious a problem. Both main categories of this disease — regurgitation, which occurs when a valve does not close properly, and stenosis, which occurs when a valve narrows too much to let enough blood through — often require surgery to repair or replace the faulty valve. If left untreated, some kinds of valve disease can be fatal.
But surgery isn't always an option. For example, many patients with calcific degenerative aortic stenosis — a buildup of plaque deposits that narrows the aortic valve — are older adults for whom open heart surgery might cause complications like stroke or pneumonia. "As a result," says Clifford Kavinsky, MD, PhD, an interventional cardiologist at the Rush Valve Clinic, "up to 40 percent of those with calcific degenerative aortic stenosis never have the chance to have a life-saving valve replacement."
Recent technology, however, has given physicians a way to save such patients' lives without exposing them to the risks of open surgery.
Saving More Lives
"I couldn't have withstood surgery," says Albert, a patient at Rush University Medical Center who learned earlier this year that he would need to have his aortic valve replaced. Because Albert has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in addition to aortic stenosis, open heart surgery would have put him at risk of serious complications, including death.
Physicians at the Rush Valve Clinic offered him an alternative. This summer, Albert became the first patient at Rush to participate in a clinical trial of a new, nonsurgical method of replacing the aortic valve. During this minimally invasive procedure, which involves less recovery time and fewer risks than surgery, physicians replace the valve via a thin catheter inserted through the chest or leg.
"It was a godsend," says Albert's wife, Donna, of the procedure. "For Albert, it was either this or mortality."
Albert isn't alone. The valve clinic offers new minimally invasive procedures to patients with aortic stenosis as well as those with mitral regurgitation — which occurs when the mitral valve doesn't close properly — and dysfunctional conduit between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. "This technology could save the lives of thousands of patients with valve disease who have no other therapeutic options," says Ziyad Hijazi, MD, MPH, an interventional cardiologist at the valve clinic.
Tailoring Treatment
While new minimally invasive procedures represent a major advancement for many people with valve disease, they aren't right for everyone. They comprise only part of a broad range of surgical and nonsurgical treatments for valve disease. The variety of options, Hijazi says, means that "it's more important than ever to make sure treatments for valve disease are tailored for each individual patient."
Please note: All physicians featured in Discover Rush Online are on the medical faculty of Rush University Medical Center. Some of the physicians featured are in private practice and, as independent practitioners, are not agents or employees of Rush University Medical Center.
If you enjoyed this article and are not already a subscriber, subscribe today to Discover Rush Online. You'll receive health information, breaking medical news and helpful tips for maintaining your health each month via e-mail.


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My name is Benjamin. I think all of the time, I want to make you think all of the time too.
the north pole is where it's at
Tagged: north pole vast wonderful
Posted on October 2, 2011 with 404 notes
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I want a guy i know will love me for who i am.
I believe someday there will be Zombies will kill and eat us, so I handle a gun and a knife with me other then school I keep them home.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Back in the game
May 13, 2014
Reviewer: Don from Lawton, OK United States
I've been out of R/C for 30 years and Hobby Zone's Champ RTF was just what I needed to practice with before going back to the big ones. This will be great for the indoors flying at the gym the club does, I love it.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
April 29, 2014
Reviewer: Manuel Gonzalez from Cutler Bay, FL United States
is a great toy for my grandson,
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
This lives up to its claims, but not for Children.
October 24, 2013
Reviewer: calvin chaille from miranda, CA United States
I'm a 40+ year old that has never flown R/C before. I saw what could be done now days by R/C fliers with little or no experience and a small budget. I bought the Champ after checking out YOUTUBE and saw lots of great feedback. That was another site but I bought a second Champ with REDROCKET a few days later. I finally broke the left wing off after crashing at least 100+ times with the first plane but when I got the 2nd plane I was able to fly it very well. I've seen bad reveiws on other sites by people giving this as a gift to children. It says right on the box 14+ years and that it is not a toy. Don't give this to children, fly in strong breezes, or close areas (which is the only misleading claim unless you have experience with that sort of flying.)
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Great starter plane!!!
October 2, 2012
Reviewer: Joseph Milhoan from Wilmington, DE United States
This is my first attempt into rc flying! Responds very well. Repairs even easier! I broke wing multiple times...a little tape and back in the air! I am still learning and looking forward to next flights! Great plane!!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Great Trainer Plane
June 27, 2011
Reviewer: Eric from Santee, CA United States
This is actually my second ever RC plane purchase but it has been the better one, by far.
My first plane was a Wing Dragon by Art-Tech, this plane was okay but not a good trainer/first plane to start with. It was underpowered for the kind of plane it was which didn't allow me to get out of trouble situations easily, I ended up crashing and destroying it.
The Champ has been a much better trainer, the plane at full throttle just wants to climb into the air so crashing it is not nearly as much of an issue as was with the Wing Dragon. It is also very stable in flight as long as there is not too much wind interference, this was the only reason I gave this plane 4 stars and not 5. If it's too windy out, don't fly this plane!
Overall, super happy with this purchase, I should have bought this plane first!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Champs a blast
June 4, 2011
Reviewer: Warren from West Springfield, MA United States
I have had Hawk Skies, Blade 120sr and a Quad for flying. Bought the champ for a break in the higher tech flying. Was worried being a trainer type of plane I'd kind of be bored. Wrong This is a blast to fly. Fairly easy and everything you need in the box. I would suggest buying a bunch of flight batteries because you can't get enough of this. It will move and do loops and you can recover from mistakes fairly good. I'm really surprised how much I'm enjoying this. Also will be a spare RC for when a friend wants to join me or learn about this hobby. buy one you can't go wrong.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
May 24, 2011
Reviewer: BARRY GUIN from RAEFORD, NC United States
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Breaks too Easily
January 3, 2011
Reviewer: Marcel Verton from Nashville, TN United States
This little trainer breaks too easily, especially the main wing. It should be more sturdy.
Be prepared to purchase lots of extra parts.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Awesome starter plane!
December 11, 2010
Reviewer: Joshua Miller from Wilmington, NC United States
This place is great for anyone starting out. Its very easy to fly while you grasp the controls of 3d flying. You can fly it in a pretty small park and you can fly it slow enough you wont damage the plane. Ive crashed it a number of times just trying some tricks and it has yet to break.
It is very light, so any wind may disrupt your flying. Best part if you can use the transmitter for other planes when you are ready to move on! Highly recommend this product!
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
It's a beauty !!
November 8, 2010
Reviewer: Ashutosh Daschaudhury from Palatine, IL United States
This is my first step into the world of R/C flying and I think I would not have had a better plane to start with then the Champ. The best features are it's robust and doesn't mind few crashes(I had five already). As a beginner if you do go wrong you can just put the throttle to zero and the plane auto adjust and ensures a smooth landing. And last but not the just it's such a pretty thing to see when it flies.
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The Chattanooga City Council will vote today on a new face for the community outreach side of Mayor Andy Berke's crime-fighting initiative.
Paul Green, who heads Hope for the Inner City and already receives taxpayer funding, was awarded the bid to direct the social services and case management for felons and gang members involved in the Chattanooga Violence Reduction Initiative. That position had been expected to go to Richard Bennett, director of A Better Tomorrow and already the face of VRI to the community, before his June arrest when the city cut all ties with him.
Public Safety Coordinator Paul Smith said Green's organization was chosen because of its strong presence in the inner-city community and the integrity of his current programs targeted at helping gang members.
Smith said the $290,000 contract with Hope for the Inner City is separate from the $75,000 Green already received in this year's 2015 fiscal budget to fund an ex-offender rehabilitation program.
Chattanooga's initiative involves calling in men involved in violent crimes and offering them a choice: Stop the violence or go to jail for a long time. The carrot for participants is access to education, job training and other skills needed to put crime behind them. Hope for the Inner City now will head that second-chance piece if the council approves the resolution.
"They need mentors, to obtain help. They need somebody that will listen," Smith said.
Yet one of the improvements the city learned from Bennett's arrest is the city will no longer give out the number of the organization it partners with to offenders looking for help, police Chief Fred Fletcher said. Bennett's number was given out on cards after the first meeting with offenders and passed out throughout the city. Instead the same city phone number will be given to offenders across the community, Fletcher said.
Vincent Boozer, who works for Hope for the Inner City and will head this program, said the organization will set up a 24-hour hotline that offenders can call for help and hire case managers and counselors to be available.
"We've been working with gang members for three years and we've specifically targeted these guys," he said.
Of the four organizations that bid for the contract, Tennessee Community Counseling Services was the only other group the city called in for an interview.
Contact staff writer Joy Lukachick at email@example.com or 423-757-6659.
Joy Lukachick is the city government reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press Since 2009, she's covered breaking news, high-profile trials, stories of lost lives and of regained hope and done investigative work. Raised near the Bayou, Joy's hometown is along the outskirts of Baton Rouge, La. She has a bachelor's degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University. While at LSU, Joy was a staff writer for the Daily Reveille. When Joy isn't chasing ...