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Sun Nov 18, 2012, 09:00 PM
Tansy_Gold (15,651 posts)
STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Monday, 19 November 2012
[font size=3]STOCK MARKET WATCH, Monday, 19 November 2012[font color=black][/font]
SMW for 16 November 2012
AT THE CLOSING BELL ON 16 November 2012
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Dow Jones 12,588.31 +45.93 (0.37%)
Nasdaq 2,853.13 +16.19 (0.57%)
[font color=green]10 Year 1.58% -0.01 (-0.63%)
[font color=black]30 Year 2.73% 0.00 (0.00%) (-0.36%) [font color=black]
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[font size=2]Market Conditions During Trading Hours[/font]
[font size=2]Euro, Yen, Loonie, Silver and Gold[center]
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[font color=red]Partial List of Financial Sector Officials Convicted since 1/20/09 [/font][font color=red]
2/2/12 David Higgs and Salmaan Siddiqui, Credit Suisse, plead guilty to conspiracy involving valuation of MBS
3/6/12 Allen Stanford, former Caribbean billionaire and general schmuck, convicted on 13 of 14 counts in $2.2B Ponzi scheme, faces 20+ years in prison
6/4/12 Matthew Kluger, lawyer, sentenced to 12 years in prison, along with co-conspirator stock trader Garrett Bauer (9 years) and co-conspirator Kenneth Robinson (not yet sentenced) for 17 year insider trading scheme.
6/14/12 Allen Stanford sentenced to 110 years without parole.
6/15/12 Rajat Gupta, former Goldman Sachs director, found guilty of insider trading. Could face a decade in prison when sentenced later this year.
6/22/12 Timothy S. Durham, 49, former CEO of Fair Financial Company, convicted of one count conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, and one count of securities fraud.
6/22/12 James F. Cochran, 56, former chairman of the board of Fair, convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and six counts of wire fraud.
6/22/12 Rick D. Snow, 48, former CFO of Fair, convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and three counts of wire fraud.
7/13/12 Russell Wassendorf Sr., CEO of collapsed brokerage firm Peregrine Financial Group Inc. arrested and charged with lying to regulators after admitting to authorities he embezzled "millions of dollars" and forged bank statements for "nearly twenty years."
8/22/12 Doug Whitman, Whitman Capital LLC hedge fund founder, convicted of insider trading following a trial in which he spent more than two days on the stand telling jurors he was innocent
10/26/12 UPDATE: Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta sentenced to two years in federal prison. He will, of course, appeal. . .
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[font size=3][font color=red]This thread contains opinions and observations. Individuals may post their experiences, inferences and opinions on this thread. However, it should not be construed as advice. It is unethical (and probably illegal) for financial recommendations to be given here.[/font][/font][/font color=red][font color=black]
39 replies, 4918 views
|39 replies
STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Monday, 19 November 2012 (Original post)
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Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 10:36 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
1. Isn't that "Misfit Goys"?
Or do we eschew ethnic puns?
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 10:41 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
2. If Youve Got the Skills, Shes Got the Job By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
TRACI TAPANI is not your usual C.E.O. For the last 19 years, she and her sister have been co-presidents of Wyoming Machine, a sheet metal company they inherited from their father in Stacy, Minn. I met Tapani at a meeting convened by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to discuss one of its biggest challenges today: finding the skilled workers that employers need to run local businesses. Ill let Tapani take it from here:
About 2009, she explained, when the economy was collapsing and there was a lot of unemployment, we were working with a company that got a contract to armor Humvees, so her 55-person company had to hire a lot of people. I was in the market looking for 10 welders. I had lots and lots of applicants, but they did not have enough skill to meet the standard for armoring Humvees. Many years ago, people learned to weld in a high school shop class or in a family business or farm, and they came up through the ranks and capped out at a certain skill level. They did not know the science behind welding, so could not meet the new standards of the U.S. military and aerospace industry.
They could make beautiful welds, she said, but they did not understand metallurgy, modern cleaning and brushing techniques and how different metals and gases, pressures and temperatures had to be combined. Moreover, in small manufacturing businesses like hers, explained Tapani, unlike a Chinese firm that does high-volume, low-tech jobs, we do a lot of low-volume, high-tech jobs, and each one has its own design drawings. So a welder has to be able to read and understand five different design drawings in a single day.
Tapani eventually found a welder from another firm who had passed the American Welding Society Certified Welding Inspector exam, the industrys gold standard, and he trained her welders some of whom took several tries to pass the exam so she could finish the job. Since then, Tapani trained a woman from Stacy, who had originally learned welding to make ends meet as a single mom. She took on the challenge of becoming a certified welding inspector, passed the exam and Tapani made her the companys own in-house instructor, no longer relying on the local schools.
She knows how to read a weld code. She can write work instructions and make sure that the people on the floor can weld to that instruction, so we solved the problem by training our own people, said Tapani, adding that while schools are trying hard, training your own workers is often the only way for many employers to adapt to the quick response time demanded for changing skills. But even getting the right raw recruits is not easy. Welding is a $20-an-hour job with health care, paid vacations and full benefits, said Tapani, but you have to have science and math. I cant think of any job in my sheet metal fabrication company where math is not important. If you work in a manufacturing facility, you use math every day; you need to compute angles and understand what happens to a piece of metal when its bent to a certain angle.
Who knew? Welding is now a STEM job that is, a job that requires knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math.
Employers across America will tell you similar stories. Its one reason we have three million open jobs around the country but 8 percent unemployment. Were in the midst of a perfect storm: a Great Recession that has caused a sharp increase in unemployment and a Great Inflection a merger of the information technology revolution and globalization that is simultaneously wiping out many decent-wage, middle-skilled jobs, which were the foundation of our middle class, and replacing them with decent-wage, high-skilled jobs. Every decent-paying job today takes more skill and more education, but too many Americans arent ready...
Response to Demeter (Reply #2)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:43 AM
Tansy_Gold (15,651 posts)
19. Friedman is such a putz
Friedman a native of St. Louis Park, MN, same place Al Franken was raised. Friedman is a putz; Franken is not.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Reply #19)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:02 AM
Fuddnik (8,846 posts)
23. You're only half right.
Friedman is an asshole. Franken is not.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 10:45 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
3. FDIC Lawsuits Yielded Big Penalties, But Bankers Haven't Paid Up (FEBRUARY)
Like many banks engulfed by the mortgage crisis, First National Bank of Nevada specialized in risky home loans that didn't require borrowers to prove their incomes. When the housing bubble burst, First National got crushed in 2008 under the weight of bad loans that it could no longer resell to investors. Last year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation sued two former senior executives of the defunct bank for alleged negligence and breach of fiduciary duty, hoping to recover nearly $200 million in losses that it tied directly to those executives' decisions. The two men denied wrongdoing and settled for $40 million.
But they didn't pay a dime.
Instead, the federal agency - which is better known as a regulator that seizes control of failing banks and provides deposit insurance for consumers than for its prosecutorial endeavors - is still fighting in court to collect that money from Catlin Group Ltd., a Lloyd's insurance syndicate. Catlin provided an equivalent of malpractice insurance to First National's executives, but the insurer denied liability for the executives' alleged mistakes.
The case illustrates complex legal maneuvering as the FDIC steps up efforts to pick through the detritus of the financial crisis, and to recoup at least some of the nearly $87 billion costs to its deposit insurance fund from the collapse of about 400 federally insured banks between 2008 and late 2011. The First National Bank failure cost the fund $900 million. Concerns about whether the FDIC's strategy isn't aggressive enough in such cases at least partly echo criticism levied at other regulators and enforcement agencies for being too lenient. Over the past 18 months, the FDIC has filed 22 lawsuits targeting personal finances of former executives, their insurance policies, and sometimes their spouses' assets, in an attempt to claw back some of the money, and to deter reckless banking practices in the future. Of the lawsuits filed so far, none has gone to trial yet, and three have been settled. A look at the three deals suggests the FDIC is prepared to accept a fraction of the alleged damages as a settlement while some former executives deny wrongdoing and escape significant financial responsibility for bank failures.
The primary targets of the lawsuits aren't so much the former executives' wallets, but rather the insurance policies most banks take out to shield their officers and directors from claims of negligent management, according to court documents and interviews with lawyers....
Response to Demeter (Reply #3)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 10:49 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
4. Big Banks Squeeze Billions in Profits from Public Budgets
Big banks are profiting at state and local governments expense using the same toxic financial instruments that helped crash the economy. These derivatives known as interest rate swaps, were sold to governments with a promise that they would lower their borrowing costs but have now become a huge liability. The banks have already taken as much as $28 billion from state and local governments. Now, during the worst public budget crisis in memory, the big banks seek to collect billions more from toxic deals that local and state governments are trapped into and are forcing layoffs and cuts to services to cover payments to banks. Big banks must renegotiate or cancel the derivatives, which could prevent the transfer of billions of dollars from public budgets to big banks.
Bank Deals Turn Toxic: Increased Costs for Governments, Windfall for Banks
Banks like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs initially marketed derivative deals with the promise that they would help state and local
governments reduce their cost of borrowing for public improvement projects. In a typical deal, a state or local government agreed to swap interest rates
on variable-rate bonds, with the government paying the bank a fixed rate in exchange for a variable payment that would track the interest due on the bonds.
If interest rates were projected accurately, the payments would more or less balance out over the life of the contract and the public entity would end up with
something similar to a fixed-rate bond. Derivatives, however, have turned into a windfall for banks and a nightmare for taxpayers. In the wake of the financial collapse, the federal government aggressively drove down interest rates to save the big banks and spur economic recovery. The unintended consequence was the creation of an opportunity for banks whose variable payments were tied to prevailing interest rates to reap a tremendous profit from the deals. While banks are still collecting fixed rates of 3 to 6 percent, they are now regularly paying public entities as a little as a tenth of one percent on the outstanding bonds, with rates expected to remain low in the future. Over the life of the deals, banks are now projected to collect billions more than they pay state and local governments an
outcome which amounts to a second bailout for banks, this one paid directly out of state and local budgets.
While banks have benefitted, state and local governments have been trapped in expensive and risky debt. They are paying above-market rates and are
exposed to even higher penalty rates if banks and other financial institutions withdraw support for their complicated variable-rate debt. Yet the banks have
made it prohibitively expensive for state and local governments to refinance by demanding tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in fees to terminate
derivatives. In some cases, public entities have gone ahead and made the payments out of desperation; in others, the banks have actually forced termination
of the deals just to collect the huge termination fees. The overall effect is staggering. Banks are estimated to have collected as much as $28 billion in
termination fees alone from state and local governments over the past two years. This does not even begin to account for the outsized net payments that
state and local governments are now making to the banks.
Finally, there is also mounting evidence that it is no accident that these deals have gone so badly, so quickly for state and local governments. Ongoing
investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and the California, Florida, and Connecticut Attorneys General implicate nearly every major bank in a
nationwide conspiracy to rig bids and drive up the fixed rates state and local governments pay on their derivative contracts.
If the allegations are true, the banks illegal practices have directly contributed the outsized costs and risks now faced by state and local governments...
Response to Demeter (Reply #4)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 10:51 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
5. JPMorgan, Citi, BofA sued for $949 million by Sealink (FEB. 23)
JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. and more than a half dozen other major banks are being hit with a new lawsuit over $949 million in residential mortgage-backed securities.
A summons was filed Tuesday by Sealink Funding Ltd, an Irish entity that oversees risky RMBS, in New York state Supreme Court. Sealink has filed numerous other lawsuits against major banks over billions in residential mortgage-backed securities it bought. New York attorney Joel H. Bernstein, who represents Sealink, said the new case is over "securities they have not sued for in the past."
Sealink claims the purchases were based on faulty offering materials, including misrepresentations of underwriting standards. It seeks damages or to have the purchases rescinded.
The case is Sealink Funding Limited v. The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, 650484/2012, New York state Supreme Court.
Response to Demeter (Reply #3)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 10:59 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
8. Banks Are The Achilles Heel of Capitalism
Edward Yardeni of Yardeni Research in this weeks Barrons:
The problem with banks is that they tend to blow up on a regular basis. Thats because bankers are playing with other peoples money (OPM). They consistently abuse the privilege and shirk their fiduciary responsibilities. Whenever they get into trouble, government regulators scramble to bail them out first and then scramble to regulate them more strictly. Without fail, the bankers respond to tougher rules by using some of the OPM to hire financial engineers and political lobbyists to figure out ways around the new regulations.
In my opinion, banks are the Achilles heel of capitalism. They really do need to be regulated like utilities if their liabilities are either explicitly or implicitly guaranteed by the government, i.e., by taxpayers. Banks should be permitted to earn a very low utility-like stable return. Bankers should receive compensation in the middle of the pay scale for government employees, somewhere between the pay of a postal worker and the head of the FDIC. It should be the capital markets, hedge funds, and private-equity investors that provide credit to risky borrowers instead of the banks.
Nuff said . . .
Response to Demeter (Reply #8)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 11:03 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
10. George Washington: Numerous Top Bankers Call for Break Up of Giant Banks
Banking Titans Call for Break Up of Too Big to Fail
The following bankers are calling for the big banks to be broken up:
Former Citi CEO Sandy Weill
Former Citi CEO John Reed
Former Citi chairman Richard Parsons
Former Merrill Lynch chairman and CEO David Komansky
Former Morgan Stanley CEO Philip Purcell
Former managing director of Goldman Sachs and head of the international analytics group at Bear Stearns in London- Nomi Prins
Numerous other bankers within the mega-banks (see this, for example)
Former Natwest and Schroders investment banker, Philip Augar
The President of the Independent Community Bankers of America, Camden Fine
Top Economists and Financial Experts Agree
Its not just bankers.
The following top economists and financial experts believe that the economy cannot recover unless the big, insolvent banks are broken up in an orderly fashion:
Nobel prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz
Nobel prize-winning economist, Ed Prescott
Nobel prize-winning economist, Paul Krugman
Former chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan
Former chairman of the Federal Reserve, Paul Volcker
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich
Dean and professor of finance and economics at Columbia Business School, and chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush, R. Glenn Hubbard
Former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund, Simon Johnson (and see this)
Former 20-year President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City currently FDIC Vice Chair - Thomas Hoenig (and see this)
President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Richard Fisher (and see this)
President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Thomas Bullard
Deputy Treasury Secretary, Neal S. Wolin
The Congressional panel overseeing the bailout (and see this)
The former head of the FDIC, Sheila Bair
The head of the Bank of England, Mervyn King
The Bank of International Settlements (the Central Banks Central Bank)
The leading monetary economist and co-author with Milton Friedman of the leading treatise on the Great Depression, Anna Schwartz
Economics professor and senior regulator during the S & L crisis, William K. Black
Leading British economist, John Kay
Economics professor, Nouriel Roubini
Economist, Marc Faber
Professor of entrepreneurship and finance at the Chicago Booth School of Business, Luigi Zingales
Economics professor, Thomas F. Cooley
Economist Dean Baker
Economist Arnold Kling
Chairman of the Commons Treasury, John McFall
Click ON LINK on why so many top bankers, economists and financial experts say that the big banks should be broken up.
Read more at http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/07/george-washington-numerous-top-bankers-call-for-break-up-of-giant-banks.html#hi6DZWHHiB8SdHXU.99
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 10:56 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
6. Used Lamborghinis Linger on H.K. Lots Amid China Lull
Waiting lists for ultra-luxury cars in Hong Kong are getting shorter and used-car lots are cutting prices on Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Bentleys in the latest sign of Chinas slowdown.
At first glance, the numbers are deceiving: Sales of very expensive new autos surged 47 percent in the first six months, according to industry analyst IHS Automotive. Look more deeply, however, and another picture emerges, especially in the citys used-car lots.
Dealers of such second-hand cars say job cuts and the worsening global economic outlook are creating uncertainty among the finance-industry and expatriate professionals who make up the bulk of their buyers. Morgan Stanley (MS), Citigroup Inc. (C) and Deutsche Bank AG are among firms with Asian headquarters in Hong Kong that are cutting jobs worldwide.
The more expensive the car, the more dry the business, said Tommy Siu at the Causeway Bay showroom of Vins Motors Co., the used-car dealership he founded two decades ago. Sales of ultra-luxury cars have fallen by half in the past two or three months, he said. A lot of bankers dont want to spend too much money for a car now. At this moment, they dont know if theyll have a big bonus.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 10:57 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
7. The New York Times Is Now Supported by Readers, Not Advertisers By Joe Coscarelli
Advertising revenue continues to sink at the New York Times Company, which reported a second-quarter net loss of $88.1 million today. But a glimmer of hope can be seen in circulation revenue, which has actually gone up through print subscription price increases and the online paywall. At the company's big three papers the Times, International Herald Tribune, and Boston Globe print and digital ad dollars dipped 6.6 percent to $220 million, while circulation revenue was up 8.3 percent to $233 million. The historical rebalancing, which occurred at the News Media Group for the first time in Q1, may indicate a sea change in an industry that has long relied on advertising to stay afloat. "They're probably the first major paper that has crossed that line," media analyst Ken Doctor of Newsonomics told Daily Intel. "It is an interesting moment."
The transition was accelerated by the death spiral of print ads, and the stalling of growth for online advertising, but more expensive subscriptions and charging for website access play a role as well. (Note the big ads on the website lately for a summer subscription sale.)
"Getting away from the historic huge reliance on advertising is definitely a plus," said Poynter media business expert Rick Edmonds. "They're still trying to stabilize advertising and that hasn't been wildly successful yet. But the digital subscription effort has been more successful than many people wanted it to be." The news group now counts 509,000 digital subscribers, up from 454,000 in March.
The morning paper costs more, too, but most people don't seem to mind. "There's a large group of people that values what the Times does as a news organization, and that their willingness to pay is greater than we thought it was," Doctor said. "There's an alchemy there of aggressive pricing, access to good apps, and the content itself. If that's in place, it looks like there's a fairly large number of people who will pay for it."
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 11:01 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
9. Veblens Institutionalist Elaboration of Rent Theory MICHAEL HUDSON
Speech given at the Veblen, Capitalism and Possibilities for a Rational Economic Order Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, June 6th, 2012
Simon Patten recalled in 1912 that his generation of American economists most of whom studied in Germany in the 1870s were taught that John Stuart Mills 1848 Principles of Political Economy was the high-water mark of classical thought. However, Mills reformist philosophy turned out to be not a goal but a half-way house toward the Progressive Eras reforms. Mill was a thinker becoming a socialist without seeing what the change really meant, Patten concluded. The Nineteenth Century epoch ends not with the theories of Mill but with the more logical systems of Karl Marx and Henry George.[1] But the classical approach to political economy continued to evolve, above all through Thorstein Veblen. Like Marx and George, Veblens ideas threatened what he called the vested interests. What made his analysis so disturbing was what he retained from the past. Classical political economy had used the labor theory of value to isolate the elements of price that had no counterpart in necessary costs of production. Economic rent the excess of price over this real cost is unearned income. It is an overhead charge for access to land, minerals or other natural resources, bank credit or other basic needs that are monopolized.
This concept of unearned income as an unnecessary element of price led Veblen to focus on what now is called financial engineering, speculation and debt leveraging. The perception that a rising proportion of income and wealth is an unearned free lunch formed the take-off point for Veblen to put real estate and financial scheming at the center of his analysis, at a time when mainstream economists were dropping these areas of concern.
Veblens exclusion from todays curriculum is part of the reaction against classical political economys program of social reform. By the time he began to publish in the 1890s, academic economics was in the throes of a counter-revolution sponsored by large landholders, bankers and monopolists denying that there was any such thing as unearned income.[2] The new post-classical mainstream accepted existing property rights and privileges as a given. In contrast to Veblens argument that the economy was all about organizing predatory schemes, this approach culminated in Milton Friedmans Chicago School defense the pro-rentier argument: There is no such thing as a free lunch.
This blunt denial rejected the preceding three centuries of classical value and price theory, along with its policy conclusions promoting taxation of land and other natural endowments, and financial reform. Dropped from view was rentier overhead in the form of predatory and unproductive forms of wealth seeking. The post-classical mainstream treats all income as earned, including that of rentiers. Lacking the classical concepts of unproductive labor, credit or investment, todays textbooks describe income as a reward for ones contribution to production, and wealth is being saved up as a result of someones productive investment effort, not as an unearned or predatory free lunch...
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 07:44 AM
DemReadingDU (15,938 posts)
11. Wal-Mart workers plan Black Friday walkout
11/15/12 Wal-Mart workers plan Black Friday walkout
A group of Wal-Mart workers are planning to stage a walkout next week on Black Friday, arguably the biggest holiday shopping day for the world's largest retail store. A group of Wal-Mart workers are planning to stage a walkout next week on Black Friday, arguably the biggest holiday shopping day for the world's largest retail store. in Los Angeles and spread to stores in 12 other cities. More than 100 workers joined in the October actions. One of the workers who plans to join next week's walkout is William Fletcher, who works at a Wal-Mart in Duarte, Calif.
Fletcher, who also participated in the October strikes, claims Wal-Mart cut his hours after he asked to move from the receiving department to another division because of a knee injury. He has since switched departments. "I kept asking myself, 'when is the retaliation for speaking our mind and acting on our rights going to stop?' " he said. Wal-Mart did not have an immediate comment in response to Fletcher's claim. The union-backed groups OUR Walmart and Making Change at Wal-Mart, and a watchdog group Corporate Action Network, are calling on the nation's largest employer to end what they call retaliation against employees who speak out for better pay, fair schedules and affordable health care. On Black Friday, the organizations expect 1,000 protests, both at stores and online
Response to DemReadingDU (Reply #11)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 07:44 AM
DemReadingDU (15,938 posts)
12. Walmart Files Unfair Labor Practice Against UFCW
11/18/12 Wal-Mart warns workers on Black Friday strike
As Wal-Mart workers prepare to stage a walkout on Black Friday, the world's largest store is fighting back. Wal-Mart has filed a complaint with a federal agency accusing one of the largest labor unions in the country of unlawfully organizing picket lines, in-store "flash mobs" and other demonstrations in the past six months. In its complaint Thursday, Wal-Mart said the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and its subsidiary known as OURWalmart is trying to force the store into collective bargaining even though it is not the official union for Wal-Mart's employees. The UFCW represents over a million meat packers and food industry workers.
Response to DemReadingDU (Reply #12)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:05 AM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
13. Unlawful? Under whose law?
Today's labor leaders often point out that every successful tactic their forebearers used has been conveniently "outlawed" since.
And now they want to make modern tactics illegal too? I don't think so. That worm has turned.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:17 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
14. i needed something exotic and a snack to get through this day...
Response to xchrom (Reply #14)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 02:27 PM
AnneD (15,774 posts)
34. That...
is so over the top.
Response to AnneD (Reply #34)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 02:42 PM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
36. would you like a california roll?
Response to xchrom (Reply #36)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 07:37 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
37. Only if it comes in chocolate
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:19 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
15. ROUBINI: Here Are The 6 Reasons The Stock Market Has Been Tanking
The stock market has been falling hard since the election, though it's really been weak since the beginning of October.
The popular explanation of the fall is the "Fiscal Cliff", which is a somewhat disappointing and unsatisfying explanation, since it's not like there's been any new information on that front (and in fact, if anything, the early tone has been fairly conciliatory).
In a note to clients of his firm last week, Nouriel Roubini gave 6 reasons why the rally has been "running out of steam."
We summarize them in bullets:
Growth is weak.
The Eurozone crisis is backsliding again. Greece is coming to a head (once again).
Political concerns (fiscal cliff, etc.).
Valuations have gotten way stretched, and are difficult to justify given low inflation and more developed market deleveraging.
QE is running out of its impact, and unlike past QEs (QE1 and QE2), QE3 was launched near a market peak, and if anything revenue and earnings misses are expected to accelerate.
Geopolitical risk is back (Israel, Gaza, Syria, etc.).
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/roubini-why-the-stock-market-is-falling-2012-11#ixzz2CfrxCvte
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:21 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
16. Shadow Banking Grows To Incredible $67 Trillion Industry
Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The shadow banking industry has grown to about $67 trillion, $6 trillion bigger than previously thought, leading global regulators to seek more oversight of financial transactions that fall outside traditional oversight.
The size of the shadow banking system, which includes the activities of money market funds, monoline insurers and off- balance sheet investment vehicles, can create systemic risks and amplify market reactions when market liquidity is scarce, the Financial Stability Board said in a report, which utilized more data than last years probe into the sector.
Appropriate monitoring and regulatory frameworks for the shadow banking system needs to be in place to mitigate the build-up of risks, the FSB said in the report published on its website.
While watchdogs have reined in excessive risk-taking by banks in the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. in 2008, they are concerned that lenders might use shadow banking to evade the clampdown. Michel Barnier, the European Unions financial services chief, is planning to target money market funds in a first wave of rules for shadow banks next year.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/shadow-banking-is-67-trillion-industry-2012-11#ixzz2CfsT3OHD
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:36 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
17. Everyone Is Talking About About A Japanese Game-Change That Could Finally Break The Back of The Yen
Shinzo Abe running on a promise of "ulimited easing"
Despite running a gigantic national debt, the Japanese yen has for a long time been one of the strongest currencies in the world, confounding bears, and frustrating domestic manufacturers who have felt that the strong currency was hobbling business.
But the US dollar has snuck up to a 7-month high against the yen, and everyone is talking about a big leg down.
The catalyst?
An election is coming up in December, and Liberal Democratic Party candidate Shinzo Abe is running on a platform of aggressive easing. Everyone is talking about it.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/shinzo-abe-the-boj-and-the-yen-2012-11#ixzz2CfwH5a3G
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:39 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
18. Spanish Bad Loans Spiral To Record New High
One of the darkest parts of the Spanish economy, and therefore the European economy, the bad loans held by the banking system continues to get worse.
From Reuters:
Spanish banks' bad loans rose to 10.7 percent of their outstanding portfolios in September, reaching a fresh record high, Bank of Spain data showed on Monday, up from 10.5 percent a month earlier.
The total pile of bad debt is now a staggering $182.2 billion.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/spanish-bad-loans-2012-11#ixzz2Cfx8UFzO
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:44 AM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
20. The Twinkie Manifesto By PAUL KRUGMAN
The Twinkie, it turns out, was introduced way back in 1930. In our memories, however, the iconic snack will forever be identified with the 1950s, when Hostess popularized the brand by sponsoring The Howdy Doody Show. And the demise of Hostess has unleashed a wave of baby boomer nostalgia for a seemingly more innocent time. Needless to say, it wasnt really innocent. But the 50s the Twinkie Era do offer lessons that remain relevant in the 21st century. Above all, the success of the postwar American economy demonstrates that, contrary to todays conservative orthodoxy, you can have prosperity without demeaning workers and coddling the rich.
Consider the question of tax rates on the wealthy. The modern American right, and much of the alleged center, is obsessed with the notion that low tax rates at the top are essential to growth. Remember that Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, charged with producing a plan to curb deficits, nonetheless somehow ended up listing lower tax rates as a guiding principle. Yet in the 1950s incomes in the top bracket faced a marginal tax rate of 91, thats right, 91 percent, while taxes on corporate profits were twice as large, relative to national income, as in recent years. The best estimates suggest that circa 1960 the top 0.01 percent of Americans paid an effective federal tax rate of more than 70 percent, twice what they pay today.
Nor were high taxes the only burden wealthy businessmen had to bear. They also faced a labor force with a degree of bargaining power hard to imagine today. In 1955 roughly a third of American workers were union members. In the biggest companies, management and labor bargained as equals, so much so that it was common to talk about corporations serving an array of stakeholders as opposed to merely serving stockholders.
Squeezed between high taxes and empowered workers, executives were relatively impoverished by the standards of either earlier or later generations. In 1955 Fortune magazine published an essay, How top executives live, which emphasized how modest their lifestyles had become compared with days of yore. The vast mansions, armies of servants, and huge yachts of the 1920s were no more; by 1955 the typical executive, Fortune claimed, lived in a smallish suburban house, relied on part-time help and skippered his own relatively small boat. The data confirm Fortunes impressions. Between the 1920s and the 1950s real incomes for the richest Americans fell sharply, not just compared with the middle class but in absolute terms. According to estimates by the economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez, in 1955 the real incomes of the top 0.01 percent of Americans were less than half what they had been in the late 1920s, and their share of total income was down by three-quarters. Today, of course, the mansions, armies of servants and yachts are back, bigger than ever and any hint of policies that might crimp plutocrats style is met with cries of socialism. Indeed, the whole Romney campaign was based on the premise that President Obamas threat to modestly raise taxes on top incomes, plus his temerity in suggesting that some bankers had behaved badly, were crippling the economy. Surely, then, the far less plutocrat-friendly environment of the 1950s must have been an economic disaster, right?---Along the way, however, weve forgotten something important namely, that economic justice and economic growth arent incompatible. America in the 1950s made the rich pay their fair share; it gave workers the power to bargain for decent wages and benefits; yet contrary to right-wing propaganda then and now, it prospered. And we can do that again.
Response to Demeter (Reply #20)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:46 AM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
22. About the Poor and Taxes MUST READ AND BOOKMARK AND COMMIT TO MEMORY
I see a push coming from the fortunate again, the ones who have been rewarded by the system as it has been, to 'scrap the tax system' and go to a lower flat tax, or even better, a much lower but general consumption tax. Whatever benefits them the most. And economics is a handmaiden flexible and malleable enough to provide them whatever rationale is required to support their arguments.
But the truth is that a consumption tax falls particularly hard on those with the least disposable income, who must still buy the necessities of life. A flat tax is not much better, for much the same reason. The burden falls disproportionately on those who can bear it the least.
I should add that a shift from an income to a consumption tax is a great idea if you would like to stimulate and subsidize a new bubble in speculative financial paper that would bring down the financial system once and for all when it collapses...
The problem with the tax system we have today is that there are so many loopholes and ways to avoid taxes for those with the most power and money. It really is more of a scandal than you might know. It encourages and rewards expoitative behaviour and foments financial corruption. Until you have some serious walking around money, and it draws in the lawyers and accountants, one does not see what a racket the current system is, and how well it serves those 'in the know,' to the disadvantage of everyone else...
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:45 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stock futures are rising on strong quarterly earnings from U.S. corporations and optimism that a deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff can be reached before Jan. 1.
Dow Jones industrial futures are up 57 points to 12,627. The broader S&P futures have added 7.2 points to 1,367. Nasdaq futures are up 15.5 points to 2,548.50.
Home improvement company Lowe's said Monday that its third-quarter profit surged 76 percent. That follows a quarterly report from Home Depot last week, which raised its outlook for the year.
Tyson Foods, the country's largest meat company, easily topped Wall Street expectations Monday for its fourth quarter earnings.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:16 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
24. China sovereign wealth fund official warns on eurozone austerity
A top official with China's sovereign wealth fund has issued a blunt warning that the latest unrest across the eurozone shows austerity has stretched the public's tolerance "to breaking point".
Jin Liqun, chair of the supervisory board of the $480bn (£300bn) China Investment Corporation (CIC), warned that undue harshness risked a backlash which could end with necessary economic reforms being abandoned.
Jin has been extremely critical of Europe's handling of the debt crisis, warning that authorities have taken a piecemeal approach and suggesting Greece should be given more time to work off its debt. But he has previously stressed the need for Europeans to "work a bit harder work a bit longer" like Chinese citizens, complaining about "sloth-inducing" labour laws.
Speaking at a forum in Beijing on Friday he repeated his warning that governments had spent unsustainably in the past.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:18 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
25. Republicans and Democrats hint at willingness to compromise on fiscal cliff
'We're working on this budget; we're going to need a lot of prayer for that,' Obama joked during a tour of a monastery in Bangkok. Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters
Republican and Democratic lawmakers expressed confidence Sunday that a deal to avert the fiscal cliff could be reached, as the man who will need to sign off on the agreement looked toward a higher authority for additional help.
Touring a Buddhist monastery in Bangkok, President Barack Obama was overheard discussing crucial talks to stave off the looming tax hikes and spending cuts with state secretary Hillary Clinton and their monk guide.
"We're working on this budget, we're going to need a lot of prayer for that," he joked, prompting laughter from all concerned.
But back in the US, the mood was a little more optimistic. In a series of interviews Sunday, representatives of both parties appeared to acknowledge a willingness to find compromise, even if significant hurdles remain.
Response to xchrom (Reply #25)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 07:39 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
38. LBJ wouldn't have leaned on prayer
He would lean on his opponent, really hard. Several times, and as long as it would take.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:21 AM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
26. SIGTARP: Taxpayers still exposed as AIG shrinks CDS portfolio JULY
Taxpayers are still owed more than half their original investment in American International Group ($31.80 0.56%) even as its non-insurance business operates without a consolidated banking regulator, according to the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. AIG still has $30.4 billion from the original $67.8 billion TARP investment outstanding as of July, which is on track to actually earn a return, SIGTARP said in a special report Wednesday. The more than 1 billion shares equal a 61% government stake in the monoline. I BELIEVE THEY MANAGED TO SELL SOME OF THIS OFF...
Including other asset purchases, the total original commitment to the AIG bailout was $161 billion. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York continues to sell off those assets, most tied to faulty mortgages. The AIG Financial Products Corp. still operates today even though it has shrunk its credit default swap portfolio to $168 billion, one-tenth its former size. The firm remains massive and could be considered a systemically important financial institution, or SIFI, when regulators release such a definition. As a SIFI, the company would fall under Federal Reserve supervision.
It still has 219 subsidiaries and is the third largest insurance company by assets in the U.S. The non-insurance business at AIG still lacks consolidated oversight, according to SIGTARP. Before the crash, part of it was considered a thrift and thus fell under Office of Thrift Supervision...MORE
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:29 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
27. Why this recovery is more jobless for black Americans than others
For black Americans, the unemployment rate is almost double the national average. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
When pressed about whether or not he feels an obligation to address the crisis of black unemployment, President Obama has supplied a reliably consistent answer over the past four years: a rising tide lifts all boats. That is to say, he is of the belief that as the economy gets better overall, it would certainly get better for black people, as well.
And the economy has done better. Recovery has been slow and growth modest, but the answer to "are we better-off than we were four years ago?" is definitely "yes". That is, if you're talking overall. For black people, the answer may be, "eh, not really".
The national unemployment rate has gone down to 7.9%, but for black people, it remains stuck in the teens having gone up in the last jobs report before the election from 13.4% to 14.3%. This is because black job-seekers have to contend with something that does not come up in the Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly jobs report: racism.
Take, for example, the story of Yolanda Spivey. Writing for Techyville, Spivey tells of job-searching online with the popular Monster.com with zero luck. Identifying as a black woman, Spivey says she did not receive a single response to her resume. Later, she posted a resume identical to her own, but under the name Bianca White this time, identifying as a white woman.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:31 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
28. JP Morgan Chase and Credit Suisse pay $416.9m in penalties over mortgages
JP Morgan Chase and Credit Suisse will pay a combined $416.9m (£262.4m) to settle US civil charges that they misled investors in the sale of risky mortgage bonds prior to the 2008 financial crisis, regulators have said.
JP Morgan would pay $296.9m, while Credit Suisse will pay $120m in a separate case, with the money going to harmed investors, the US Securities and Exchange Commission said.
Both settlements addressed alleged negligence or other wrongdoing in the packaging and sale of risky residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), including at the former Bear Stearns Co, which JP Morgan bought in 2008. The banks settled without admitting wrongdoing and in separate statements said they were pleased to settle.
"In many ways, mortgage products such as RMBS were ground zero in the financial crisis," SEC enforcement chief Robert Khuzami said in a statement. "Misrepresentations in connection with the creation and sale of mortgage securities contributed greatly to the tremendous losses suffered by investors once the US housing market collapsed."
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:47 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
29. Brussels tells Madrid to spend less on roads and more on jobs
Spain should refrain from using European money to build roads and other infrastructure projects, and invest the funds in job incentives and to modernize small and midsized businesses so they can become more competitive, the European Commission (EC) has said.
In a report sent to the Spanish government, the EC wants to begin negotiations aimed at promoting a more efficient use of the funds that it will dole out in the coming years. European institutions are busy working on a plan to help Spain improve the way it uses EU money to be assigned for the 2014-2020 period. The commission wants to guarantee that the funds will go to where they are most needed to help the country emerge from the crisis.
"In Spain there has been a lot of investment in infrastructure -- some has been useful; other cases, let's say, are debatable. But what it hasn't done much is invest in people or small business," Johannes Hahn, the European commissioner for regional policy, told EL PAÍS. "This is something that the current government needs to understand and it should be an absolute priority in upcoming European budgets."
One of the EC's priorities will be to see that Spain reduces the unemployment rate, especially in youths under the age of 25. Hahn believes the EC will be able to obtain a commitment from the Spanish government over the use of funds by the first half of next year.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:51 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
30. HSBC tax snitch seeks helping hand from French judiciary
Hervé Falciani, the former French-Italian HSBC employee who leaked information about 130,000 tax evaders with accounts at the bank and who was arrested in Barcelona on July 1, has started playing hard ball in his efforts to avoid extradition to Switzerland, where he faces prosecution.
Falciani, who asked Spanish prosecutors to verify that he had cooperated with French authorities, produced a potential ace from up his sleeve and petitioned the High Court to hear the testimony of Éric de Montgolfier. The French prosecutor discovered the information collated by Falciani, which has since allowed the authorities in several European countries to recoup billions of euros in unpaid taxes.
On January 20, 2009, prosecutors in Nice, led by De Montgolfier, ordered a search of Falciani's home in Castellar, where he had taken refuge after being arrested by Swiss authorities. France received a request to seize "a series of stolen data," with no further explanation. What the Swiss judiciary wanted was to recover were the files in Falciani's computer. When the French authorities discovered them, De Montgolfier elected not to hand them over but to open investigations against the list of French tax evaders therein.
Paris sent the information to all the European countries with bilateral financial data treaties. The Spanish tax agency said the names passed on constituted "the biggest regularization process in the history of the Treasury."
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:53 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
31. The solution for Spain is simple: we have to sell more goods abroad
Two years into his mandate as the leader of the country's private sector, CEOE business association president Juan Rosell is cautiously optimistic about the state of the Spanish economy. The Catalan says that the worst is over, but insists that there can be no turning back from the continued unification of the European economy and that an independent Catalonia would mean "another border in Europe: business doesn't like borders."
Question. Do you see any sign of improvement in the economic outlook?
Answer. The economy is flatlining. Reforms have been implemented and the medicine is starting produce results, but we are still seeing few results. The problem is deep-rooted: for years we have failed to grasp the seriousness of the situation and take the necessary remedies, as they did in Germany. This is going to be a bad year for employment, and we will see a rise in joblessness in the public sector. But I hope that now that the major restructuring has taken place, no more jobs will be lost.
Q. Do you blame the previous Socialist Party administration?
A. We're all to blame, because we didn't take the necessary measures, either at central, regional or local level. But these are symptoms to be found in the rest of Europe: the death of industry; lack of competitiveness; lack of innovation; of technology; of patents... Europe is old now, and the continent needs to start anew -- we have to reinvent ourselves, create an economic union: the United States of Europe. But the politicians don't seem to have the will.
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:59 AM
InkAddict (3,387 posts)
32. Son Of Madoff Scandal Figure Kills Self In Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Authorities say the son of Bernard Madoff's longtime accountant, who pleaded guilty to securities fraud in the scandal centered on the financier, committed suicide in central Ohio.
Police say 23-year-old Jeremy Friehling was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Columbus apartment on Thursday. He was a second-year student at Ohio State's medical school...
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 11:06 AM
Roland99 (38,686 posts)
33. 10:05am - US Markets rallying as Fiscal Cliff Clavin fears subside
Dow 12,738 +150 1.19%
Nasdaq 2,894 +40 1.40%
GlobalDow 1,882 +32 1.75%
Gold 1,730 +15 0.89%
Oil 88.80 +1.85 2.13%
Response to Tansy_Gold (Original post)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 02:35 PM
Warpy (94,897 posts)
35. Mmm, dollar down, lots of European bargain hunting going on
However, don't kid yourself, the general trend will be down until after January. Stocks are being pumped with unnecessary layoffs at profitable companies so they can be dumped before the capital gains tax goes up on December 31. Then they all think they're going to pick those stocks back up at rock bottom prices. They might be right. Then again, the economy is still screwy enough that Euorpean investors can throw a spanner into it.
Hold onto your hats, folks, the next couple of months are going to be that first downward hill on the roller coaster.
Response to Warpy (Reply #35)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 07:42 PM
Demeter (85,373 posts)
39. Another Bubble Rising
Not sure where the vig for it is coming from....


text:
About IdentiveIdentive Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:INVE) (Frankfurt:INV) is focused on building the world's signature company in Secure ID. The company's products, software, systems and services address the markets for identity management, physical and logical access control, cashless payment, NFC solutions and a host of RFID-enabled applications for customers in the government, enterprise, consumer, education and healthcare sectors. Identive's mission is to build a lasting business of scale and technology based on a combination of strong technology-driven organic growth and disciplined acquisitive expansion. The company delivers up-to-date information on its activity as well as industry trends through its industry-leading social media initiatives and educational resource, AskIdentive.com. For additional information, please visit www.identive-group.com or follow on Twitter at @IdentiveGroup. Note: Identive and the Identive logo are trademarks of Identive Group, Inc, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. All other company, product or service names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of others and are the property of their respective owners. The Identive Group, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=8072
CONTACT: US: Darby Dye +1 949 553-4251 firstname.lastname@example.com Europe: Lennart Streibel +49 89 9595-5195 email@example.com Hong Kong: Michael Wai +852 3796 7010 firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text: 7 photos $556,000 317.61 acres Mott, ND 58646 - Hettinger County 317 Acres prime hunting/cropland *More information coming soon* LAND FOR SALE 317.61 acres Hettinger County, ND PRICE: $556,000 Property Note: The Chilton Creek meanders thru 317.61+/- acres of ideal pheasant, grouse, turkey, deer, and antelope land in Hettinger County southwest of Mott, ND, the pheasant hunting capital of the North America. The land consisting of a blend of cropland, (presently in CRP), native grass, water, trees and a farmstead, with a two story, repairable house and multiple out buildings. Contact: Alan Butts at 701-400-8858, for more information, or Pifers Auction and Realty at 877-700-4099 for a brochure on the property. Directions: From Mott, ND travel 8 miles west on ND Hwy #21 to ND Hwy #8, the Kevin Pifer Pifer's Auction & Realty


text:
South end of Battery Park - Lower Manhattan, NY
May - August:
Daily - 7:00 PM
Sept - Mid-October:
Daily - 6:30 PM
- Slip back in time with NYC sailing aboard the historic City Clipper, a majestic 158-foot tall ship with masts rising an impressive 120 feet off the deck.
- Bask in the glow of the setting sun as it tucks away behind famed Manhattan attractions like the Statue of Liberty, then marvel at the twinkle of city lights.
- Order a drink from the ship's full-service cash bar, then sit back and relax as you float along the Hudson River.
- This exquisite cruise from New York is great for Big Apple visitors or locals looking to experience the city in a brand new way!
See 'The City That Never Sleeps' from a vantage point that goes entirely unrivaled aboard the NYC Sunset Cruise featuring the city's only tall ship, Clipper City!
Depart from Battery Park, and embark on magical NYC sailing experience you'll remember forever. Leave the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple behind. As the ship makes its way into the waters of the Hudson for a most memorable evening, why not stop by the full-service cash bar? Wet your whistle with a refreshing beer, or toast with a special someone over a tasty cocktail or favorite wine. Then find the perfect place to cozy up on Clipper City's gorgeous deck space.
Watch as the boat's beautiful sails stretch across their impressive 120-foot height to billow in the gentle breeze, floating you past celebrated Manhattan attractions. The NYC Sunset Cruise is second to none when it comes to witnessing day fade to night as the sun sinks slowly behind Lady Liberty. Marvel at the expanse all around you as the sky's dark velvet curtain gradually falls over the city.
Famed skyscrapers wake up in a brand new way as, one by one, their lights join the stars to add a special sparkle to the evening. Go ahead, let the dazzling canvas that spreads before you take your breath away. And take full advantage of the incredible backdrop opportunity, snapping plenty of photos on this memorable NYC sailing outing!
Experience the majesty of Clipper City and the Big Apple with family, friends or a special someone, enjoying one of the most unique things to do in New York. An evening you won't soon forget awaits aboard the NYC Sunset Cruise.
Essential Information:
- The sail is not narrated, however the crew is happy to answer any questions you may have
- Seating is casual, please arrive early for the best seats
- Refreshments available for purchase; beer, wine, soda, mixed drinks and themed cocktails (cash and credit cards are accepted)
2 hour cruise
Maximum Participants:
This experience is shared by a total of 134 passengers.
This is only for those on the cruise.
Weather Dependent:
Sailing is an all weather outdoor experience, and we do sail in light rain. In the event of dangerous sailing conditions, your sail will be rescheduled. Always contact the experience provider with any questions regarding weather conditions.
What to Wear:
Wear comfortable clothing appropriate for weather conditions. The temperature can be cooler out on the water, so dress accordingly. Passengers should wear only soft soled shoes such as sneakers, deck shoes, flip-flops or sandals. Heels and boots can scuff the deck.
Booking Information:
For this experience, it is recommended to request bookings at least 14 days in advance.
Cancellation Policy:
Prior to scheduling/booking a date for this experience, Cloud 9 Living's standard return and exchange policy shall apply. Once you have scheduled a date and received a booking confirmation, no exchanges are allowed. Rescheduling is allowed up to 72 hours prior to the experience for a $10 per person fee payable directly to the experience provider. Failure to appear on your booked date or to reschedule in accordance with these terms will result in the loss of the value of your experience.
Experience ID:
What if it rains?
In the event of a cancellation by the Captain due to severe weather conditions or mechanical failure, customers will be rescheduled at no additional fee.
What time do I need to be there?
Please arrive 30 minutes prior to departure. The boat will not wait for stragglers. Seating is casual. You'll pick a spot on one of the benches, hatch covers, cabin tops, or layout on the beautiful deck.
Are refreshments and food available?
Sandwiches, light fare, beer, wine, soda, mixed drinks and frozen cocktails are available on your sail.
Are gratuties included?
Price does not include gratuity. It is customary to tip the crew if you enjoyed your sail, and please remember to tip your server if you enjoyed your drink.
Other New York Gift Ideas:(View all 132 New York experiences)
- Gift CertificatesFrom: $50.00
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- Learn to FlyAvg Rating of: 5(24)From: $152
- Learn to Fly a Helicopter - Pittstown, NJAvg Rating of: 5(13)From: $350
- Learn to Fly a Helicopter - Westchester, NYAvg Rating of: 5(3)From: $400
- Race a LamborghiniFrom: $338
- Race a FerrariAvg Rating of: 0-half(1)From: $388
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New York
ExperiencesAll New York Experiences
"We sat for 40 minutes (this is not an approximation or exaggeration -- I clocked it) off the shore not moving, with no explanation as why we were there, and then as soon as it was almost at the 2 hour mark we went back and docked. It was listed as a 2 hour tour. And yes, we were on the water/boat for 2 hours -- but otherwise very misleading and frustrating. Book with another tour operator. This was terrible. (Terrible for a paid tour; we were still on the water looking back at NY so the experience itself still had some merit.)"
"It is helpful to see the availability before purchasing an experience. The bartender on the boat was a little rude and not friendly."
"I bought this for my husband's 32 birthday and we both loved the experience. We live here in the city but never get to get out on the water and see the city from the view this boat was able to provide. Though we have both seen the Statue of Liberty, we were in awe of the beauty with the sun setting as its backdrop. We also thought the boat was not to crowded which was nice to be able to sit some and stand/walk around. Towards the end of the ride it got chilly and the boat staff handed out blankets. This was greatly appreciated since it was late June and no one was expecting it to be as cool as it was. Overall the experience was great and highly recommended. "


text:
Shelley von Strunckel's positvity forecast for 2016
How will you shine this year? What skills will you learn? And when can you expect to reach your prime? Shelley von Strunckel offers her cosmic guide to making the next 12 months your most joyful yet
What would Christmas with Kate Moss and the Clooneys be like?
What's Christmas like when you're living in a supermodel's basement? Laura Craik imagines the festivities chez three celebrity couples


text:
Renovated in 2003, this hotel comprises 3 floors with a total of 52 rooms of which 5 are suites. Facilities include an elegant foyer with a 24-hour reception desk, lifts, a caf�, a bar, a TV room, an air-conditioned � la carte restaurant, conference rooms and a public Internet terminal. Room and laundry services are on offer and those arriving by car may take advantage of the hotel car park.
This comfortable hotel is situated in the leisure district of Haro just 1.5 km from the resort centre where guests will discover restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The hotel additionally enjoys excellent links to the public transport network.
The comfortable rooms each come with an en suite bathroom, a hairdryer, a direct dial telephone, satellite/ cable TV, a hi-fi stereo system, Internet access, a minibar, central heating and a hire safe as standard.
There is a swimming pool and a sun terrace with sun loungers laid out ready for use in the outdoor complex.
Guests may select their breakfast from an ample buffet; lunch and the evening meal can be taken � la carte.
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and VISA are all accepted as methods of payment.
Room Facilities:
Direct dial telephone
Satellite cable TV
HiFi stereo system
Internet access
Double bed
King size bed
Central airconditioned
Individual heating


text:
Radamel Falcao is a Colombian striker who plays for Premier League outfit Chelsea FC on loan from parent club AS Monaco and also the Colombia national football team. Having played for several big name clubs in his career including FC Porto, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and AS Monaco, Falcao signed a lucrative one year loan deal with Chelsea in the summer transfer period of 2015. The Colombian star opted for the supposedly cursed number 9 jersey previously worn by Fernando Torres.
Colombian forward Radamel Falcao Garcia Zarate, is known for one thing and that is goals, after top scoring in the UEFA Europa League in both 10/11 & 11/12 as well as winning man of the match in both season's finals for Porto and then Atletico Madrid his side's both won the competition, he has picked up the name King of the Europa League. The Colombian star now plays for French club AS Monaco after signing for the club at the start of the 2013-14 season. A second generation footballer his father Radamel Garcia played as a defender in Colombia, born in Santa Marta, Falcao would play for River Plate in Argentina from 2005-2009 scoring 49 goals in 110 games before heading to Europe.
With great ability with both feet and a powerful header, Falcao started the 12/13 with style, scoring a hat-trick in his second La Liga game of the season and bagging a second in a Madrid shirt, with three more goals in the club's Super Cup win over Chelsea in Monaco. Falcao went on to sign for Monaco in the 2013-14 season then a season long loan with Manchester United for the 2014-15 season, and then onto Premier League counterparts Chelsea FC. He has had less success for the national side, having made his international debut in 2007 in a Colombian national shirt.


text:
2006 Toyota Camry Solara Coupe - Consumer Review
Build Quality
Reliability Value
Build Quality
Reliability Value
Great Value
By Shana on
Vehicle2006 Toyota Camry Solara SE V6 2dr Coupe (3.3L 6cyl 5A)
ReviewI recently test drove the SE V6. I'm rough on my cars, I drive them hard, so when I took it for the test drive I truly worked its performance features. It has a lot of power, the engine offered smooth acceleration, it cornered smooth, but not as well as some of its wider couterparts. All and all I was pleasantly surprised with its power. I test drove several of its "brand name" counterparts, and found that this was a better quality car for the money, and was a great value. My first brand new car, and I'm very happy with my decision.
Best FeaturesI love the steering wheel controls for the radio, makes it safer to drive. Secondly, it has a sleek interior and style, that makes it both fashionable and practical.
Worst FeaturesIt has amazing power, but didn't hold corners as well as some of its counterparts. That being said, I may be hard on my cars, but I'm not a race car driver, so I probably won't be taking crazy corners.
Recommend (0) (0)
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text:
Iowa State 84, Illinois 73
What happened
Illinois battled for more than 32 minutes against No. 4 Iowa State, but the undefeated Cyclones pulled away from the Illini down the stretch.
The Orange and Blue trailed by just three points with 7:35 remaining in the game, as a layup by Michael Finke made it 65-62. But John Groce's squad struggled to create at the offensive end in crunch time, and they allowed some easy looks for their talented opponent.
Malcolm Hill led the Illini with 20 points, while going 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Fellow junior Kendrick Nunn also provided 19 points in just his second game of the season. Illini big man Mike Thorne scored in double figures as well with 10 points, but he left the game at the end of the first half with a leg injury and did not return.
On the other side, Georges Niang led the way with a game-high 23 points. Iowa State point guard Monte Morris had 20 points and Abdel Nader had 18 points as well.
The Illini played about as good of a first half as they could have asked for against a top-five team. Illinois shot 48.5 percent from the field and led the rebounding battle 19-16. The Orange and Blue closed out the half on an 8-1 run, which had them down by just one. But they couldn't sustain the battle for 40 minutes.
Leron Black finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Jalen Coleman-Lands and Michael Finke each had five off the bench. But the Illini did not have a reliable third scoring option in the second half with Thorne on the sidelines.
What it means
The Illini received a huge boost by getting Nunn, Tate and Black back in the rotation. This team showed that they can compete with just about anybody when they are at full strength. Illinois is back to being below .500, but they are a far better team after this trip to Florida. The Illini came up short in this one, but they will have another shot at a quality win against Notre Dame on Wednesday.
What went right
The Illini offense kept them neck and neck with Iowa State for a good chunk of this one. Nunn has been able to provide instant offense since returning to action, and he's looked far better than most expected. Hill has been playing at a high level as well. Many Illinois fans wanted to see this team show toughness and come to play against some quality opponents. They did that during the last two days.
What went wrong
The wheels came off the upset train late in the second half. Iowa State went on a 16-2 run after the Illini were within three points with 7:35 left in the game. The Illinois offense failed to execute in crunch time, and they gave up some easy ones at the other end. Ultimately, Hill and Nunn were not able to carry this team the distance against one of the best in the land.
Star of the game
Georges Niang: The senior forward showed why he is a preseason All-American by leading all scorers and making key plays in the second half. Niang's 23 points and eight rebounds are both season-highs for him.
What's next
The Illini will host Notre Dame (4-1) in the reopening of the State Farm Center on Dec. 2. The Irish took down Iowa on Friday at the AdvoCare Invitational, and they will match up with Alabama on Sunday. Expect "The Farm" to be rocking for Illinois' season debut in Champaign.


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Patagonia - Women's S/S Fore Runner Shirt - Running shirt
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Monday, February 11, 2013
Book Review: The Warlord Of The Air, by Michael Moorcock
This review copy was provided by Titan Books, who just last month re-released this classic novel, originally published in the 70's. Which I think is awesome, since Michael Moorcock is among those writers who stand accused of starting the whole steampunk thing.
The Warlord Of The Air is the story of Oswald Bastable, a man from 1902, who is mysteriously jolted out of his own time, and into the world of the (then) present, 1973. But this isn't the 1973 that we all know and love. Oh no.
The British Empire is still very much intact and alive, and colonialism rampant throughout the world. The atomic bomb has not been developed, nor has heavier than air flight. Instead, the skies are alive with airships, from the luxury liner Loch Etive to the run down old ship, The Rover.
The story is written in the style of H. G. Wells, which is kind of interesting, but it doesn't slip into excessive rambling, as writing of that time period often does. All the nostalgia of the style, none of the annoyances, I would say. H. G. Wells, and other writers of the time, often started a story with the premise of it being a recounting of events - either the story is being told to another character, or the narrator is committing remembered events to paper. The Warlord Of The Air follows this tradition - the narrator of the first chapter is the man who discovers Bastable, after all the events of the story have occurred, and convinces him to tell his story.
Bastable himself is a likable enough character, if naive. He's innocent enough that I could forgive him for being so staunchly supportive of British colonialism, believing the world to which he'd been sent a utopia. While his blind support of the status quo got to be a bit of an eye-roll after a while, when he did finally realize the cruel injustices of colonialism, it was a slow enough transition that it was believable. He's not a stupid character, he just knows what he knows, and a big part of the story is his discovery of the world.
The funny thing was, I realized this story is structured very similarly to The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman, which I disliked quite a bit for being little more than a masterpiece of world-building hung on nearly no plot. The difference between the two though, is the world of The Warlord Of The Air is much more integral to the main character's emotional arc, which kept me much more engaged in the story. William Mandella of The Forever War observes his world in a cold, emotionless way, whereas Bastable describes 1973 with wonder and excitement, and later frustration and despair, and that world - the point of the story - changes him as a person in the end. William Mandella's character is unaffected and unchanged by his experience.
Overall I enjoyed it very much, and I'm glad someone's making sure this classic stays in print. You can pick it up here.
Ten Cylinders.
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Part One: Tides
Chapter One
Two small children crowd into the hut I call my home as I finish demonstrating my latest creation. The hut is full of other citizens of District Four, all gasping at what I have to show them. Other faces that could not find room in my abode can be caught peeking through the windows, and some more are waiting outside. I decided to let the more, influential, people inside first, as I know my new tool will bring more renown to Octavius Industries. At least, that's what I refer it as. Others just call my creations "Another life-changing creation by Octavian" or "The new fad".
The Mayor and his advisors clap as I finish my demonstration. My latest creation sends a sonic pulse through the water, bringing every kind of mobile underwater dweller to the surface to investigate. Once they come to the surface, they become easy pickings for the workers on the top of the water to collect at their leisure. Its not as complicated as my last invention, a fishing bobber that releases artificial mating hormones that affect every kind of fish, or can be programed to only attract a certain species. But I still draw in crowds, so I'm pleased.
"Now, my fellow denizens of the District, I am sure you fine, wealthy, people are already wondering, 'How can I get one of these things?'" A tremulous uproar of laughter comes from the assembled crowd. It wasn't really all that funny, but I suppose they're just trying to suck up to me. Flattery, from the Mayor of all people. Take that Capitol! Your lapdogs are eating out of my hand now.
"I have five of these Pulsars with me right now. Five lucky members of civilization will be leaving with them. May the odds-" I start, knowing the famous line will soon be completed by the crowd. I am not disappointed.
"Be ever in your favor!" They yell at once, and I could swear the glass jug of purified water by my desk begins to crack. I wait until a civilized line forms before me, and I make sure the first five people in it are the managers of the different fishing areas. I hand out five Pulsars, and they are greedily snatched up. I can almost see the Capitolia bills in there eyes. Well, if my face wasn't disguised by its mask of humbleness, I would be sure any psychologically adept person in the crowd could tell I had the crisp, green bills in my eyes too. Luckily for me, I am the only one of those in the District. Maybe even in all of Panem.
The crowds soon go away, small group of people I paid to be here. I receive a few pats on the back as the rest of them leave, congratulating me on my latest invention. I laugh, trade jokes, and try to make merry with a few of my most "devoted" fans. I even see a few wearing the skintight bodysuit I designed a few years ago. I created those after a day of roasting on the beach, and then freezing at night. The bodysuits react to the air temperature, either thickening to protect you from the cold, or thinning its fabric to let the air cool you. I made a pretty penny off of those. I even had Peacemakers coming to buy some.
I wait until all but two people remain. They are about my age, fourteen. The male has sandy blonde hair, a common accurance in District Four. His green eyes look at me, admiration behind them, like always. He is garbed in a long blue robe, with a chestplate carved out of a massive seashell covering most of the robe above his torso.
The female, with long black hair, is garbed in a similar robe, and a similar chestplate. However, she has a very highly illegal sword in a sheathe on her belt. Her blue eyes are scanning the landscape around my hut, which is only a long beach with a few palm trees waving in the evenings breeze. The largest buildings of District Four can be seen looming behind my house, in the area more dominated by rivers and plains.
The two teenagers before me salute me as I go back inside the hut. They place their right hands over their chests, and twist there palms towards me. I nod, and beckon them inside. They know the routine.
Both bring up chairs fashioned from palm wood towards my large desk. I offer them a drink from the jug, which they both decline. The girl smiles, and the boy keeps his stoic face.
"Status report." I say, all joviality disappearing from my voice. I do not have to keep up any facades around these two.
"Two dozen more recruits have enlisted. They come from a community about a mile off of the center of the District. They all seem to know each other, so we are splitting them up into separate groups for training." The boy hands me a portfolio of everything our various agents have discovered on them. "None are Trained, sir."
By trained, I know he means that none of them are what all of Panem refers to as Career Tributes. Careers are children who were raised from birth to enter the sadistic Hunger Games, an ongoing yearly punishment by the Capitol wrought upon us. District Four was the least involved, so we have more influence in the center of power in all of Panem.
"Good. You do well here, Puffer. See to it that never changes." I say, letting the slightest hint of order creep into my voice. He nods.
"And now, my lovely Pearl, production status?" I ask the female.
"Two hundred percent increase in production from our Dens all over the District, sir."
Dens refer to the warehouses controlled by Octavius Industries. The workers are always those who can't work the fisheries, due to either age, criminal backgrounds, or disabilities. They get fed, paid, and are guaranteed a home nearby the Den. As long as they follow the rules, they live pretty easy compared to the other destitute classes of Panem.
"Good, good. And I'm assuming profit has increased as much." I say, curious and unwilling to have failure anywhere close to me.
"Of course, sir. However, a small protest occurred in the Den closest to the Left Ocean, but we had a Peacemaker squad nearby. It was dealt with publicly." Her eyes were hardened by the life she had previously lived as one of the impoverished, but as soon as she joined the Industry, she quickly rose to the top and could support her family. They now lived in a large house in the center of the District, along with Puffer and his siblings.
"Excellent. Any news from the Capitol, Puffer?"
"Yes, sir. One of our agents in the Presidents retinue of Advisors says that in an interview yesterday, he was asked about a certain organization in District Four that had its reach all the way to the Capitol. He denied any knowledge of the group, and said that such a thing would be so terribly illegal, any members of such a thing would be killed, along with the remainder of their family trees." Puffer said, amuzement showing all over his face.
I allow my laughter to fill the hut, and the two infront of me quickly join in. I take a few sips from a glass of water, and again offer them some. They accept. I let the cold, icy water to slide down my throaght, knowing that I was swallowing bags of money. Ice was rare in the District, and was a delicacy. I sold it by the ton to rich families who wanted to flaunt about their wealth. Nowhere in the all of the District was cold enough to freeze water, except for a few Dens by the Right Ocean. They were a very good investment, on my behalf.
"Interesting. Send two pounds of ice cream to Finn to make sure he knows who's really in control here." Finn was the Head Peacemaker of District Four, an incompetent who was only elevated to the position by my removal of any other possible candidates for the post. He made sure I got what I wanted, when I wanted. He overlooked all of my illegal enterprises, like all of my weapon creating Dens. We bribed him with ice cream, because it was a delicacy in the District, both because of the same reason ice was so expensive, and we had to either illegally import the ingredients from other districts, or harvest them ourselves from cattle and sugar farms in the area. Only two of each farms existed in the District, both funded by Octavius Industries.
"As you will, sir." Pearl says, jotting it down in a notepad she keeps in a pouch on her weapon belt. As Head of Production, she makes sure things go where they need to go, when they need to go, and that there is something that goes.
"Dismissed." I say, allowing both of my Lieutenants to leave my hut. They salute, like all members of my Industry, and leave, robes billowing behind them. Pearl turns back to look at me for a moment, like she has something to say. But, after a few seconds, she seems to change her mind about it and keeps on her way.
I make sure both are far away before I lock up my hut for the night. I change out of my formal attire, which I only wear when I have company, and open a secret trapdoor I have under one of my thatched bookshelves. It opens, and I close it as the bookcase returns to its original position, hiding the trapdoor from view. I clap my hands three times, and a higly illegal generator powers everything in my large basement on.
A whole quarter of my basement is taken up by my gym, the place where I make sure I can be ready for anything whenever I need to be. Weapon racks line the walls, and a humanlike shape stands in the middle of it, lifeless. The shape is a practice droid, one of the first robotic creations in all of Panem. I intend to reveal it and its kind to the Mayor next Harvest Day. Ironically, Harvest Day in District Four is always the same day of the Reaping, when all the participants of the Hunger Games are chosen. It has become somewhat of a joke in the District.
I do not want to use the droid, since I am too worn out from the demonstration. I do a few push ups, stretch a bit, and then do a handstand for about ten minutes. The bare minimum for today. I exit the gym the same way I entered, and survey my underground living quarters. Up against one concrete wall is the bedroom, with a small door leading to the bathroom. When building the bedroom, I fought over putting the bathroom in plain sight, as no one but me has ever come down here, but I decided just in case, I shouldn't. You never know, one day I could fall in love.
Like that is ever going to happen. That would mean someone would have emotional power over me, which was something I could never allow. Well, maybe Pearl has some control over me, and whether she knows it or not, I would be quite disturbed is she was hurt.
I walk over to my bed, which is a comfortable water filled mattress, and draw the rare woven sheep's wool blanket over me. The last thought before I have to go to bed rings around in my head for some odd reason not even I know.
The reaping is in two days.


text:
About the Book
Lago di Como is a companion book to the spring 2008 Ciao Bella Tour of northern Italy. There are 120 pages of beautiful photographs of the day trip to Bellagio while staying at the Regina Olga Hotel in Cernobbio.
Features & Details
- Category Travel
Large Format Landscape, 13×11 in, 33×28 cm
118 Pages
- Publish Date Mar 18, 2009
- Tags Take Me to Europe, Martha Norman, Nancy Billingsley Calvert, Ciao Bella Tour 2008, Lake Como, Lago di Como
About the Creator
Moments...Memories...Magique! Camp Magique Ltd. Photography is about the saving of life, capturing memories and preserving the love that goes into every day joys. We are available to photograph, format and deliver your events - the ones you put all your effort into planning. We believe a picture is worth a 1000 words,-but we also believe in the art of the written word -so we collaborate with you by making sure that when the event is over the joy remains pressed between the pages of your very own keepsake book. Our books will linger long after the party is a distant memory. And that is the essence of the magic delivered here at Camp Magique, Ltd. All the best- Nancy Billingsley Calvert Owner
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|Conference papers and proceedings
|Material Type:
|Conference publication
|Document Type:
|All Authors / Contributors:
M Bray; M Ross; G Staples; British Computer Society.; Oracle Corporation.; Triad Computing Systems.; ESPITI (Firm); European Software Institute.
|1860580319 9781860580314
|OCLC Number:
|"Fourth International Conference on Software Quality Management."
Conference held in April 1996 at Queens' College, Cambridge, UK.
"Organised by BCS ; proceedings sponsored by ORACLE ; conference sponsored by TRIAD, ESPITI, ESI European Software Institute."
|557 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
|Part 1 Setting up and maintaining a quality management system: TickIT awards - a winner's perspective; The experience of achieving IS09001/TckIT certification in origin UK; Software quality in a user driven environment. Part 2 Process improvement: relating the SPICE framework and SEI approach to software process assessment; Experiences with the capability maturity model in a research environment; Utilisation of a systemic business process re-engineering method as a tool to improve software process quality; Process improvement: an alternative to BPR for software development organisations; Software process improvement program of Hong Kong; Practical experience in applying a performance improvement management strategy model; Advances and trends in research on the software process; Deming and software - strange bedfellows? Part 3 Product quality: Process and product quality: perpetuating the myth; Specifying software quality with the extended ISO model; Software package certification and its influence on the quality of the process; HAWE: a five step method for metric-based software evaluation and certification; A producer risk index for product release. Part 4 Issues of project management: A framework for project management; Factors affecting the quality of software project management: an empirical study based on the capability maturity model; Configuration management: its role in project quality management; Consistent support for software designers and inspectors. Part 5 Quality planning: Evaluating software quality mechanisms - a snapshot picture; A comparative study of two software companies implementing and maintaining a quality management system; Empirical evaluation of software quality attributes; 'Quality' is in the eye of the beholder; Leap year '92 and the PRIDE initiative; A survey of software quality practice; Organizational planning and process management for object-oriented software reuse. Part 6 Quality metrics: Definition and collection of metrics for comprehensive software measurement; testing by numbers; Metrics for reuse of object-oriented software; Measuring the quality of the development life cycle process. Part 7 Human factors: Application of the Taguchi method for the assessment of human computer interaction; Research progress on process quality management criteria. Part 8 Software development methodologies: Establishing a systems integration process infrastructure; Non-functional requirements in the software development process; requirements engineering - softly seeking a solution; Structure methods: helping software quality or raising problems; Improving the software process with hybrid development models. (Part contents).
|Other Titles:
|Software quality management IV
Software quality management 4
Software quality management four
|editors, M. Bray, M. Ross, G. Staples.


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Dec. 28, 1927 - Mar. 18, 2013
Longtime valley farmer, Ernie Strahm went to be with his Lord on March 18 at the age of 85. Ernie was born to Swiss immigrants Fred and Bertha Strahm in Holtville, CA. He resided in Holtville his entire life. When Ernie was just 10 years old he climbed on a Ford tractor for the first time. His father allowed him to cut the alfalfa that would be used to feed the cows at their dairy. From that moment on he had a love for farming and tractors that remained with him his entire life. On April 29th, 1950 Ernie married his beloved wife of almost 63 years, Esther Watts, also of Holtville. They have four children. Ernie, his brother Walter and their father farmed together until Fred Strahm's passing. Ernie and Walter continued farming with Strahm and Sons until 1981. At that time they each formed their own companies where they each farmed with their sons. Ernie and his three sons formed Ernie Strahm and Sons, where he remained active until recent years. Ernie was active in his community having been a life long member of the Swiss Club of Imperial Valley and of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. He was also active in the Holtville Rotary Club and was a founding member of the Holtville Athletic Club. He had a love for antique tractors and over the years his tractors could be seen on display at the Midwinter Fair or driving down the street at the Holtville Carrot Parade. He was proud to see his grandchildren driving them! Ernie is survived by his beloved wife Esther; his four children, Clifford (Frances), Michael (Margaret), Rodney (Maureen) and Greta (George Stergios); 13 grandchildren Brian, Melissa, Megan, Vincent, Gregory, Katie, Christopher, Keriann, Aimee, Shelli, Christopher, Kalli and Lorna, along with spouses, and 26 great- grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother and sisters, Ruth Fudge, Walter Strahm and Maryann Kemp and their families. Ernie was preceded in death by his beloved grandson, Aaron Strahm and his parents. Ernie was lovingly called Chiefy by his grandchildren and his great grandchildren. He will be deeply missed but we are blessed with precious memories! Visitation will be held March 24th, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hems Brothers Mortuary, 1975 S. 4th Ave., El Centro, CA. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., March 25th at St Paul's Lutheran Church, 548 Chestnut Ave., Holtville, CA. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, El Centro, CA. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675. or www. woundedwarriorproject.org. Also, Swiss Club of Imperial Valley, 1585 E Worthington Rd, Holtville, CA 92250, City of Hope, 1055 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017, or to
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