text:
I feel better already. =)
p/s: This bumper sticker thingy
is so bloody addictive lah!
Looks like your job is really stressing you out.
Happy Easter though!
everybody dies..... :) thats comforting to know... :) lets start to spread love and joy before its too late.
ATTN: yung .
– Ya lor. =(
ATTN: sheon
– Haha. Yeah, we all die... eventually. =p
i saw ur face in cleo's mac issue!
looking great =)
ATTN: krizelda
– Gosh! It's out?? *blush*
OOoo...someone is in cleo?
now now, isn't that something to die for?
what job you working?
– NOOOOO! You didn't hear anything. You didn't see anything. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
ATTN: David Chew
– Huh? Why? I'm a Copywriter. Why why?
An advertising team is working very late at night on a project due the next morning. Suddenly, a Genie appears before them and offers to each of them one wish.
The copywriter says: "I've always dreamed of writing the great American novel and having my work studied in schools across the land. I'd like to go to a tropical island where I can concentrate and write my masterpiece."
The Genie says, "No problem!" and poof! The copywriter is gone.
The art director says: "I want to create a painting so beautiful that it would hang in the Louvre Museum in Paris for all the world to admire. I want to go to the French countryside to work on my painting."
The Genie says, "Your wish is granted!" and poof! The art director is gone.
The Genie then turns to the account executive and says, "And what is your wish?"
The account executive says, "I want those two assholes back here right now."
Work, overwhelming? If you do really enjoy your job, you just wont really feel the pressure. I usually spend extra hours (sometimes up to 2am in my office) to explore something that excites me.....me just so love my job....=)
But make sure you get enough sleep also la....cos the body needs to rest also mah..otherwise cannot perform properly the next day...
And PheeWeet...Pam became part time model wor? Haha....Bravo...Me go borrow one and have a look....Haha =)
luxen: good one.
adrian: yeah man.....love my job; when i was working as a member from the bottom of the food-chain in my first job, i clocked in at least 14hrs/day, no OT no benefits..no qualms.........until the day my boss paid me rm50 for bonus. i told myself, 'i need to work myself up the foodchain...and still be enjoying the life of a construction worker'... and TA-DAAA!! here i am, still working 10-12hours a day, but enjoying EXTRA benefits, EXTRA payouts, EXTRA incentives.... ehehehehehehe......i love my job.
Yea right... u're going to die...
If they trying to get rid of you... Just bring out ur immunity idol... alrite.. catch u on next episode of 'survivor'...
pam, you know what?...i think you would be perfect for a something like the 8TV-quickie....you have the looks (no doubt), talent, and the camera loves you... have you tried it out before?
ATTN: luxen
– HAHAHAHA. I've heard this one in a different context before but... same same lah the ending. Haha. I will definitely let the AE have the first go at wishing, man. Haha. If kena call back... so pantang only. Haha.
ATTN: adrian
– Well, it's not about having a LOT of work. It's having deadlines that I can't meet. If it's like I can work as late as I want to finish everything, then it's okay. Here, everything needs to be rushed out before a certain time! So in the end, I get flustered and I dun have time to really think about what I'm doing. Just go auto pilot already.
Ish. Can you guys all just forget the CLEO story? *shy*
ATTN: sheon
– Haha. I like the part of your story where you go 'EXTRA' this, 'EXTRA' that. =p I want EXTRA, too!!!
ATTN: JiaHauR
– I'm a survivor, I'm gonna make it!!!
ATTN: sheon
– Not so easy to get into that kind of industry wan, I think. I wouldn't mind trying it out for kicks but I dunno if doing that for real will be as 'nice' as the picture paints. But that wan, I guess you have to be in it for awhile before you know lah.
i like extras too... hhehehe
ATTN: sheon
– Dang. I need to work on a way for me to get my EXTRA already also lahhhh.
Sheon: hihi...that is when passion plays a role in your job. And usually when it comes to the weekly presentation to my bosses, me just so uptuned! Eventually all the EXTRAS (awards, stock option, promotion, increment) will tail you....even admirers heh! Hahaha...=))) Get Going Bro!
Pamie: How about prioritizing? Means that you come out with a schedule of all the tasks with an estimation of completion time and discuss it with your boss. And the benefits are:-
1. It helps you to track and prioritize your tasks for the week.
2. It gives a good impression to your boss that you are a good planner and a goal oriented person.
3. Less stress out as you have ample time for creativity and assuredly you will be able to produce better results...
OOooo..about the CLEO....Pretty girl we guys must go and see la...*Me pretend dunno* Hahaha =P
No wonder you asked me whether am I a copy fan! XDDDDD
ATTN: adrian
– Haha. I see that Mr Sheon got the 'hihi' from you. Haha.
And I DO prioritize. But prioritizing doesn't give me MORE time. It just shows me: "Oh, hey, Pam. Look at that! You have 10 jobs to be finished in 8 hours. Poor thing. You're screwed."
My jobs for the week are already tracked. We have a traffic manager. The problem is that we're heavily understaffed at the mo.
FORGET CLEO!!! Babi!
ATTN: chingy
– Cos you said that you really liked the copy in the IMAX ads ma. So I thought you had a thing for copy also lor. Haha.
eh....which page on cleo ah? sorry pam, i aint wanna miss out on this!
hey, it might be your big break to the idiot box!
ATTN: sheon
– Chei. You all ask me for what wor? I never see also. You all seem to care about this more than me!!!
I faced that before too....too many things to be done with little time given. However whenever I feel that the tasks are up to my nose....I will usually highlite it to my manager and tell him 3 things:-
1. Duration needed for that tasks to be completed.
2. Reason and plan to back up point no (1).
3. What is the impact if we do nothing about it.
And he usually listen to us cos QUALITY WORK is what he wants not quantity....I believe most MNC bosses are professional.
Ooo...I checked out CLEO liao....you are the one with binocular on pg 138 rite.....Okay mah! Nice pose! =)
And you said 'Babi' rite....me belanja you 'char siu' rice when you are back....Wkakaka =P
this is caring mah....... :P how is providing support to your CLEO debut not caring?...huh? huh?.... :P
ATTN: adrian
– I told di lor. No choice. Understaffed and the Suits (Account Executives) already agreed to the client. =( So... Creatives suffer.
WHAT? Binocular!? What talking you? I dunno lah. Dun keep asking me about the pic. Haha. I haven't even seen the magazine, okay... STOP STOP STOP!!!
p/s: I dun like eating pork. Smelly.
ATTN: sheon
– Why care sooooo much?! STOP! Pull handbrake liao, okay!


text:
When I rap, niggas want me to rap again
These niggas wack, when they rap I laugh at them
Their CDs is trash
Give out headaches, shoulda came with aspirin
When I rap, niggas want me to rap again
These niggas wack, when they rap I laugh at them
Their CDs is ass
Toilet seat, shoulda took a crap on them
[Verse 1]
Want to know where the hell I've been?
In the stu' making hits, on the highway trafficking
Back in the lab with Mac again
Hot 97 bars -- we're going back-to-back again
Who said my flow ain't the best?
My Intratec turn foes to vegetables
Y'all dudes ain't thugs, y'all Huxtables
Y'all want me waiting outside your vestibule?
How do you like Mya/Jay-Z?
My .380 get the best of you
Guy, if a nigga survive
I come back with the streetsweeper, hit the rest of you
Yup, I make a mess of you
Closed casket cause your family'll hate the view
Only time y'all fake-ass rappers gonna make it on the tube
When I make y'all make the news
Y'all know I'm making moves
Free money, Oprah money, Free equate the two
Put y'all niggas to sleep
Hope the pastor awake -- he got a brand-new wake to do
I'm the man y'all hate to love
Motherfuckers probably hate me cause
I'm in the lab all night, in the lab all day
That's the shit y'all hate to do
Niggas can't flow like Freezer, go like Free
Get the dough like Freezer
If I take 'em off, leave 'em in the room
Y'all niggas still can't seem to feel to take my shoes
But still I gots to prove
Like M.J., I gots the moves
Balling or dancing -- I go to Fif' crib, get lost in the mansion
Come to my crib, get murdered in the suburbs
Take cash, get blast with the Mossberg
Bag 'em, toe-tag 'em
Then toss 'em in the earth
I'm gonna obey y'all thirst
Since you want another verse cause y'all want me to rap again
Philly Freezer back like Sprite again
Like Sean Paul, y'all gotta give me a light again
But I don't smoke, don't pass the dro to him
Smoke MC's, you could bring me a bowl of them
They're like African slaves to him
I'm a Pilgrim, I'll be happy to bait 'em in
Where's my plate?
MC's get ate, I don't care if there's eight of them
Or eighteen hundred; two pairs of Louis cost eighteen hundred
Free so fly -- that's why your chick always suck me off
And she tell me, "Don't stop, keep coming"
So I keep coming, flow keep coming
Freezer need dough like Phillip Drummond
Y'all my adopted sons like Arnold, Willis
I'm a six series wheeler
Used to be on times with mine but
As of now I'm a retired dealer
But I still fire on niggas
These niggas too sneaky, keep an eye on niggas
Like I said, I smoke MC's
So I get high off niggas
This tune, from Free's mixtape The Calm Before the Storm, does somersaults around perhaps the meme rap idea – how badly you want to hear him rap

subset: commoncrawl


text:
World War Z is Coming!
We've been tipped off today by a reader that Max Brooks' new book is getting some lovin' from Borders .
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is the newest book from comic genius Mel Brooks' son Max. This new work documents first-person accounts of those lucky (?) enough to have survived the Zombie War. Some of the book can be heard right here.
After ordering the book from Evilshop, make sure you check out Borders' interactive quiz: Would You Survive the Zombie War?
Max is also the author of the very informative handbook known as The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. You can order it through the Evilshop too!
Zombies troubling you? Tell us all about it in our forums!
Fearsome Facts
Fearsome Facts – Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
Sir Christopher Lee returned to portray the charismatic count of Transylvania in Hammer's Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) for the first time since taking on the iconic role in 1958's Horror of Dracula – an eight year absence.
And while Lee endured a love/hate relationship playing the Carpathian Count over the years, the actor reluctantly tackled the role a total of 10 times for the Silver Screen. Three of those performances came outside of the purview of Hammer Horror, but this list is dedicated to the first Hammer Dracula sequel to feature the return of Christopher Lee in the lead role.
Now, here are 5 Things You May Not Know About Dracula: Prince of Darkness.
5. Dracula: Speechless
Dialogue never played a crucial part in Christopher Lee's portrayals as Count Dracula, but this film is the epitome of that contentious notion. Lee doesn't utter a single word during Dracula: Prince of Darkness' 90 minutes of run time. In interviews over the years, Lee said that he was so unhappy with his lines that he protested and refused to say them during the filming process. "Because I had read the script and refused to say any of the lines," Lee said in an interview at the University College of Dublin.
However, screenwriter Jimmy Sangster insisted that the original script was written without any dialogue for Dracula. There was even a theory that circulated for a time which postulated that Hammer could not afford Lee's growing salary, so the studio decided to limit the Count's screen time. Did this lead to the demise of Dracula's dialogue? Regardless of whom you want to believe, Dracula is the strong, silent type in Prince of Darkness.
4. Double Duty for Drac
Hammer Film Productions doubled down, so to speak, on the production and post-production aspects of Dracula: Prince of Darkness. First, the studio filmed the vampire flick back-to-back with another project titled Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966). In doing so, Hammer used many of the same sets, actors – including Francis Matthews and Suzan Farmer – and crew members to shoot both motion pictures.
Second, Dracula: Prince of Darkness was featured in a double billing alongside the film The Plague of the Zombies (1966) when it screened in London. Insert cheesy cliche: "Double your pleasure, double your fun with Doublemint Gum."
3. Stunt Double Nearly Drowned
Dracula: Prince of Darkness introduced a new weakness in the wicked baddie, but it nearly cost a stuntman his life. During the film, it was revealed that running water could destroy Dracula. Wait, what? Apparently, leaving the faucets on at night not only prevents frozen pipes, but blood-sucking vampires, too.
All kidding aside, it was during the climactic battle scene in which Christopher Lee's stunt double almost succumb to the icy waters on set. Stuntman Eddie Powell stepped in as the Count during that pivotal moment, as Dracula slipped into the watery grave, but Powell was trapped under the water himself and almost died.
2. Lee Loathed What Hammer Did to Stoker's Character
Christopher Lee's return to Hammer's Dracula franchise was a stroke of genius on the part of producers, but Lee was more than a little reticent when it came to initially voicing his dislike for playing the iconic role. As mentioned above, a lot of speculation swirled around the lack of dialogue given to Lee in the Prince of Darkness script. And if you don't count the opening flashback sequence, which revisits the ending of Horror of Dracula (1958), Count Dracula doesn't appear on screen until the 45-minute mark of the film.
Dracula's lack of character, and presence, began to affect Lee particularly when it came to signing on to play the character in the three films following Prince of Darkness. Indeed, the lack of meaningful character development led to Lee initially turning down Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) and Scars of Dracula (1970). Lee said in countless interviews that he never got to play the real version of Count Dracula created by Bram Stoker, at least via Hammer Studios. This was a true disappointment to the late actor.
But Hammer guilt Lee into taking on the role over and over again, because the studio claimed to have already sold the aforementioned films to the United States with Lee's name attached to the projects. Hammer informed Lee that if he didn't return the company would have to lay off many of their workers. The tactic worked, since Lee was friends with many of the Dracula crew members. Fortunately for fans, Lee kept coming back for blood.
1. Faux Pas
Outside of the character of Dracula only appearing on screen for the last half of the movie, Dracula: Prince of Darkness had even more pressing issues that unfortunately survived all the way to the final cut of the film. One of the most appalling of these occurrences happens during the picture's climatic confrontation. Watch the skies above Dracula and you will see the trail of a jet-engine plane staining the sky.
Another faux pas occurs in this same sequence when Dracula succumbs to the icy waters. Watch closely as the camera's long shot clearly reveals the pivots holding the ice up underneath Chris Lee. Finally, watch the dead girl who is being carried during the opening funeral sequence. She is clearly breathing and quite heavily at that.
Which Dracula: Prince of Darkness moments did you find the most interesting? Were there any obscure facts you would have enjoyed seeing make our list? Sound off on social media!
Carnivore: Werewolf of London Howls on VOD
Joining the ranks of The Curse of the Werewolf, An American Werewolf in London, The Company of Wolves, and Dog Soldiers, Carnivore: Werewolf of London is the latest in a long series of fantastic British werewolf movies. Directed by Knights of the Damned's Simon Wells, the film focuses on a couple trying to save their relationship by taking a vacation in a remote cottage, but rekindling their old flame soon proves to be the least of their worries as they learn that something with lots of fur and lots of teeth is waiting for them in the surrounding woods.
Carnivore: Werewolf of London stars Ben Loyd-Holmes, Atlanta Johnson, Gregory Cox, Molly Ruskin, and Ethan Ruskin, and is available to purchase now on Google Play, Amazon Video, iTunes, and Vudu, although it doesn't appear to have received a physical release as of yet.
More information about Carnivore: Werewolf of London is available on the film's official Facebook account, along with a ton of production photos.
John Carpenter … NOT DEAD!
We currently live in a world of false alarms. Within the last several days we've suffered everything from warnings of doomsday to Rotten Tomatoes accidentally celebrating the passing(!) and career of the very much still alive John Carpenter.
That's right, kids; earlier today RT tweeted, "John Carpenter would have been 70 years old today! We celebrate his birthday by looking back at his five favorite films." The tweet… has since been deleted.
We are here to tell you… John is very much alive! Alive and well, even. Carpenter himself responded on Twitter by alerting the site that "despite how it appears, I'm actually not dead."
This is great news indeed. One of horror's best and brightest is still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Now then, let's take this time to celebrate the man's birthday PROPERLY by talking about our favorite films of his. Speaking personally for myself…
Prince of Darkness is a movie that both unnerves and scares the hell out of me. One of Carpenter's most thought-provoking works is just as frightening now as it was when we first received that grainy transmission as a dream from the year…
Tell us your favorite Carpenter movie in our comments section below.
…and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN!
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text:
Remarks of Commissioner Harold J. Creel, Jr.
United States House of Representatives, April 9, 1997
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for
the opportunity to appear before you to present the President's
fiscal year 1998 budget for the Federal Maritime Commission.
I would like to begin by reminding the Subcommittee that over
the last two fiscal years, the Federal Maritime Commission
sustained significant cuts in funding, reductions of almost 25
percent from our FY 1995 budget. Through a series of extraordinary
cost-cutting efforts, we have been able to continue to carry out
our statutory functions at these reduced budgetary levels. Indeed,
by being a "leaner" and "wiser" FMC, in the words of recent press
reports, we have achieved a number of important objectives and
successes in the past year. However, I must inform the
Subcommittee that all discretionary costs have been wrung from the
agency, and that continued paring of our budget will cripple the
Commission, disabling it from administering the important functions
and programs entrusted to it by Congress.
The President's budget for the Commission provides $14,300,000
for fiscal year 1998. While this represents an increase of
$300,000 over our FY 1997 appropriation, it is solely to fund
required annual salary and benefit adjustments for federal workers.
In fact, our proposed FY 1998 budget is a $536,000 reduction from
our FY 1996 appropriation, and represents a cut of almost
$4,000,000, or nearly 25%, from our FY 1995 level. Official travel
has been straightlined at the 1996 and 1997 levels, and represents
a reduction of almost 50% from 1995. Administrative expenses
likewise have been held at the low levels set for 1997, and in some
cases actually reduced, e.g., we have eliminated all funding for
computers, other equipment, and furniture, and further reduced
funding for training and supplies. While we have reduced personnel
costs by eliminating all funding for promotions and performance and
incentive awards, overall personnel costs have risen somewhat due
to factors outside our control (i.e., annual salary and benefits
adjustments). The number of FTEs we are able to fund has continued
to decline -- our current staffing level of 142 is our lowest since
the Commission's first full year of operation over 35 years ago.
The Commission's budget contains no discretionary spending.
It is composed entirely of mandatory or essential expenses such as
salaries and benefits, rent and guard services, health service and
accounting services, telephone and other communications costs,
supplies, mandatory training, and printing and reproduction costs.
These items all represent the basic expenses any organization faces
in order to conduct day-to-day operations.
The FY 1998 budget request must be viewed in the context of
the many cost-cutting actions already taken by the Commission in
the recent past to meet reduced appropriations. In FY 1994, the
Commission was appropriated $18,900,000 and was authorized 225
FTEs; at that level, we were adequately accomplishing our statutory
mandates. In FY 1995, the Commission's appropriation was reduced
by almost $400,000; we closed a number of field offices, conducted
a reduction in force, absorbed significant attrition, and divested
ourselves of most field office rental space and our hearing room
and other space in headquarters. In FY 1996, our appropriation was
reduced to just $14,836,000, a 20% reduction from the FY 1995
level; we closed our remaining field offices, absorbed further
attrition, eliminated more headquarters space, cut travel to FY
1995 levels, eliminated performance and incentive awards, reduced
ATFI service levels, and initiated a virtual freeze on hiring. In
FY 1997, with an appropriation of $14,000,000 (a 25% reduction from
our FY 1995 level), we continued what is effectively a hiring
freeze, absorbed attrition, further reduced ATFI service levels,
continued the freeze on performance and incentive awards, reduced
funding for training and supplies, eliminated positions (including
a position in the Office of the Chairman), and eliminated funding
for furniture and equipment. All of these actions were taken while
the Commission retained its full array of statutory
The proposed 1998 budget would require that the Commission
further reduce its funded FTE level from 147 FTEs in FY 1997 to
about 143 FTEs in FY 1998. The Commission is already at a "bare
bones" FTE level. To illustrate this problem, ten years ago our
Office of General Counsel had twelve attorneys; today, after
absorbing significant attrition, that Office has a legal staff of
just five. As another example, just five years ago the
Commission's Chairman had a staff of seven; today, I have a staff
of just two, and one of those two is on detail from another office
in the agency. Further cuts, given the non-discretionary nature
of our spending, would force the further elimination of valuable
employees whom we simply cannot afford to lose. At present, the
Commission has 142 employees on board, down from 231 employees five
years ago, and nearly 350 fifteen years ago.
Despite the tremendous impact of attrition, the Commission is
accomplishing its statutory responsibilities, albeit at a reduced
level. Our cost-cutting measures have helped, as have various
efficiencies we have introduced. For example, the Commission now
has a homepage on the Internet which provides immediate public
access to agency-specific information, much of which we previously
were required to furnish telephonically. Our homepage also
includes Commission decisions, Congressional testimony, and agency
forms which formerly were available only in paper format through
the mail. This has partially alleviated the need for remaining
staff to take time away from important agency work to respond to
routine inquiries. When inquiries do arrive telephonically or by
mail, we often are able to respond via e-mail, saving mailing costs
and time. Additionally, we formerly mailed a copy of our biannual
anti-rebating certification form to every regulated entity required
to file. Access to this form on the homepage has eliminated this
time-consuming and expensive method of distributing information.
Our area representatives in the field are available to regulated
entities and the public via e-mail, fax and cellular phone. Their
numbers and addresses are published on our homepage, making them
more accessible, especially when traveling, than ever before.
The Commission continues to search for the most efficient
means of carrying out its statutory functions. As you recall, we
worked with your Subcommittee last fiscal year in downsizing our
field operations. Two years ago, the Commission had 37 field
personnel in seven district offices. Since June, 1996, field
activities have been the responsibility of four individuals serving
as area representatives in Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, and New
Orleans, as well as personnel in Washington, DC who have
responsibility for the New York area and for geographic areas not
otherwise covered by the local area representatives. The area
representatives are equipped with the latest telecommunications and
computer capabilities and have access to data bases and information
systems which allow them to conduct field activity and be in
contact with FMC headquarters and the public at all times.
While we are pleased with the exceptional reception of the
public to our area representatives and the fine work they are
performing, we are experiencing frustration because we are not able
to respond effectively to every request for assistance. Of
necessity, we must be very selective in the use of our resources
and, at times, this selectivity may be perceived as bureaucratic
inattention or lack of concern. This certainly is not the fact.
I can assure you that we are making every effort to carry out our
statutory responsibilities to the best of our abilities within
budgetary constraints.
The Commission continues to be responsible for ensuring a fair
system of oceanborne transportation for the benefit of U.S.
exporters and importers, and protecting U.S. trades from unfair
foreign shipping practices. The industry the Commission oversees
transported 13.3 million containerloads of imports and exports in
1996, with an estimated value of greater than $440 billion. I
would like to highlight some of the Commission's most significant
activities to give you a better understanding of how we approach
our mission.
One of the most important responsibilities vested in the
Commission is its duty to protect U.S. oceanborne trade and U.S.
carriers from discriminatory or unfavorable treatment by foreign
governments. The Commission has used section 19 of the Merchant
Marine Act, 1920, and the Foreign Shipping Practices Act of 1988,
to force foreign governments to abandon protectionist policies and
to open maritime markets to U.S. companies.
In recent years, the Commission has used its authority to
address foreign government trade restrictions so as to: break down
discriminatory barriers in the freight forwarding and consolidation
sector in Korea; open up container leasing, handling, and agency
services in Taiwan; and permit branch office, trucking, feeder
vessel, and container yard operations in China. It also has been
successful in combating cargo reservation schemes in Peru and
Ecuador. In addition, in cases where there has been no formal
Commission action such as last year's dispute over logistics
services in China, we understand that the ever-present threat of
FMC sanctions makes it far easier for the Administration to extract
market-opening concessions in its negotiations. The Commission's
status as an independent agency has been vital in enabling it to
effectuate swift and effective action.
The Commission's efforts to combat restrictive practices are
ongoing. Most recently, on February 26, 1997, the Commission
issued a final rule imposing fees of $100,000 per voyage on
Japanese liner operators, effective April 14, 1997, in response to
unfavorable practices in Japanese ports. The Commission found a
series of restrictive conditions involving the dominance of the
harbor services industry in Japan by the Japan Harbor
Transportation Association ("JHTA"), an association of Japanese
waterfront employers. The Commission also found unfavorable
conditions with regard to the Government of Japan's licensing
requirement for terminal operators and stevedoring companies, which
blocks new entrants from entering into those industries in Japan
and ensures that the stevedoring market remains entirely Japanese.
Because of the restrictive licensing requirement, U.S. carriers
cannot perform stevedoring or terminal operating services for
themselves or third parties in Japan, forcing them to submit their
shoreside operations to JHTA control. In contrast, Japanese
carriers (or their related companies or subsidiaries) freely
perform stevedoring and terminal operating services in the United
States. There has been enormous interest in the Commission's
action with respect to Japan, and press coverage, both
international and domestic, has been extensive. This coverage
includes a front page article in the March 31, 1997, edition of The
Washington Post describing the Commission's efforts. The
Commission is hopeful that decisive action by the Government of
Japan will bring about meaningful and comprehensive reforms in its
port services market.
In addition to Japanese port practices, the Commission also is
investigating and monitoring conditions in Brazil and elsewhere in
Latin America. The Commission is concerned that U.S. carriers may
be placed at a competitive disadvantage by the imposition of
discriminatory fees, and by restrictions on warehouse operations
and "cross-trading" -- i.e., the ability of U.S. carriers to carry
cargo between two foreign countries.
The Commission also has serious concerns about the developing
maritime policies of the People's Republic of China. The Chinese
government recently began implementing strict new rate filing and
regulation rules, through the newly founded "Shanghai Shipping
Exchange," on shipping lines in the non-U.S. trades. We are
concerned that the Chinese government may try to spread this
non-market-oriented approach to shipping regulation to the China-U.S.
trades. Furthermore, we find it troubling that rates charged by
U.S. operators might be subject to review and disapproval by the
same Chinese government agency that owns and operates the China
Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), one of the world's largest and
fastest growing liner companies. We intend to use all available
resources to ensure that Chinese practices do not have a
discriminatory or destabilizing effect on U.S. shipping and
Additional functions performed by the Commission include
ensuring that cruise vessel operators have sufficient resources to
pay judgments to passengers for personal injury or death or for
nonperformance of a voyage pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of P.L. 89-777,
licensing ocean freight forwarders under section 19 of the
1984 Act, and bonding NVOCC middlemen to protect customers using
their services. The Commission also provides an expeditious and
inexpensive forum for the resolution of disputes between private
parties involved in ocean transportation. A substantial number of
such complaints have been filed with and resolved by the
Commission. The Commission also provides informal procedures for
the resolution of disputes. The Commission's processes have
provided a more affordable and expeditious means of allowing small
shippers to obtain relief than would filing lawsuits. Further, the
Commission's ombudsman mediates maritime disputes on behalf of the
public, thereby saving them the costs of litigation.
The Commission also has continued investigative and
enforcement activities with respect to its other statutorily-mandated
responsibilities. This includes prosecutions for various
types of fraud against consumers, misdescriptions or
misdeclarations of cargo, illegal or unfiled agreements, anti-competitive
abuses of antitrust immunity, unlicensed freight
forwarding, untariffed cargo carriage and illegal kickbacks, and
unbonded NVOCC and passenger vessel operations. In most instances,
voluntary compliance is achieved in these areas without the
necessity of formal adjudicatory or assessment proceedings. The
location of our area representatives in the offices of U.S. Customs
has greatly enhanced the cooperation of our two agencies in
combating all types of malpractice activity.
Mr. Chairman, with the recent introduction of S. 414, Congress
has once again embarked on an effort to improve our method of
regulating the ocean shipping industry. The Commission fully
supports this objective, and will work with Congress to achieve the
best possible system. However, such legislation has not yet been
enacted, and even if passed immediately would make no changes to
the Commission's programs until well into FY 1998. If enacted
later this year, that timetable could be pushed back until beyond
the end of the next fiscal year. Until the Commission's duties are
substantively amended, however, the Commission must be permitted to
do the job that Congress has entrusted to it, under the laws
currently in force. In our opinion, the best way to effect change
is to make substantive improvements first, then tailor funding to
enable the agency to perform functions as crafted by any new
legislation. Shuttering or paralyzing the agency through funding
cuts will not generate balanced deregulation, but rather will
create an uncertain and chaotic climate for U.S. businesses and
oceanborne trade.
The Commission needs its entire fiscal year 1998 budget
request in order to effectively fulfill its many statutory duties.
The Commission remains charged with its full panoply of functions
and programs, as dictated by our statutes. If Congress ultimately
determines to revise some of the FMC's functions and programs, then
of course it would make sense to adjust the agency's budget
accordingly. But any deregulation of the maritime industry should
flow from amending the shipping laws, not from cutting the funding
of the agency responsible for enforcing them. Our latest
projections indicate that even a small reduction in our budget,
given the non-discretionary nature of our expenses, could require
furloughs for the entire staff, and could force us to separate a
number of valuable employees. This would have devastating effects
on our efforts and our standing to combat restrictive foreign
shipping practices and to perform our other essential functions.
I am particularly concerned about the signal this would send to
certain of our trading partners.
Mr. Chairman, I hope I have adequately expressed the
importance of the work of the FMC, and I respectfully request
favorable consideration of the President's budget so that the FMC
may continue to perform our statutory functions in fiscal year 1998
without further reductions in effectiveness.
This site is an official U.S. Government Website


text:
Got a brand new laptop with a
reasonably super-duper spec running under Vista.
Loaded Zone Alarm Security Suite on recommendation in preference to Norton (too interfering) and the trial Macafee provided.
Also took Forcefield as it seemed like
useful additional security for twenty quid.
ZASS is working
fine but, as soon as I activate ZAFF, IE will not load ... I just get
an empty window which hangs until it becomes "not reponding".
I have amended the ZASS program controls so that everything ZAFF is fully enabled but no change.
I have also tried loading the latest ZAFF Beta
version but also without any change.
Seemed like a good idea ta the time
... any guidance please!!!!
Operating System:Windows Vista Ultimate
Product Name:Other ZoneAlarm Product


text:
If you are in preterm labor or think you may be, your doctor may do some tests to monitor you and your baby. These tests include:
- Lab tests—These may involve testing blood, urine, and cells from the cervix or amniotic fluid to look for infection.
Ultrasound—This test uses sound waves to create images of the inside of your body. In this case, the ultrasound is done to:
- Examine the placenta
- Check the baby's age
- Look for birth defects in the baby
- See the position of the baby
- Measure the cervix and the amount of amniotic fluid
- Amniocentesis —This test involves removing a small amount of amniotic fluid to look for infection or to see if the baby's lungs are mature.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael Woods, MD, FAAP
- Review Date: 03/2017 -
- Update Date: 03/09/2016 -


text:
Aedes aegypti is a 1/4-inch black and white mosquito, more commonly found in the southeastern United States than in California. It typically bites during the day and can potentially transmit several viruses, including yellow fever.
The goal is to get rid of eggs in containers that can hold water, such as saucers, buckets, jars, and pots, the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District said.
The Aedes aegypti species can survive as eggs in dry containers over the winter, then hatch as temperatures warm in the spring, according to the district.
Officials said the eggs may be destroyed by scrubbing with bleach or another household cleaner; adding sand to the container; or drilling holes in the bottom of the container to prevent water build-up.
Yellow fever and other illnesses associated with the mosquito have not been reported in California to date.
"While the current risk of disease transmission from this mosquito remains low, it's important to make every effort to eradicate this population and prevent the possibility of any future disease transmission," Dr. Scott Morrow, county health officer, said in a press release.
"The public can help by surveying around their house and neighborhood and eliminate even the smallest amount of standing water, since these mosquitoes lay eggs in water, just above the water line."
Three adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and 14 larvae have been trapped in Menlo Park since late August, according to the Mosquito and Vector Control District, suggesting that the invasive species is attempting to establish itself in the area.
Inspectors have searched more than 1,000 homes, collecting 246 larvae samples. Yellow fever mosquito eggs were found at four additional locations after the first egg was found on Aug. 23 at Holy Cross Cemetery off Santa Cruz Avenue.
Call the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District at 344-8592 to schedule an inspection.
This story contains 358 words.
Stories older than 90 days are available only to subscribing members. Please help sustain quality local journalism by becoming a subscribing member today.
If you are already a subscriber, please log in so you can continue to enjoy unlimited access to stories and archives. Subscriptions start at $5 per month and may be cancelled at any time.


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, December 20, 2012, 4:29 PM
Town Square
Arrillaga protest gathers signatures in Menlo
Original post made on Dec 21, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, December 20, 2012, 4:29 PM
Comments (29)
a resident of Downtown North
on Dec 21, 2012 at 10:40 am
I am with Menlo Park, where do we sign. Traffic is so bad going north on alma into Menlo Park now, it will only get worse
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 21, 2012 at 10:45 am
Menlo Park makes a choice to keep the traffic slow on El Camino. Timing the lights so that one stops at most of them. They have chosen similar traffic limitations on Willow road. So it is not clear what new impact the development will have. Perhaps by retiming the lights they will make traffic better.
a resident of Menlo Park
on Dec 21, 2012 at 10:46 am
Traffic, yes, obviously a problem, but haven't we been waiting for a decade or more to finally get the blighted empty lots redeveloped along El Camino Real in Menlo Park? It's long overdue.
a resident of Menlo Park
on Dec 21, 2012 at 10:53 am
The traffic is really horrible. Trying going from the border of Menlo Park (Valparaiso) to the Sand Hill Road turnoff into Palo Alto, it will take you 20 minutes. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.] How many empty buildings and lots on the railroad side of El Camino? Straight up ghetto, thanks to Stanford and whoever is in charge of Menlo Park. So not an easy decision.
a resident of Barron Park
on Dec 21, 2012 at 10:57 am
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.] Lets stop Arrillaga now
a resident of Downtown North
on Dec 21, 2012 at 11:00 am
Developers should be developing in San Jose or San Francisco where it is environmentally reasonable to add height and density. Turning the corridor between these two major cities into one giant row of development will be an environmental disaster, good only for the pockets of the developers and bad for residents who don't want to live in a large crowded spread out metropolis. If we limit developments to small appropriate sizes (2 stories) it lessons the pressure to build more housing, roads, schools and other infrastructure and preserves the quality of life that we have now. The only people who benefit from these massive developments being proposed in Menlo Park and Palo Alto are the developers and their employees not the cities or their residents.
a resident of Los Altos Hills
on Dec 21, 2012 at 11:08 am
hello folks.. look how trashy that whole area looks.. would you rather have nice new buildings or abandoned ugly buildings...
I agree the lights are timed so poorly that is why the traffic is so slow through that area.
a resident of Palo Verde
on Dec 21, 2012 at 11:19 am
I live in Palo Alto but shop in Menlo Park. Having empty buildings on El Camino is a waste of valuable space and degrades the overall community. Same all the way through all cities. Question on the table is what is the tax package that is being floated for this development. If staged as medical or Stanford sponsored it could be classified as tax exempt which provides limited value to the city tax base. Suggest that the classification of tax status be part of the overall evaluation so the true benefit to the city can be evaluated.
a resident of Downtown North
on Dec 21, 2012 at 11:23 am
Why doesn't Menlo Park try to convince him to build housing for the increasing number of folks commuting to Menlo Park/Palo Alto/Stanford as a consequence of the hospital/shopping center/buisness expansion going on? That would help the environment (reduce CO2 emissions) and give workers the option of living close to their jobs. Or commute by train up and down the Peninsula.
a resident of Palo Verde
on Dec 21, 2012 at 11:31 am
To Slow Traffic Choice: Menlo Park has no jurisdiction with respect to the traffic lights on El Camino Real. That road is a state road and the state has exclusive jurisdiction with respect to traffic control.
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 21, 2012 at 11:33 am
Which are the "Stanford car lots" on ECR? Map please. And btw what other lands does Stanford own around there? Map ditto
a resident of Menlo Park
on Dec 21, 2012 at 11:34 am
My preference would be to have artificial turf soccer fields like the ones at Page Mill and El Camino, but understand the approval of those fields was not an easy process.
I would also like to express my appreciation for everything John Arrillaga has done for the Palo Alto, Stanford and Menlo Park communities. He seems to receive a lot of negative comments in these postings. It is generous families like Arrillaga, Bing and Packard that help make this a great place to live.
a resident of South of Midtown
on Dec 21, 2012 at 12:05 pm
Why would any person with any sense, suggest housing!?! We have already OVER HOUSED Palo Alto and Mtn. View, now people suggest housing for that area in Menlo...DUMB!
Maybe office/retail SET BACK from the street, but no housing.
It may not be the best looking area with the vacant lots, but at least it isn't causing more traffic jams! Look what the idiots had to do on Alma - add a traffic light just after you go through one on E. Meadow!! Now how stupid was that! It wasn't needed when Luckys was there. hmmm, the good ole days!
a resident of South of Midtown
on Dec 21, 2012 at 12:08 pm
@Soccer Dad
I like your idea of a soccer field or sports facility of some kind - I think we have enough kids in the area (thanks to our bountiful housing) to warrant such a facility.
a resident of Downtown North
on Dec 21, 2012 at 12:16 pm
"Why doesn't Menlo Park try to convince him to build housing for the increasing number of folks commuting ... "
How do we ensure that the residents of those proposed warrens work exclusively in the area, instead of commuting by car to their jobs wherever they might be? Consider this: fully half of Palo Alto's working population commutes to jobs elsewhere, which means that "alleviating" our famous jobs-housing imbalance is a meaningless exercise in juggling numbers.
Commute by train? There has never been a survey of people who live near transit hubs to determine what percentage actually commute via transit. (I suspect nobody wants that answer; facts and ideology don't mix.)
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 21, 2012 at 12:23 pm
I can understand the reasons against (may not agree, but understand). But I am not seeing anyone come up with any realistic and commercially viable options instead.
I see one person suggested housing --- but that too would provide more traffic and I would expect more protests.
a resident of South of Midtown
on Dec 21, 2012 at 12:31 pm
@Crescent Park Dad...
So you don't see Soccer Dad's suggestion for a soccer field?
It may not bring an income, but Menlo isn't hurting for money - obviously since that area has been vacant, and absent of rents, for how many years!!
a resident of another community
on Dec 21, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Palo Alto citizens just pushed back the Arrillaga-Stanford mammoth development and Menlo Park should do so as well.
The combination of multi billionaire Arrillaga and multi-multi-billionaire developers at Stanford has made them arrogant and greedy beyond our tolerance.
It seems billionaires are never satisfied. They do some good works and then overwhelm us with huge greedy moneymaking projects.
Naming projects after himself tells us where his heart or rather, ego, is.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 21, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Good, I agree with limiting development everywhere around here ... and particularly in undeveloped areas.
a resident of Menlo Park
on Dec 21, 2012 at 9:29 pm
How about a shuttle station to help move people around ala Marquarite - so we don't all have to take our cars. Bike paths, walking paths from Menlo Park North thru Redwood City to and from the residential areas to the business districts is virtually non existent ! More density - I don't see how this area can handle it without traffic gridlock - honestly !
a resident of Menlo Park
on Dec 22, 2012 at 9:38 am
You can sign the petition at www.savemenlo.org
Some things to consider:
- Traffic: Medical office are the highest car-intensive use - think 20 minute doctor's appointments. One doctor = 24 patients per day. And they are not mitigatable - sick people don't carpool, take the bus, or bike to their doctor's offices.
- Safety: Every year someone gets hit in Menlo Park trying to cross El Camino. And increasingly Allied Arts has cars zipping through it because people detour from El Camino. Menlo Park has wanted to be one city - to have safe crossings from Willow, Linfield, West Menlo - for our kids to go to school or use Burgess park. This enormous megacomplex will irrevocably prevent that.
- No public benefit. Stanford doesn't want to provide any public benefit - no help to pay for the safe crossings of El Camino. Furthermore, Stanford pays no property taxes. So the extra burdens of a medical office - police, fire, water - are all on us tax-payers in Menlo Park.
No one during the Specific Plan ever wanted this enormous size of development of traffic-intensive medical offices on this congested section of El Camino.
a resident of Menlo Park
on Dec 22, 2012 at 10:37 am
I tried to get the city to consider soccer fields for part of that land. Everyone laughed at me "it's too valuable." That kind of greed is the reason that Menlo Park has so many fewer soccer fields -- in fact, less green space overall -- than Palo Alto.
Our situation in Menlo Park vis a vis Arrillaga is not the same as Palo Alto's. The zoning decisions were cemented about six months ago. Some of us tried to push back, knowing well that Stanford would develop to the max allowed, but we were derided as NIMBYs and told that there had been years of public process culminating in this outcome.
Our council, like Palo Alto's, seems to be more closely aligned with rich developers than with residents. I don't know what can be done about that, as I appreciate that our council members are volunteers and are way too easily wowed by the opportunity to rub shoulders (and even have lunch!) with local tycoons.
The main tool we have at our disposal is embarrassing Stanford for its greed. You, Palo Alto, can help support that effort. And it is in your best interests to do so, because if our part of El Camino becomes a parking lot, the negative effects will radiate throughout the area.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 22, 2012 at 11:06 am
John Arrillaga has achieved multiple successful projects that have made a lasting and positive difference in local communities. Work with him and Stanford to constructively reconcile key issues and impacts that stand in the way of moving forward on this development project. One would hope that the focus is on how we get this done together and not on how to turn away from this substantial opportunity to improve the use of this site. And...a side note, the timing of lights on El Camino Real through Menlo Park has been at the heart of the traffic issue there for more years than any of us can count.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 22, 2012 at 6:20 pm
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
You call it an "opportunity to improve the use of this site."
A bare sliver of undeveloped space that has some homeless people near transit. How many 100, 50?
Future if site is developed, per the "opportunity"
thousands of people and cars swarming around, concrete everywhere - another typical downtown anywhere - sell out to developers
thought there were smart people around here
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 22, 2012 at 11:28 pm
So quick to approve Arrillaga's plans, but if a Catholic school wants to expand, make them wait four years for a permit. WTF?
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Dec 23, 2012 at 1:43 pm
To Why Arrillaga - Menlo Park vs. the Palo Alto eternal process. I can't believe a preschool got held up by a handful of neighbors with fence issues. The school has been there for years...
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 23, 2012 at 11:59 pm
> "There has never been a survey of people who live near transit hubs to determine what percentage actually commute via transit. (I suspect nobody wants that answer; facts and ideology don't mix.)"
Palo Alto is going to do a transportation survey. Web Link
I sent an email to relevant staff and to the council suggesting that one or two questions be added to the survey to determine how far the respondent lives from a public transit stop, e.g., a RR station. I have no idea if they'll do this.
There's a theory that people who live in dense "transit-oriented" housing will take public transit, but so far there's no data to support that.
> "Allied Arts has cars zipping through it because people detour from El Camino."
True. Regardless of how the lights are timed, El Camino narrows through Menlo Park from 3 lanes to 2. The obvious way to avoid the traffic jams is to use residential streets. One possibility is to take Middlefield Road. Another is to drive through the neighborhoods between Valparaiso and Cambridge.
Whenever an artery is choked, people will find ways to avoid it and the neighborhoods pay the price. Consider the Arastradero "road diet." It caused traffic on Maybell to increase 24%!
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Dec 26, 2012 at 1:51 pm
i'm going to state something i heard on kgo this morning. it is 100 years for sf muni and they will be providing free ride for a 24 hour period. it was added after this that "unfortunately, muni will be cutting their services due to low ridership!" there is something wrong here, even in a bigger city than palo alto and menlo park has to cut services due to LOW ridership! do people understand that you can't build high density housing with expectation of people not driving and using public transportation. and,keep in mind that sf is convinced along with other cities down the peninsula that dedicating one lane of el camino for buses is a great idea--the grand boulevard... just look at palo alto, reducing lanes that doesn't need to be (it has to be for the money, don't know who or where but it is) not requiring to follow setback rules or height limit because "this is a unique project" phrase spoken through the lips of many city staff and council members over the years. i understand more when my fellow old palo altans has moved away from all this non-sense. palo alto is a micro political playground of the good old boys of washington.
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 26, 2012 at 8:58 pm
I think Muni cut services just for the free ride day: "But though rides will be free Friday, passengers won't exactly get the full Muni experience. Since holiday ridership levels are typically low, Muni is reducing its service to reflect the lack of passengers. Several bus lines will start later in the day and run less frequently Friday, although light-rail, cable car and historic streetcar service will not change. By reducing service on its buses, Muni expects to save about $350,000 over the holiday week."
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text: "This illustrated biography is an efficient and perceptive introduction to [Galileo's] personality and historic scientific achievements. Himself a scientist and author of popular works such as The Sun, Whitehouse writes with empathy for Galileo's impetus to connect with the reading public of his day, which he achieved with the sensational announcements in his 1610 book The Starry Messenger. Interestingly, Whitehouse sees the discovery of Jupiter's moons as a by-product of Galileo's midlife crisis. Successful but not famous, Galileo knew that the telescope could make his name, and he pounced on the opportunity. While the arc of Whitehouse's narrative curves along Galileo's relationships with the powerful of Renaissance Florence and Rome, culminating in his ordeal before the Inquisition, its inclusion of Galileo's family life, by tapping into Dava Sobel's Galileo's Daughter, renders a humanized portrait. Supported by a book design whose elements are colorful, cosmic, and subtle, Whitehouse's volume should prove highly attractive to students and recreational readers of scientific history."Booklist


text:
Hewitt, Matosevic win at San Jose ATP Open
Australian Marinko Matosevic on Tuesday joined Lleyton Hewitt in the second round of the San Jose ATP Open in California.
Seventh-seeded Matosevic beat American Jack Sock 7-6 (7-5) 6-1, while Hewitt recorded a comeback 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win over Slovenia's Blaz Kavcic.
Former world No.1 Hewitt - looking for his first singles title in almost three years and his first hardcourt crown in seven years - faced a break point while trailing 3-6 1-3 before taking control of the second set.
The 31-year-old was again on the ropes soon after, trailing 1-3 and 15-40 down in the deciding set before clawing back to prevail in two hours and 35 minutes.
"It was a tough match. There were a lot of momentum changes throughout the match," Hewitt said.
"He's a tough player and competitor out there. He's had a pretty good start to the year as well.
"It wasn't easy. In the end, I was happy to get through."
Hewitt lost his first two meetings with Kavcic, including a four-set match that lasted almost four hours at the 2012 French Open.
The world No.112, who defeated Andre Agassi in the final of the 2002 San Jose tournament, will face third-seeded Sam Querrey in the second round.
Matosevic will next play Italy's Flavio Cipolla or Alejandro Falla of Colombia.
In other matches, sixth-seeded Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan advanced to the second round, beating qualifier Ryan Sweeting 6-3 6-4 in just over an hour.
Istomin broke Sweeting's serve early in each set and won 86 per cent of his first serves to maintain the advantage.
Canadian Vasek Pospisil knocked off Russian Evgeny Donskoy 7-5 6-1, German Benjamin Becker downed American Ryan Harrison 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-3 and Vasek Pospisil of Canada beat Russia's Evgeny Donskoy 7-5 6-1.
Top seeds Milos Raonic of Canada, John Isner, Querrey and Tommy Haas enjoyed first-round byes.
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Sign up for our daily wrap of the news you need to start your day.


text:
Credit Unions as Landlords May Increase
Credit unions may find themselves increasingly playing the role of landlord, according to a recent Federal Reserve policy statement and a property management firm that serves credit unions.
The Fed released a policy statement April 5 clarifying its position on the rental of residential real estate owned properties. The Fed doesn't have authority over credit unions on the matter, but credit unions may be interested to know the paper ominously stated that "with mortgage delinquency rates remaining stubbornly high, the continued inflow of new real estate owned properties–expected to be millions more over the coming years–will continue to weigh on house prices for some time."
Brent Taggart, senior vice president of client relations for the West Valley, Utah-based Green River Capital, said he thinks his credit union business will grow. The asset management firm currently has four credit union clients through a partnership with the $2.9 billion Mountain America Credit Union. Taggart said that while some housing markets in Arizona, Florida and California have rebounded, others have yet to hit rock bottom.
"If a credit union can hold the assets on its books and collect income from renters, it could be a good strategy in certain markets," he said.
Taggart added that the Obama administration's efforts to rent out foreclosed properties owned by the Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including a $320 million Fannie-owned block of mortgages that investors will be required to rent out, will further encourage the trend.
Keeping members in their homes even if they can't pay the mortgage is consistent with how credit unions serve members differently than banks, and how the nonprofits make decisions that benefit their communities, he said.
Karen Church, president/CEO of the $299 million ELGA Credit Union in Burton, Mich., is a reluctant landlord, and said she hopes to decrease her Flint-area institution's $3 million REO portfolio to $1 million by year end. The credit union currently rents five of its 30 foreclosed properties, primarily to tenants who were already living in the investment properties.
ELGA manages the properties in-house, utilizing a full-time asset manager who oversees all residential assets on the books. Church said rental income covers the costs of owning the real estate, and renters deter vandals. However, due to NCUA regulations, rental income cannot be used to reduce the amount owed on the failed mortgage.
The NCUA "doesn't want credit unions to be in the rental business," she said. The federal regulator would prefer credit unions to "fire sale the properties, take your losses and be done with it," she said. However, given the weak housing market in Flint and the lack of reasonable offers, the NCUA has been flexible with ELGA.
"The sale of properties definitely creates a loss for us, and we have been taking losses to remove them as quickly as we can," she said. "We would gladly take our lumps if someone would just offer us a reasonable amount of money for them."
In a letter to credit unions in December of 2008 on the subject of foreclosed and repossessed assets, Michael Fryzel, who was NCUA's chairman at the time, wrote that such assets "should only be held temporarily and not permanently as an income-producing asset." Fryzel warned credit unions that if they consider leasing a property they can't sell, they must still actively market the foreclosed property for sale even if a tenant is living there.
The $54 million Electric Service Credit Union in Nashville, Tenn. currently rents one of the residential properties on its books. President/CEO Ron Smith said other foreclosures taken over by the credit union were too damaged to rent, but the rental property was in good shape. Rather than take a $50,000 loss liquidating the home, the credit union hired a property manager to rent it instead.
"We have done this for two years and have been very fortunate to have the same renter during that entire time," he said. In fact, the renter recently asked to purchase the home.
"We told them if they keep up their end of the deal, paying rent on time and meeting our minimum qualifications, we'd give them a good deal," he said.
Smith said he hasn't encountered any difficulties from regulators "because it's only one house, and we're avoiding a loss."
California Credit Union league Director of Research and Information Rita Fillingane said she's unaware of any credit unions in California or Nevada that maintain active rental portfolios, but said her department has fielded a few questions over the past few years about renting REOs.
Most credit unions don't have the expertise to deal with rentals, she said, so they are probably more interested in liquidating real estate. Overall, real estate market conditions are improving in California, she said, but there are still pockets where markets are struggling.


text:
First Lady Michelle Obama will return to Chicago to attend the funeral of slain 15-year-old King College Prep High School student, Hadiya Pendleton, the White House confirmed.
Senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, also Chicagoans, will accompany her to the service.
Pendletonhad just finished taking final exams at school on January 29 and was taking shelter from the rain with a group of students in Harsh Park — about one mile from Obama's Southside home — when a gunman jumped a fence and shot at the group. Hadiya, fatally shot in the back, was an "unintentional target," according to authorities.
"This guy, whoever he was, the gunman … you took the light of my life," Hadiya's father, Nathaniel Pendleton, said. "Just look at yourself and just know that you took a bright person, an innocent person, a non-violent person."
A member of her school's drill team, Hadiya recently performed at the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, a moment that Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill) called the "happiest day of [her] young life."
Hadiya's tragic murder has become a a focal point in convergent debates on gun control and gang violence. The First Lady's attendance is likely in response to Chicago community leaders demanding that President Obama address the spiraling violence in the Windy City, and a White House "We The People" petition urging him to attend the funeral.
According to the Chicago Tribune, visitation for Hadiya's is "scheduled for 2 to 9 p.m. Friday in Calahan Funeral Home at 7030 S. Halsted St. On Saturday, the wake continues at 9 a.m. followed by the funeral at 11 a.m. in Greater Harvest Baptist Church, 5141 S. State St."
There is currently a $40,000 reward for any information in Hadiya's death.
Read more http://newsone.com/2189388/michelle-obama-hadiya-pendleton/


text: Any one try this product. I found it poor. I ride in the dark and this just is a very poor product for that. It does say on the inside of the package that it not recommend for night, well if you ride a bike your most likely going to ride at night sometime.


text:
Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.
Morris Products 100-Count Disconnects Wire Connectors
Item # 447115 Model # 12296
Actual is a pack of 100
Product Information
- Heat shrinkable male disconnector
- Manufactured from high-strength brass
- Electro-tin plated for corrosion resistance
- Serrated barrel provides excellent electrical contact and resistance to pull-out forces
- Double crimp extended crimp copper sleeve on barrel provides for multiple crimps resulting in improved electrical contact and pull-out force resistance
|Package Quantity
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|STS-125 Shuttle Mission Imagery
high res (1.3 M) low res (103 K)
|S125-E-009603 (18 May 2009) --- Astronauts John Grunsfeld (left) and Andrew Feustel, both STS-125 mission specialists, participate in the mission's fifth and final session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues to refurbish and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. During the seven-hour and two-minute spacewalk, Grunsfeld and Feustel installed a battery group replacement, removed and replaced a Fine Guidance Sensor and three thermal blankets (NOBL) protecting Hubble's electronics.
Curator: JSC PAO Web Team | Responsible NASA Official: Amiko Kauderer | Updated: 11/13/2012


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At the moment a very skinny silhouette is very fashionable. It tends to suit very slim guys in their late teens and early twenties. Anyone with a bigger build or slightly older will probably not be flattered by it.
What sort of clothes are you having trouble with?
I'd certainly suggest that trousers with a straight cut would probably suit you better than the slim fitting ones that about. Many men with a large torso still have relatively slim legs and it is easy for slim fitting trousers to exaggerate this - you don't want to end up looking like Bender the Robot.
In terms of tailoring, I'd suggest you find things that are more conservatively cut, simply. At the moment, many jackets have a very clean chest coupled with narrow lapels. If you are fairly well muscled this won't flatter you as much as a jacket that has a slightly roomier chest. Similarly, with a broad chest wider lapels will help to keep the jacket looking balanced.
I should stress I'm not advocating jackets are too big across the chest, simply a more traditional English cut. Some suits and jackets, however, are designed so that the line of the chest cuts back smoothly into the shoulder and sleeve; others have just a touch of fullness in the chest (effectively a very slight drape). The difference might not even be one that you notice until you compare and contrast them. Cheaper jackets and suits aren't good at this sort of transition but take a look at suit jackets that have a canvass or half canvass construction and you'll see that some of them will be cut this way. That touch of extra space will round out your build and help the jacket to look balanced.
Finally, have a look at the way others with a similar build dress. Think about Tom Hardy - big guy but looks good. His clothes in Inception are discussed on this site recently. Take a look and take note of the way the clothes are designed to flatter his body shape. The blazer jackets are soft and wide across the chest, but still tailored to give shape to him. The trousers aren't particularly narrow and by today's fashion standards are pretty wide - exactly the sort of cut that gives him balance helps to flatter.


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Jesse Jackson Jr. memorabilia auction
Memorabilia once owned by former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is being auctioned off by the U.S. Marshals after he pleaded guilty in a corruption case. The U.S. Marshals told the Chicago Tribune that money generated from the auction will be used to pay what Jackson Jr. owes the government.
Double-framed and matted Michael Jackson autographed record album titled "They Don't Care About Us."(Photo: Courtesy of Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers)
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more on linkLast known Canadian WWI vet dies at 109
Babcock also served in U.S. Army after the war
By Nicholas K. Geranios - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 18, 2010 21:38:07 EST
SPOKANE, Wash. The oldest Canadian veteran of World War I has died at the age of 109.
John Babcock died Thursday in Spokane, where he has lived since 1932, according to a statement from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
I was deeply saddened to learn today of the death of John Babcock, Canadas last known First World War veteran, Harper said. As a nation, we honor his service and mourn his passing.
Babcock had become a celebrity in recent years, especially in Canada.


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"I'm Here to Finish What We Started"
Volunteers from all over the map including California, Texas, and even as far as New York, traveled out to Boulder to help get out the vote!
Volunteer Doug, a native New Yorker, may have just been through a hurricane, but he's still fired up and ready to go with a smile on his face. He flew out the first flight he could get after Hurricane Sandy to finish what he started in Colorado four years ago:
"The first plane that I could get was Sunday after the storm. I'm from midtown Manhattan and was very lucky among the eight million of my fellow New Yorkers that were hit hard. I came here because I was here for years ago and came back this time to finish what we started."
After you vote today, help get out the vote in your neighborhood.


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Although you may not be interested in doing a triathlon, the three activities – running, cycling and swimming – make for excellent cross-training exercises.
Although you may not be interested in doing a triathlon, the three activities – running, cycling and swimming – make for excellent cross-training exercises. Cross training refers to different aerobic activities that provide essentially the same cardiovascular conditioning benefits. However, integrating three different endurance exercises into your training programs reduces the risk of both physiological and psychological problems, namely overuse injuries and boredom.
While running and cycling both involve the leg muscles, running emphasizes the rear thigh (hamstrings) muscles, whereas cycling emphasizes the front thigh (quadriceps) muscles. Also, running requires weight-bearing exercise from a standing posture, whereas cycling requires weight-supported exercise from a sitting position. These activities are therefore highly compatible and complementary from a muscle-use perspective.
Swimming involves both the upper body and legs, but the majority of propulsive power is produced by the chest, back and arm muscles. Unlike running and cycling, swimming is performed from a horizontal body position, and in a fluid medium. Swimming and cycling eliminate the landing forces and shock absorption associated with running, which further enhances their value as cross-training activities. When the water becomes too cold for swimming, substitute rowing, canoeing or kayaking. Like swimming, these equally beneficial aquatic activities emphasize the upper-body muscles and complement running and cycling.
As a general guideline, I recommend three cross-training sessions a week for beginning exercisers and up to six cross-training sessions a week for more advanced exercisers. For example, a sensible beginning fitness program may feature cycling on Mondays, swimming on Wednesdays, and running on Fridays. A more advanced cross-training schedule may include cycling on Mondays and Thursdays, swimming on Tuesdays and Fridays, and running on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Even though cross training reduces the risk of overuse injuries, I recommend some specific strategies for further enhancing exercise safety.
Running tips
To reduce shock to the feet, legs and lower back, do most of your running on softer surfaces, such as wooded paths, stone dust jogging paths, grassy athletic fields or composition tracks.
Also, invest in well-designed running shoes that fit properly (loose in the toe box and snug in the heel) and provide appropriate motion control. Knowledgeable running shoe store personnel can advise you on the best shoe for your foot type.
Try to run during cooler times of day, and in shaded areas whenever possible. Avoid running on the sides of roads and beaches. These sloped surfaces place uneven stress on feet, legs and hips, which increases injury potential. If you run with a friend, your running pace should permit you to converse in short sentences. If you can't talk, you are running faster than necessary to promote physical fitness.
Cycling tips
Although more expensive than a pair of running shoes, a good bicycle is basically a one-time investment that pays years of health/fitness benefits if used properly and regularly. Most cycle shop owners are expert at selecting the bicycle that best fits your cycling needs and body dimensions. Essential cycling accessories include a well-fitted helmet, water bottle, padded bike shorts, tire pump, spare tubes and (possibly) biking shoes. Be sure to cycle safely, complying with all traffic rules, signs and signals.
If you prefer off-road cycling you will definitely exercise your upper-body muscles along with your legs, and you will typically travel more varied terrain. However, you typically have a higher risk of spills, so learn the ropes from experienced trail riders before venturing into wooded areas by yourself.
Wherever you ride, avoid cycling when it is dim, dark or raining. Dry, daylight riding is definitely more safe and enjoyable.
Swimming tips
Whether you prefer pools, lakes or ocean waters, swim with a partner whenever possible. Also, swimming in shallow (4 to 5 feet) water is always safer than swimming in deep (overhead) water. Swimming parallel to shore makes more sense than swimming out and back in large bodies of water.
Unlike running and cycling, swimmers have several stroke options for exercising in the water. While the crawl stroke is most effective and efficient, periodically interspersing periods of backstroke, breaststroke or sidestroke can make the swimming session more enjoyable by changing the pace, as well as by involving different movement patterns and muscle groups.
Other than a bathing suit, goggles may be your only other investment.
Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., teaches exercise science at Quincy College and consults for the South Shore YMCA.


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So i'm watching some more Warmack last night, as everything I'm hearing points to OG at @9... which I'm cool with. Nothing but a bunch "maybe" prospects this year at the top half...
And man! Maybe it's because it's been a couple months since i watched Chance, but this guy's a fckin' tank out there. Snowman makin' machine!. Conversely Mingo again here looks no match Bama's oline... the dude is gonna get owned in the pros. In fact, Montgomery and Minter look better.
Again, in the pros, Mingo will not:
1) Be playing with his hand in the dirt
2) Be playing strong side end in four and three man fronts
People want to say he's not "strong." The very fact that he had to play with his hand in the dirt (eliminating build-up speed) and didn't get manhandled by guys who are NINETY pounds heavier than him says something. The guy knows how to use his hands, especially when pass rushing.
As a pro, he'll be playing in a two point stance outside of the tackle's outside shoulder and he'll be able to use his speed/explosiveness to keep the tackle on his heels.
I think who is picked with the number 9 depends a ton on if the revis deal goes through and we also get the 13.....but i do agree with you, idzik does not want to bust with a guy like mingo on his first ever pick as gm.....i really want star at the number 9 but starting to lean ur way, i think it might be warmack or cooper....for which i am fine with.
I'd consider Warmack...in the 2nd round maybe.
Warmack/Cooper are going to be BAP when we pick (assuming they are still around) and they will fill a need. Seems like an easy decision to me. I just can't see us reaching for a project at 9. All the DEs Ansah/Jordan/Mingo/Jones are just too iffy for my liking at 9.
In fact, I am starting to like Austin at 9. He has the speed/production you want from a WR.
Cooper over Warmack. If you are looking for the safe pick then OG over OLB.
this is going to be a great necro thread.
that relentless pursuit and so much more with mingo reminds me of aaron maybin
height weight 40 vertical broad
maybin 6-4 246lbs 4.6 40.5 10'9"
mingo 6-4 240lbs 4.58 37 10"07"
why didnt mingo lift weights at the combine or proday or anywhere for that matter???? because he is weak!!!!!
pass on this BUST!!!
and from now on i will refer to him as barkevious maybin
Gholston "dominated" in college. In fact, he has the single season sack record at one of the most prestigious football university's in the country. And if people want to talk about Mingo's production, why does nobody mention he was 2nd in the SEC in overall pressures? Pass rushing means a lot more than pure sack numbers. You're not looking at the whole picture.
And if you want a guy to come in and dominate right away, you either:
A) Should hope the 2013 draft magically turns into the 2012 draft where it was top-heavy with several pro-ready prospects ready to dominate.
B) Want someone like Warmack/Cooper, who while great in their own right, don't play a premium position. (Not that I'm against either of those guys)
C) Hope that Von Miller or Aldon Smith reenter the 2013 draft.
The bottom line is that no college player enters the NFL as a finished product. Out of all the potential top 10 picks, EVERY PLAYER has something you can nitpick.


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Read 845 Aquarium Undergravel Filter Parts reviews, with an average rating of 4.68 out of 5 stars, to help determine which pet products are right for you.
Lee's Undergravel Uplift Tubing Assembly
|Lee's Undergravel Uplift Tubing Assembly contains replacement parts for Lee's Economy and Original Undergravel Aquarium Filters. This set includes an elbow, plate connector, telescoping ring and 1" uplift tube. Replacement uplift tube assembly Fits Lee's Original & Economy Undergravel Filters Telescoping feature allows an additional 2.5" lift
Lee's Fish Saver Elbows
|Lee's Fish Saver Elbows are replacement parts and additions for existing Lee's Under Gravel Filter Systems in aquariums. Fish Saver Elbows will fit Lee's Premium, Original and Economy filters, and any 1" uplift tube. Replacement parts for Lee's Under Gravel Aquarium Filters Fit Lee's Premium, Original & Economy filters, and any 1" uplift tube Protect fish from the filter & vice versa
Lee's Undergravel Filter Plug - 4 Pack
|Lee's Uplift tube knockout plugs. Fits Lee's under-gravel filters. Great for when you switch from an air pump to a power head, or any time you need to remove an uplift tube from your filter plate. Pack of 4 plugs for uplift tube holes. Fits Lee's under-gravel filters For when switching from an air pump to a power head Useful anytime you need to remove an uplift tube from your filter plate The OD of the plug is 1 1/8". This is without opening the manufacturer's packaging.
Undergravel Plate Connectors with T-Ring
|Lee's Undergravel Plate Connectors anchor your Lee's Undergravel Filter firmly to the floor of your aquarium, providing it with the structural integrity and solid foundation to keep it purifying your tank. Multi-level design enhances filter's structural integrity Hard plastic plates resist splitting and cracking Includes T-ring for easy connection Fits Lee's Original and Economy Undergravel Filters only.


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(Reuters) - Ally Financial Inc, the U.S. auto lender that is majority-owned by the U.S. government, is working to repay $5.9 billion in preferred stock owned by the U.S. Treasury "in the near future," Chief Executive Officer Michael Carpenter said on Tuesday.
The preferred stock is part of the $17.2 billion that the government poured into Ally, the former auto lending arm of General Motors Co (GM.N), during a series of crisis-era bailouts. Part of the investment was restructured into a 74 percent common equity stake.
After Ally reported a $1.44 billion fourth-quarter profit, Carpenter told analysts on a conference call that repaying the preferred stock involves talks with the Federal Reserve. The regulator wants to make sure that Ally and other large banks have enough capital to survive a severe economic downturn as part of annual stress tests that are now under way.
After the Treasury sells its remaining stock in automaker GM, Ally will be the largest remaining recipient of bailout dollars. As of February 15, Ally will have paid $5.9 billion to the government, including dividends.
In his bid to repay the Treasury, Carpenter is streamlining the company to focus on U.S. auto lending and Internet banking.
In May, Ally's Residential Capital mortgage unit filed for bankruptcy in an effort to wipe out liabilities from mortgage-backed securities sold to investors during the housing boom. Ally has also struck agreements to sell international operations, which are expected to bring in $9.2 billion in proceeds.
In a report last month, an internal Treasury watchdog said the agency did not have a concrete plan for getting its money back from Ally. The agency responded that it can either sell its stock or sell more Ally assets after the ResCap bankruptcy and the international sales are completed. <ID: nL1N0AZ4C8>
Earlier on Tuesday, Detroit-based Ally said fourth-quarter profit of $1.44 billion was helped by a $1.3 billion tax benefit. In the same period in 2011, it lost $206 million.
Ally said the results include a $46 million loss from ResCap, a $94 million pension expense and a $148 million charge related to an early repayment of debt.
Total revenue at Ally's North American automotive finance unit rose 30 percent to $371 million from a year earlier.
In a sign of increased tensions in ResCap's bankruptcy case, Carpenter said Ally could withdraw a $750 million settlement offer made to creditors last year.
As part of ResCap's bankruptcy filing in May 2012, Ally agreed to make the payment in exchange for a release of any possible claims against the company. But in a letter sent to Ally's board in November, some creditors said the settlement is much less than Ally's actual liability and that the lender could face damages for stripping assets from ResCap.
Ally is "extremely confident that such claims are completely without merit," Carpenter said. The lender hopes for a resolution in "the near term" but "if we have to go the litigation route, we will," he added.
In a letter sent to ResCap's board on Friday and obtained by Reuters, a group of creditors said there is "no support among the creditor constituencies" for the settlement "because the amount is far too low in comparison to the value of the claims that have been and may be asserted against Ally." The group asked the ResCap board to terminate the agreement.
A person close to the creditors said Ally should be paying "billions" to ResCap's creditors.
As part of the bankruptcy, ResCap reached agreements to sell mortgage operations and other assets to Ocwen Financial Corp (OCN.N), Walter Investment Management Corp (WAC.N) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) in an auction last fall. Ocwen's purchase closed last week, and Carpenter said Berkshire would complete its portfolio purchase on Tuesday and Ocwen would finalize its deal this month.
Ally's banking unit is also selling a portfolio of mortgage servicing rights, which Carpenter said has received interest from a number of bidders. Reuters reported last week that Ocwen was in the lead to purchase the portfolio of servicing rights.
Reporting by Anil D'Silva and Tanya Agrawal in Bangalore and Rick Rothacker in Charlotte, N.C.; editing by Supriya Kurane and Matthew Lewis


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MSUFCU Reports Continued Growth
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union in East Lansing, Mich., reports its assets and membership have increased.
The credit union said its assets of $2.48 billion and membership of 175,144 grew 9% and 5%, respectively, from May 31, 2012 to May 31, 2013.
Patrick McPharlin, president/CEO of MCUFCU, attributed the growth to the expansion of branch locations and account services.
The credit union opened two branches in 2012 and third one earlier this year. What's more, MSUFCU's merger with Eaton County Educational CU added a fourth branch in April 2013. Mobile banking services released in the past year also provided members with greater accessibility to their accounts.
The largest of all university-affiliated credit unions also has just announced it will rebrand its operation at Oakland University in suburban Detroit.


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Are you experiencing trouble with your home appliances and live in the Braddyville, IA vicinity? If your having appliance issues, give us a call we are Braddyville's leading appliance repair technicians. We're ready to serve your home or commercial appliance repair and maintenance needs. You don't have to suffer just because your appliances aren't performing as they should. With service from one our Braddyville, IA appliance repair techs, your appliances will be back on the job in no time. Washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, microwaves, ice makers and any of your cooking appliances (both gas and electric) such as ranges, stovetops and ovens—we service them all and do it right the first time. Don't wait; call us today 877-222-4755 so we can keep your appliances in proper working order or return them back to working service. You'll receive outstanding quality service at affordable prices for all your Braddyville appliance repair needs.
Our dishwashers are the workhorses of our kitchens. They do the donkey work of scrubbing and cleaning our cookware and dishes so we can enjoy all the diversions living in Iowa provides us. We take our dishwashers for granted until we notice that our glassware has filmy residue. Or dishes and cookware are still greasy and/or have food clinging to surfaces after we run our dishwasher. These aren't just annoyances; if your dishwasher isn't completely cleaning and sterilizing your cookware and dishes, you could be exposing your loved ones to health risks. Malfunctioning thermostats or timers could prevent your dishwasher from performing proper wash cycles. Faulty floats and float switches can keep wash cycles running on end, amassing expensive monthly utility bills yet still not adequately cleaning your dishes. Whenever you notice that your dishwasher isn't running properly, give us a call. We'll dispatch an skilled Braddyville, IA dishwasher repair tech to your home or business.
We depend on our refrigerators like no other appliance in the kitchen. It keeps foods frozen almost indefinitely and what would we do without ice? More importantly, our refrigerator protects our health by preserving our food at temperatures a few degrees above the freezing point of water. We rely on our refrigerator to hinder bacteria from ruining our food. If you notice your milk turning sour more quickly than normal or your green vegetables becoming soft and brown too soon or the ice in your freezer is soft and still partially liquid, you should call us ASAP to schedule one of our refrigerator repair techs in Braddyville, IA to service your refrigerator-freezer. Components like thermostats, solenoids, compressors, condensers and door seals may need repair or replacement. Whatever the issue may be, we'll quickly solve and fix your refrigerator so it can continue to protect your family's health.
Our washers and dryers not only keep our clothes fresh and clean, they save us time and money so our lives in Braddyville Iowa can be more productive. Should you notice that your washer is leaking, has pronounced agitation or vibration during spin cycles or the wash tub isn't draining properly or your dryer takes much too long to completely dry your clothes, it's the sign of bigger problems to come. Don't forego the convenience of your home's laundry. Give us a call at 877-222-4755 so we can dispatch one of knowledgeable Braddyville, IA appliance techs to diagnose and remedy your washer/dryer issues. We service, repair and replace all components like:
• Water Pumps
• Agitators
• Pulleys and Rollers
• Belts
• Heating Elements
• Motors and Transmissions


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LONDON — What if, on Oct. 2, 2009, in Denmark, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge had said: "Tonight I have the honor to announce that the Games of the 31st Olympiad are awarded to the city of ... Chicago."?
In the nearly three years since, there would have been little tangible evidence of what that announcement meant to Chicago.


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|Subskrybuj ten temat
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Członek od Oct 24, 2011 38 postów
Shawn OConnor (TrendySystem)
Nov 28 2011 at 20:54
hkheredia posted:
Is it still possible to slowly recuperate my account to previous levels despite losing half of it's value without injecting more funds? Forex should only involve risk capital and I don't want to risk anything more as of the moment.
I think 'pulling the trigger like a cowboy' was a result of my desperation to recuperate losses. I did relearn my lesson that this is a business with systems in place not a gambling spree in vegas.
K, so I have read a little bit on this thread and I feel for you cause I have done the same thing many a time since I started trading about 7 years ago. Here's the thing...you have to blow up at least a few accounts. I'm not joking about that either. For whatever reason we cannot seem to learn and control ourselves until we have been broken...completely and utterly dejected and disgusted that we got so greedy and until you feel that feeling deep in your gut...that you can't believe you lost that money and chased after a fast recovery, or gain when you knew the slow road was the only way back...that my friend is the only way to learn.
So, this being said, my advice is open up a live account asap when you think you have a decent trading strategy/system. The key is make sure the real money account is very small. Say a $1,000. That way when you lose it all you don't go into depression.
The first year I started forex in 2004 I lost my real money account after 6 months. Then I had a great account going form 2005-2006 where I consistently withdrew profits and recapped my losses. Then I did the same in 2007-2009...but I then proceeded to get very greedy and cocky and blew up a pretty stinkin big account. That made me sit back on the sidelines for over 1 year and just paper trade. I was completely sick to my stomach that I lost that much of my own money, although the intitial capital investment was pretty small, only $2,000 but the account was fluctuating at about 10-14k depending on my withdraws when I blew it up.
Here's the thing...those tough lessons can either make or break you. Your choice. I'm back trading now, but I feel centered again and I wanna make a 10 year run now without blowing an account up...That's my goal ;)
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Berkshire Community College benefit concert features 'Voice' winner Colon
PITTSFIELD -- No one knew exactly what set Javier Colon and Matt Cusson would be playing going into a fundraiser concert at BCC Friday night -- not even Colon and Cusson.
Longtime friends Colon, season one winner of NBC-TV's "The Voice," and Cusson, a Pittsfield musician and Berkshire Community College alumna, hung out in a backstage dressing room behind BCC's Boland Theatre, eating McDonald's French fries and gabbing about James Taylor's music.
"When we get together, we can kind of be clowns and fly from the seat of our pants," Colon said.
"It's two buddies getting together that play music and have fun," Cusson added. "When we get together, all bets are off. We're just up there having fun."
Though music planning and preparation didn't seem like a priority, the buddies still managed to electrify a crowd of more than 300 for an event that was to raise money for the college foundation's annual fund.
Cusson was the first of the two to perform, playing a keyboard and singing about how he and his fiance, Lisa, left Los Angeles, as well as a song called "Only Human," and another song that Cusson hadn't yet named.
"Call it 'Chevelle,' " called out a female concert-goer toward the front of the stage. Cusson obliged.
Following a 10-minute intermission, Colon joined the stage with Cusson. He jokingly warned of the "silliness that was about to happen" since the two were on stage together again.
Between duets on songs like "Raise Your Hand" and "When," Colon and Cusson riffed with each other.
"You always said you hated the Berkshires," Cusson joked to Colon and the audience.
Colon retorted that the Berkshires was in fact "the most beautiful place on the Earth," and that it's so beautiful that people don't go through break-ups (nobody raised their hand when he asked who in the audience had been through a rough break-up).
Colon also did several solo performances as well, mostly of slower R&B jams and covers including Coldplay's "Fix You."
The band Real Talk, comprised of some BCC students, performed for the audience as they rolled in. The band's drummer, Dylan Benciverga, played despite being sick with the flu.
The benefit's goal was to raise about $10,000 for the college's foundation, according to Jennifer Kerwood, the director of Developmental and Alumni Relations.
She said that plans to get Cusson, who graduated in 1998, to perform at a benefit concert, had been under way for a few years.
"When I learned that he and Javier Colon were really good friends, we were trying to find the perfect scenario to bring them both here," Kerwood said. "We thought it would be a great way to showcase both of them here."
Cusson performs locally as well as nationally on shows like "The View," but still regularly volunteers his time to events at the campus, like the summer workshop Rock On!
"BCC did a lot for me when I was here, and it's the only degree that I have," Cusson said.
Cusson met Colon in Boston about 10 years ago through a mutual friend that did back-up vocals for James Taylor, both of the artists' idol. This was before Colon won the first season of "The Voice."
The hit NBC show is about contestants that sing songs to four coaches -- Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Cee Lo Green of "Forget You" fame and country singer Blake Shelton -- who have their backs turned so they can only judge the performer based on their voice. Colon won under Levine's coaching.
"It gives anyone confidence knowing they'll be judged solely on what you sound like," Colon said. "It keeps the integrity of the competition high. It puts you with the best of the best."
Despite Colon's grand prize of $100,000 and a contract signing for winning "The Voice," Cusson said their friendship "hasn't changed a bit."
To reach Adam Poulisse:
or (413) 496-6214.
On Twitter: @BE_Poulisse
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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I'm not entirely if this is ZA issues or not, but there is a chance in my recent installing of ZA may have messed something up. And what's my problem you ask? Simple yet becoming infuriatingly annoying. Alright, so I'm a writer and I'm writing something for the past month or so and what do I use to check up on my spelling? That's right, dictionary.com. But, I not only use that I some times use to thesaurus it has on the same site. The problem? Dictionary.com loads fine, but every *beep* time (and just as a note I use Firefox, so I open the thesaurus in a new tab) I link to the thesaurus is WON'T LOAD! And when it does and I try to search something it WON'T LOAD AGAIN! And it's *beeping* me off. This simple little site is being screwed up by something I don't know of, but there are ideas of what it may be.
Now, I have added it in ZA as a "trusted site" just to make sure it wasn't ZA, but that didn't help the situation at all. It continues to defy the simple orders for whatever reason. Is this a web browser problem, computer problem, or possibly a ZA problem? And if it's any of the three point me in the right direction in some help. Thanks.
Operating System:Windows XP Pro
Product Name:
Software Version:6.5