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Ford Expedition Rear End/Differential Problems
My 2002 Ford Expedition has 55,000 miles on it. Took it in for sceduled oil change, dealership came back and said the rear differential has a leak. The service guy explained how we had to pay for all the fluids too because once the differential was opened up for the repair, the fluids are lost. I pointed out that we had an extended warranty on the Expedition, and he suggested that it might pay for part of the labor. As I read my warranty, it pays for anything not considered maintenance or normal wear and tear. It lists a number of things that are not covered, but rear differential repairs are not mentioned under this. I have owned many vehicles, several with 150,000 miles or more. I have never had a rear differential leak before, so it seems to me that it is not a maintenance or normal wear and tear situation. At 55,000, I feel this is an odd thing to occur, particuliarly since I have followed the maintenance book and done additional maintenance as it was suggested; I don't drive in any unusual or challenging conditions, and this is a 2wd vehicle. Has anyone had this problem with their Expedition with similiar mileage? Does anyone know if this should be a warranty situation? I suspect I'm being sold something that is either not needed, or that I shouldn't be paying for. Please help!
stever Posts: 52,683Try the Ford Expedition Owners: Problems & Solutions discussion instead. More owners will be tracking that one.
Steve, Host
Hi, I just read your post on the differential leaking. I am an owner of a 2002 Ford Explorer, and I am thinking I have this exact problem. I have 70K miles, I am the second owner on the vehicle. I too have an extended warranty. Mine is through Wynn Plus. How about yours? I have noticed stains on the concrete in both of my designated parking areas at home and at work. The stains are coming in the rear between the two back tires. I am anticipating the same problem you're having and wondering what your outcome was and what you're final costs were for something like this.
ponton Posts: 4A leaking differential is not really a big deal if it's comming out of the differential. I would suggest just fixing it yourelf. Just take the bolts out of the back of the cover and pry it off - make sure both surfaces are real clean and then use silicon to seal it back on. There are a number of reasons that seal can start leaking. It would only take you about 20 mins.
I ended up having the truck in the shop before your post. Can you believe that in one visit, only two months after owning the vehicle, they had to do $1800 worth of work which included big items like replacing the Selenoid pack in the transmission and valve, adusting the bands, reprogramming the pcm and then replacing the seal in the rear differential. Then of course all the fluids. Thankfully my out of pocket was only $300 and the rest was covered with the extd. warranty.
lequia Posts: 1We were driving to a ski resort last week when I began to experience what felt like "shaking" in the rear end. It was almost as if the rear end was "jello" jiggling from side to side. I was on a snowy icy road but this was pretty severe shaking not caused by the snow and ice. I felt like I was loosing control of the vehicle so I slammed on the break. The vehicle spun 380 degrees and landed in a snow bank which kept it from toppling over the edge of the cliff. The rear drivers-side tire was hanging over the cliff and all seven of my passengers (all children) and I were terrified. There was no damage to the vehicle from the crash and once we got it out of the snow bank we thought we were in good shape. Not so! The vehicle continues to feel as if it is shaking like jello in the rear end. Today I had a similar accident in town while traveling only 5 miles per hour after having stopped at a stop light and then resumed driving. There is something wrong- but nobody seems to know what it is. Any suggestions? I refuse to drive it again until this is resolved. Hope someone can help!
fundad Posts: 27Exactly... Its a easy fix and around $10.00 to do it your self.
melc Posts: 1my 2003 (39313 miles) has a shuttering as i start from a dead stop and turning left or right like pulling out of my drive or an intersection. dealer says the problem is plates on the rear end. not to worry??? i have had the rear end replaced twice to correct a high pitch whine not i have this. anyone know anything about past problems with 2003 rears..
jason30052 Posts: 1I have a 2004 and I have expierenced the same problems. Mine has been in the shop I know of 4 times for the same problem. I took it in today and they told me they had a new updated clutch package to put in the rear end to stop the rubbing grinding feel when you turn. They have also replaced the ring and pinion because of a high pitched whine.
scan4567 Posts: 1I also am experiencing this same problem with my 2003 explorer. (grinding and rubbing sound at take off turning left or right) This updated clutch when they installed it did it fix the problem?
suave2 Posts: 1i financed a 1998 expedition with 39047 miles 3 years ago(aug 2003) from a dealership.it came with 22inch rims.i changed the brakes and rotors and found out there was no sway bar!! 6 months after purchase i had problems with the rear axle.i had a hole in the differential cover and was leaking fluids.i bought a heavy duty cover and had it assembled and refilled with the proper fluid.about 5 moths after my differential gears broke,warranty was run out and i paid $2200 for a new axle and labor.COOL!!!!aug 2005 my lower rod bearings were no good{engine problems),i took care of problem and tried to sell the truck...i got a great deal on an extended warranty and decided to keep it and now the heater core doesn't work and it's not covered on warranty.yesterday while driving he just shut off while coming to a light.{luckily i have a jump box in back}it has been well maintained and i now only have 77000 miles {mostly highway}
tackster87 Posts: 1We have a 2003 Expedition and it has had the rear end cluthes replaced four times in the last two years. We recently had in the shop again and they decided to replace all the hard parts in the rear end and the cluthes. It was only a week ago it was in the shop and the vehicle is doing it again. Our expedition only has 55,000 miles on it and we are on our third set of tires. I think the rear end problems have worn our tires out too.
ovrwrkd72 Posts: 2I purchased an 04 EB series about a week ago and heard the same rubbing, vibration sound when turning left/right from a stop. I just took it in this morning and got it back this evening, (fixed form the dealer) and here is what I was told. The limited slip rear differential requires an additive mixed with the gear lubricant. This ensures that the oil (grease) can work its way into the clutch and stop the grabbing when one tire is turning more than the other (turning from a stop) Anyway, I haven't heard or felt anything since I got it back so... These are reputable mechanics and dealers however and this is the 3rd vehicle i have purchased from them & they have always done me right.
Even with the additive the clutch packs go bad. Changing the fluid will buy you a little time, but you'll be back. I'm on my third set, and going for fourth when I get a chance. I haven't had to pay for any of them yet, but I'm going to be even more annoyed when I do. They used to replace the whole axle assembly but stopped that when they realized what it was costing. Instead they now send the dealer 15 individual part numbers and have them do the leg work of assembling it. I have 70k miles on it ('03)
At last, after thinking that all the shuddering when starting a left or right turn from a dead stop was "characteristic of 4 wheel drive ... the awful truth. This is a well known problem associated with improperly seizing limited-slip differential clutches. Ahhhhhh the good news, Ford will repair their design/build fault in my 2003 Expedition for only $835 of my money. I started noticing this uncomfortable rumbling and shuddering over a year ago, and someone mentioned that 4 wheel drive vehicles did that. So for more than a year, I've suffered in silence while the racket became more and more annoying. This problem on top of a transmission/transfer case leak at 50K ($357.46 with ZERO assistance from Ford) has pretty much convinced me that I am going the Toyota-Honda route in the future. It's bad enough that Ford is building (in my case) an inferior product, but you'd think that they would be a little more accountable.
I purchased my 04 XLT brand new in Feb. 2004. About a month or two after I had the vehicle, I started experiencing the same problem with rear differential. I researched this by going to NHTSA's website and looking for TSB's on this. I found it, printed it out took it to the dealer and they fixed everything free of charge. This is a known problem with 03 and 04 Expeditions and if your truck is under warranty, they should not have charged you for it.
My story had a pretty good ending. At 72K, Ford replaced the limited slip differential clutch packs for $250. Much better than the $835 originally quoted. Restored a good bit of my faith in Ford.
I have a 2003 XLT Expedition that I bought used with only 900 miles on it. It now has 40,000 miles on it and has had 4 clutch packs and 2 ring gears put in it. I noticed tonight that it is doing it again and worse than before. I haven't had to pay for the parts and nor do I plan to since this has been an on going issue. I only got about 4000 miles since the last repair. I will be calling Monday to schedule the repair.
aking2211 Posts: 1I just bought a used 2003 Ford Expedition and noticed the grinding and rumbling right away when I turn. Took it to the Ford dealership and said it would cost $988+tax to repair, does anyone know how i can get assistance from ford to repair. No way I can afford to repair.
Here is the the number 800-392-3673. I'm currently dealing with them regarding my Expedition. So far they have been helpful and are looking closer at my vehicle. The dealership currently has my Exp. so they can put the 5th set of clutch packs in (not including the original set). I would call them and tell them that you have researched online and see that this is a on going problem with this vehicle. I think you could get them to help, but you never know.
Too bad you didn't pick up on the rumbling sound/feel on your test drive, but I guess the condition of starting out in a turn may not have presented itself. Sounds like someone passed on a known problem to you. Ford is obviously VERY MUCH AWARE of the problem they have with these limited slip differential clutch packs. They have had to replace a ton of them. If you have any kind of relationship with your Ford dealer, start there. I bought my 2003 Expy new, and the rumbling came on gradually starting around 30K. I didn't know what it was, and one person even suggested that it was "characteristic" of four wheel drive vehicles. As the rumbling got worse, I finally went to my Ford dealer, who diagnosed the problem instantly. I called Ford Customer Care and worked through them. Ford covered $585 of the $835 charge to repair. Good thing because I was ready to write off the Ford nameplate forever (had already had a 4WD transfer case leak that cost me about $300).
Why didn't they cover 100% under warranty? So far I've not had to pay anything other than the hassle of taking it up to them so much. My Exp is now out of warranty but the last repair came with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty so that is what is covering my current repairs.
tlbetts Posts: 1I own a 2003 Explorer with 55K Miles that experienced the vibration when turning right or left at a low speed. I called the dealer's service department and they immediately diagnosed the problem over the phone without driving the vehicle. The differential clutch pack replacement at the dealer cost $673.56 (originally quoted $850). I immediately called Ford Customer Care and after 3 days of "looking into the problem" they offered no financial assistance because the truck is not covered with an extended warranty. Ford KNOWS they have a serious issue and has issued two TSB on the problem. I think it is crazy they are not paying for their faulty part. I have sent a demand letter for payment and I intend on taking Ford to small claims court. I think everyone who is having this problem needs to call Ford to register a complaint and insist on financial assistance or a recall.
Yeah they are aware and it's in Technical Service Bulletins. I have an '04 Exp. XLT and about two months after I bought it brand new, it started doing it. I researched this problem and found a TSB on it, send it to the dealership in their appointment setup email and they fixed it free of charge.....
sub9904 Posts: 72I own an Expy 05 bought in July of that year. Had the clutch pack worked on 3 times in about 8 months or less. So it's not just an 03-04 problem. Fortuantely, it looks like the 3rd time was the charm as I've had no issues in over a year. Other than that my Expy has been problem free. Knock on wood. Still it didn't keep me from buying an extended warranty just in case.
syrupmakers1 Posts: 1I have a 2003 Ford Explorer and I recently experienced the exact same problem related to the as I start from a dead stop and turning left and right. The problem was coming from the rear differential assembly area; specifically, the bearing assembly, cup, kit, gear and pinion had to be replaced. In addition, the additive oil and sealant around the rear differential cover needed to be replaced. In all, I had a $50 deductible under an extended warranty so the only costs that showed up on the invoice was $50, but I'm that the total cost was over $1000 (including labor)
dano67 Posts: 1I have had the same problems now twice with only 65K on my 2003 Expedition. Besides this issue I have really enjoyed my truck. The first time I took it to Greenway Ford in Orlando and they "discounted" to $480 for replacing the clutch on the differential(38K miles - nice warranty,2005). On the second fix early this year (65K) I took it to Goodyear and they recommended a drive train shop that does a lot of high performance work. They replace the diffenertial in full for $600. and handed me a little bottle of Motocraft friction additive and said any time anyone services your rear end have then add this to the fluid and to not just depend on the additive that is already in the fluid. Ford has been absoultely no help on this matter or at least their dealerships have sure stunk it up.
loc1 Posts: 1I have an 03 ford expedition with limited slip rear end. it started making an awful noise when turning left or right. Had several mechanics look at it, said was the clutches. I went to advance auto parts and bought 2 tubes of limited slip differential additive and went to jiffy lube and had the fluid changed and the additive added. Just remember to have them put in all synthetic fluid. It started improving right away, but needs to have a few miles put on it to eliminate noise. It has been 3 months now and no more noise. By the way, jiffy lube charged 50.00 and the lube was about 7.00 a tube. GOOD LUCK.
leemanj Posts: 1Keep on the dealer to fix it. I had the same problem with my 2003 right after I bought it. The rubbing sound on turning according to the dealer was normal. Last year I finally had to take it in and had a transmission shop tell me Ford Expedition differentials are a big part of their business. I caught mine early so they said to try changing the fluid, which was black, they changed it and added some additives. It was better but now a year later the same problem has come back. I am fighting with Ford to get a discount on rebuilding the differential. :sick:
dsblackburn Posts: 2I'm in the same boat. I have a 2004 EB Expedition purchased new in November 2003. I've had the rear end replaced twice, and now it needs replacing again. At 75,000 miles, just out of warranty, Ford is not admitting to this faulty rear end set up. And I was looking at buying a trailer to tow. Any advise?
Try a fluid change and use two of the friction modifiers. My dealer uses 2 on higher mileage vehicles, and it fixed my binding clutches. It is a relatively cheap fix compared to a rebuilt rear end. It should run you about $70 for the diff fluid and $10 for the two modifiers.


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People Magazine's annual list of hottest bachelors hits newsstands today, with Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford gracing the cover. I never considered unmarried 23 year olds like Crawford to be true bachelors –isn't that a title they give older single guys, like 48 year old George Clooney, for example, or me? I'm not saying that Chace isn't easy on the eyes, I'm just saying that 23 year olds shouldn't be thinking about marriage and, therefore, shouldn't be considered true bachelors. Anwyay…
Other twentysomethings to make People's list include Star Trek 's Chris Pine and Friday Night Lights' Taylor Kitsch. Who is your favorite bachelor? Voice your choice in today's featured poll.
People's editors also selected Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), Adam Lambert (American Idol), Ryan Eggold (90210), Kellan Lutz (Twilight), Dwayne Johnson (Race to Witch Mountain), Brody Jenner (The Hills), Common (Terminator Salvation), Robert Pattinson (Twilight).
Do you agree with their picks? Let the debate begin!
For the latest pop culture news and voting, make sure to sign up for the People's Choice newsletter!

subset: commoncrawl


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(USA TODAY) - President Obama used his address before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to extend a hand to Iran, while calling on Security Council members to back a resolution that would mandate consequences for Syria if it fails to cooperate with a plan to turn its chemical weapons over to the international community.
Obama said the U.S. and international community's disputes with Iran over its nuclear program can't be solved overnight but said he sees an opportunity to take a "major step down a long road toward a different relationship."
"The roadblocks may prove to be too great, but I firmly believe that the diplomatic path must be tested," said Obama, who noted that he's instructed Secretary of State John Kerry to take part in face-to-face negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program set for later this week.
Obama's speech focused broadly on U.S. policy toward the Middle East and North Africa, with a particular emphasis on ridding Syria of its chemical weapons stockpiles, ongoing direct Middle East negotiations, and renewed efforts to nudge Iran to give up its nuclear weapons.
He also appeared to take a direct shot at Russian President Vladimir Putin when he referred to the United States as "exceptional" and defended its role in shaping international affairs. The reference was a rebuke of Putin, who chastised Obama in a New York Times op-ed last week for citing American exceptionalism in making his case to the American public to support military action against Syria if it doesn't give up its chemical weapons.
The latest push on Iran comes as Obama has expressed cautious optimism about the new Iranian president, Hasan Rouhani, who has made overtures to Obama about finding a political solution to resolve years of crippling international economic sanctions over its nuclear programs.
Since coming into power last month, Rouhani - who ran as a moderate in this summer's Iranian elections - has traded private letters with Obama and has said he has complete authority to negotiate with the U.S. on the nuclear program.
MORE: Obama tells world: U.S. is exceptional
Obama also cited in his address Iran's supreme leader's fatwa against developing nuclear weapons, and Rouhani"s comments against nuclear weapons as reasons to believe that headway can be made in solving the decade-old problem and lead to an easing of international sanctions against Tehran.
But Obama warned: "These words must be followed by actions that are transparent and verifiable. After all, it's the Iranian government's choices that have led to the comprehensive sanctions that are currently in place."
The president also lamented that the U.S. and Iran have been isolated from each other since the Islamic revolution of 1979. The Iranians have complained of U.S. interference in their affairs, while the U.S. has mistrusted an Islamic government that has either directly or through proxies taken American hostages, killed U.S. troops in Iraq and threatened Israel with destruction.
"I don't believe this difficult history can be overcome overnight," Obama said. "The suspicions run too deep, but I do believe if we can resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear program, that can serve as a major step down a long road toward a different relationship - one based on mutual interest and mutual respect."
Obama repeated the U.S. government's long-held stance that it remains committed to preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon - preferably through diplomacy. At the same time, Obama also sought to reassure the Iranian mullahs.
"We are not seeking regime change, and we respect the right of the Iran people to access peaceful nuclear energy," Obama said.
In Washington, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are deeply suspicious of Iran's latest overtures, in large part because over the past decade Iran has sought negotiations with the international community only to continue its drive toward nuclear weapons-building capability.
"Whatever nice words we may hear from Mr. Rouhani, it is Iranian action that matters. We would welcome a credible and verifiable agreement with Iran," Sens. Robert Menendez, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote in a letter to Obama on Monday. Obama's address comes during one of the most high-stakes meetings of the General Assembly in recent years.
All eyes in New York are on whether Obama and Rouhani will meet face-to-face later Tuesday - even if it's merely a handshake between the two leaders. The White House said nothing was scheduled, but did not close the door on a chance encounter.
Even if Obama and Rouhani don't meet, the White House announced Monday that Secretary of State John Kerry will participate in the highest-level face-to-face contact between U.S. and Iranian officials since hard-line Islamists overthrew the pro-American Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi more than 34 years ago.
Kerry, along with his counterparts from six other major powers negotiating to contain Iran's nuclear program, will meet Thursday with Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.
On Syria, Obama made the case that the U.N. Security Council must hold Syria accountable if it does not follow through on Russian proposal floated earlier this month to relinquish its chemical weapons stockpile.
The Russian plan faces a difficult hurdle. As part of the deal to get Syrians to give up control of their chemical weapons, the Russians want Obama to agree that he will not carry out military action against Bashar Assad's regime - something the White House has been unwilling to agree to.
"Our response has not matched the scale of the challenge," Obama told the world leaders. "Without a credible military threat, the Security Council had demonstrated no inclination to act at all," Obama said. "If we cannot agree even on this, then it will show that the U.N. is incapable of enforcing the most basic of international laws. On the other hand, if we succeed, it will send a powerful message that the use of chemical weapons has no place in the 21st century, and that this body means what it says."
Obama also scoffed at Assad's assertion that his regime was not responsible for an Aug. 21 chemical attack that killed 1,400 in the suburbs of Damascus. He also gently chastised the Assad's regime chief patrons - Russia and Iran - insisting that Assad's rule will lead to what they fear most: extremist rule.
"It is an insult to ... the legitimacy of this institution to suggest that anyone other than the regime carried out this attack," Obama said.
Obama also pledged an additional $340 million in humanitarian aid to assist Syrian civilians whose lives who have been upended by the bloody civil war that has killed more than 100,000.
Following his address, the president also met with Lebanon's president, Michael Sleiman, on the sidelines of the summit to discuss the situation in Syria.
Neighboring Lebanon has seen hundreds of thousands of refugees flood into the country because of the civil war. The militant group Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon, has also backed the Assad regime--raising concerns that the civil war could become a regional war.


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The Muppets: A New Puppet for a New Age
Here's a teaser trailer for the new Muppets movie, written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, a passion project of Segel's that's been in the works for several years now. It looks... muppety?
I like the joke that sets the movie up to look like a bland romantic drama type thing and then throws in Muppets at the last second. But beyond that, what is the movie really about? Hard to tell! And, really, does it matter? Muppets movies are Muppets movies, no matter if the gang is being framed for robbery or visiting with family from outer space.
Hopefully, though, Segel and company will bring a new freshness to the franchise, while also respecting the wry whimsy that makes the Muppets so endearing. You hear that, Segel? And no technology jokes, OK? I don't want to see Kermit emailing. Oh god, we're going to see Kermit emailing, aren't we?


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Ladies, My little group of quilters at the Senior Center have a problem. We took the finished raffle quilt off of the frame and there were two different bloodstains on the back. Two different people bleed on it that we know of. At the time it happened we had them work on the spots with their spit and the blood came off of the top. We didn't think to look under the frame to see if the stain went clear through the top, batting and backing. One of the ladies worked at the stain with more spit today. She was partially able to remove the stain. The other lady is now in a nursing home and we don't have access to her. The older ladies insist on basting the quilts we work on with straight pins. I am on warfrin and so are several of the other ladies. I know if I get stuck I bleed like a stuck pig. I tried to talk them into using safety pins but they won't budge.
Any suggestions on how to remove the stains. I am thinking peroxide to begin with or a possibly a weak bleach solution. If we cant remove the stains the label will have more company. We may have to applique somthing over the spots.


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Tim Means (18-3-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will look to build on a quick knockout win when he meets UFC newcomer Abel Trujillo (9-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in September.
Representatives from Authentic Sports Management recently announced Trujillo's signing with the UFC, and late Wednesday, UFC officials announced Means as his first opponent.
The lightweights will face off on Sept. 1 at UFC 151, which takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas with a main card airing on pay-per-view and prelims expected for FX and Facebook.
Means ran his unbeaten streak to 11 fights when he stopped Justin Salas just 66 seconds into their fight at UFC on FX 3 in June. The win, his ninth in a row, gave him two straight in the UFC. The Oklahoma native debuted at UFC on FUEL TV 1 with a unanimous decision win over Bernardo Magalhaes.
Trujillo signs with the UFC on a four-fight win streak over the last year. The three-year pro trains with the "Blackzilians" camp in South Florida that also features UFC fighters such as Rashad Evans and Alistair Overeem.
After starting his career 1-2, Trujillo rattled off four straight wins before a two-fight skid that preceded his current four-fight run.
"This was Abel's dream, and thanks to his incredible hard work and training, Joe Silva and the UFC have given him an opportunity to prove himself to the world," Glenn Robinson, Trujillo's manager, stated. "IHe has been with us for two years and has really worked very hard to be a better athlete."
UFC 151 features a main event light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and top contender Dan Henderson. The Means-Trujillo bout is likely to be a part of the event's preliminary card.
The latest UFC 151 card now includes:
- Champ Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson (for light-heavyweight title)
- Josh Koscheck vs. Jake Ellenberger
- Dennis Hallman vs. Thiago Tavares
- Dennis Siver vs. Eddie Yagin
- Charlie Brenneman vs. Kyle Noke
- Danny Castillo vs. Michael Johnson
- Takeya Mizugaki vs. Jeff Hougland
- Daron Cruickshank vs. Henry Martinez
- Jacob Volkmann vs. Shane Roller
- John Lineker vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani
- Tim Means vs. Abel Trujillo
For more on UFC 151, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Tim Means)


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This is a bit of a tricky one, since there's no one particular moment. Instead it's been a gradual unfolding, a gradual freeing from the need for a god-construct and spirituality itself. I was raised Catholic, and in my own kiddy way, was pretty observant. But I recall questioning certain edicts early on, especially those against non-procreative sexuality or sensual pleasure itself (stick a horny kid in a room filled with naked paintings and tell them that sex is wrong…yeah, sure). However, the real first crack in the base was linked with money and class-consciousness.
We were the only "poor" family in our middle class town. We couldn't make tuition every month at the parochial schools I went to, so we relied on extra work at functions, scholarships, and sometimes the kindness of donors. We were also on assistance for many years, and while we still went to church each Sunday, Mom made a point out of bringing me to every office and explaining every procedure, and showing me firsthand the bureaucratic circus and the pain of stigma. This financial "slump" we could never seem to get out of was the crucible for not only my adult politics but my religious views. Let me explain: growing up without a lot of cash and shaky support networks (even with certain advantages*) exposes a kid early to the damage done to social and political institutions by faith. Take, for instance, the weird link between wealth and religion – that if you're rich, God must like you, and all the rest can get bent.
This sort of bullshit influenced the policies (and social stigmas) that ruled our lives for much of my childhood (late 80s**, early 90s). It's still around, present in the miserable treatment many people receive today if they have the "temerity" to not only not be wealthy, but to not "have faith" God (or the whims of the market) will shower them with riches. Even as a kid, I found a direct link between the mind-shutdown faith requires and the kind of thinking that leads people to approve of wealth-worshipping "I got mine, fuck you" behaviors. This was strike one.
I fiddled around with the ideas of religion itself, not necessarily belief. In adolescence I started hanging around with my Mom's Trekker buddies myself, which is probably the best thing a young teen can do. That scene was and remains fairly diverse, the people I encountered talked to me like I had a brain. There was, at least in this particular group, a widespread sense of "investigate, debate, relate"; investigate what you don't know, debate stuff you think you do, but always try to relate with someone different. There were exceptions to this, but that's my takeaway. This was far different from accepting canned responses and handing over a few bucks each week in tithes. Strike two.
At this time, I started drifting towards more neo-Paganism, preferring its more diverse, gender-equitable and sex-positive attitudes, as well as its ecological awareness and interest in history. We were always a pretty matriarchal family, and I was raised on myth and folklore, so this was a natural progression. I tried various flavors of Wicca for a while, but decided it wasn't for me. I felt silly, even if I did like dressing like Stevie Nicks and keeping track of moon phases.*** I will say this, though – it felt more genuine to me at that stage in my life than Catholicism did, and I'm still fond of the original ideas that attracted me (much like my remaining fondness for the Corporal Works of Mercy). Strike three.
Even my Mom joined in on this venture. I remember one day we were sitting in our kitchen, mutually "coming out" to one another about being dissatisfied with the Church, with the short shrift women got, and with the hypocrisy of it all. For the rest of her life, Mom had a patchwork Catholic/Pagan thing going on, eschewing Mass attendance, hierarchy, and the gender/class stratification that always comes along with organized religions even as she kept her saints and rosaries. This seemed to help her get by, but I still didn't feel quite happy with it, although it took me a while to come to terms with that.
The last pit stop on my story here, the big one, also revolves around my mother. She passed away in early 2005 after years of illness. In the last stage of her ordeal, she was in a coma, with all function above the brain stem gone. I came to resent the perkiness of the staff, even as I understood why they may have used it as a professional tool or their own coping mechanism. I also resented sunny platitudes of "oh, God is good!", "the Lord moves in mysterious ways!", all of that. No higher brain function – it was as devastating and simple as that. I couldn't take another prayer.
This coma lasted a couple of months, and midway through she was moved to a nursing home. At that facility, there was one particular nurse that inspired my unspoken wrath, even though she was great at her job and probably is a wonderful human being. She seemed to take a shine to my mother, as much as Mom could have been said to be there. She'd join my family and sing and pray, pat my Mom's head and call her pet names, call on God to wake her up. Now, I was hardly in my right mind, but I found this one of the most obscene things I've ever seen. I'm grateful for the care this nurse gave, but I wish I had the wherewithal to gently tell her to stop, that Mom had passed away, and we were keeping a vigil by her body. To wave belief around in my face, after what I'd been looking at for weeks,well, a punch to the gut would have been preferable. Belief itself was an insult at this point.
That crystallized things for me. Questioning the facile non-answers of traditional religion, and the oddities of non-traditional religions were actually a piece of cake. As I continued along, however, I started to feel more strongly that it was more immoral to chalk things up to a god or gods. I had increasingly difficulty in justifying the impulse to blindly "trust" in something one could never see, never speak with, and never guess its whims. And in the last few years, watching what's been going on in the US and the Catholic Church – I am more firm in my refusal to sign back up to that. This is far from the cold and lonely stereotype some believers have of atheists and secularists – this was an absolute joy, a feeling of expansion. While I can still understand – but not approve of – why people would cling to a religion or a spiritual framework, it's not for me. As Joyce said through Stephen Dedalus – non serviam!
*Those advantages are twofold. First, there is race: I am Caucasian and the recipient of many benefits based solely on my skin – unfair as that is, I acknowledge it and try to subvert it when possible or at least make a big noise about its nefarious nature. The second is the kind of education I received: for all the Catholic stuff, those schools did do a pretty good job otherwise, and I'm well on my way to being the first woman in my immediate family to receive a MA!
**I like to joke that I came into the world just in time to see Reagan rip off the White House's solar panels. Yay, me.
*** Which is still fun, but for secular reasons :)
Liz Damnit
United States


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A couple of years ago, anyone who wore head-to-toe animal print (or to be honest, animal print whatsoever) was either deemed a rockabilly chick or given a firm slap on leopard-clad behind from the fashion police.
Cut to 2011: Animal print, specifically leopard print is the new "It" print. From actress to pop stars like[lastfm link_type="artist_info"] Keri Hilson[/lastfm]–everyone has hopped on the animal print jungle safari van and straight into the wild of the red carpet.
Animal print can be a little overwhelming and we think Hilson does it perfectly with a leather miniskirt, a classy long-sleeve leopard blouse and a some sassy doorknocker earrings.
The Blouse:
Part of the problem with past animal print is that it could come off as, well, a little bit trashy.
This is easily solved with this classic Oxford cut and long skin-covering sleeves. Hilson's has some cool studded cuffs but this top from Nika Butik is a near replication!
The Skirt:
There are plenty of leather mini-skirts on the market. They are the go-to piece for the long-legged fashionista.
Leather can be kind of pricey though, so pleather alternative like this skirt from Top Shop keep the price down while the price is still AMP'd up.
PAGE 3 Solutions for Keri Hilson's shoes?
The Shoes:
Woooo, we love laced-up heeled boots like Keri Hilson's for a plethora of reasons.
First of all, they had an intrinsic cool factor to even the daintiest of outfits; second, they transition from season to season effortlessly; and last, they are super comfortable to wear! This pair from Overstock.Com is cheap, easy, and so similar to Hilson's pair.
The Accessories:
We are always excited by Keri Hilson's jewelry because she always wears designs from one of our favorite, funky modern jewelry designers–Melody Ehsani.
We don't know if Hilson's decadent doorknockers are Ehsani, but they sure do look similar. Plus, they are rhinestone'd and awesome!
PAGE 5 Tie the whole thing together with the right makeup
The Make-Up:
Hilson is rocking the coveted kitten-ish smokey eye and pink bubblegum lip combo. We all pretty much know how to slather our lips with gloss but the dramatic eyes can be a little more difficult.
To help, here is a fabulous Youtube tutorial with a full product-list from MakeupByEman.
Another incredibly random physical accoutrement that the "Pretty Girl Rock" pop mistress boldly dons? Vicious bruises, apparently.
- What do you think of Hilson's bangin' No Boys Allowed animal-style? Is this a look you could pull off? What other looks would you like to see? Let us know in the comments!


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New CT Scanner at Eisenhower Smilow Heart Center
The Eisenhower Smilow Heart Center is a Center of Excellence providing a full range of advanced cardiac care services.Always renowned for its cutting-edge, advanced technology, Smilow Heart Center has just added a new tool for physicians, the Philips Brilliance iCT system, which is at the forefront of computed tomography (CT) technology.
A CT scan combines multiple X-ray images with computer technology to produce cross-sectional views of the body, or of specific organs, such as the brain or heart. Cardiac CT is a heart-imaging test that visualizes the heart's anatomy and the vessels leading to and from the heart through which the blood circulates, including the aorta, pulmonary veins and arteries. It can be used to determine whether fatty deposits, calcium deposits, or plaque have built up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. If left untreated, these areas of build-up can cause heart disease, and eventually a heart attack or stroke.
In a new study published in April 2010 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that CT heart scans may help physicians better predict a patient's risk for heart disease. They determined that the technology can be particularly useful for patients who are at intermediate risk, as images provided by a CT scan can help identify whether a patient believed to be at intermediate risk is actually at high risk.
The Philips Brilliance iCT system provides cardiologists at Eisenhower with detailed and clear three-dimensional (3D) images of the entire heart. It is a 256-slice CT scanner, which means it produces 256 "slices" of information during each rotation of the scanner — all in about a quarter of a second! At that speed, a full body scan takes less than a minute. The resulting images are extraordinarily high in resolution, and so are more detailed, clearer and easier to read. Because the images are 3D, they can be rotated and viewed from different angles — giving doctors the greatest possible assistance in detecting signs of abnormalities or disease.All of the images can be accessed from computers throughout the hospital or remotely,making it possible for a patient's entire medical team to access and share test results.
Because the scanner works so quickly, patients are exposed to much lower doses of X-ray radiation than with other scanners, and the testing process is quicker and more comfortable. The Philips Brilliance can scan a complete image of the heart in only two beats, so patients do not need to hold their breath or lie still for as long as with other CT scanners.


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Topic: iRedmail API
==== Required information ====
- iRedMail version: 0.8.5
- Store mail accounts in which backend (LDAP/MySQL/PGSQL): mysql
- Linux/BSD distribution name and version: Debian/wheezy
- Related log if you're reporting an issue:
Hello Zhang,
Does iRedmail provide any API, so that I can call it for sending an email from a PHP webpage ?
Currently I am using a phpmailer (http://sourceforge.net/projects/phpmailer/) that comes with the Simfatic Registration Form (https://github.com/simfatic/RegistrationForm).
It is successfully sending emails. But the problem is that the emails are going to the spam folder. The reasons may be:
1. phpmailer sends out emails without authenticating with the mail server.
2. The headers are not correct.
I have checked the header of the email arrived in the Spam folder. It doesn't have spf and dkim "pass". So I just thought of some iRedmail API that I can call instead of calling the phpmailer's API. Please suggest.
Header Follows
Delivered-To: email@example.com
Received: by 10.182.48.42 with SMTP id i10csp227958obn;
Wed, 30 Oct 2013 05:39:04 -0700 (PDT)
X-Received: by 10.68.129.40 with SMTP id nt8mr4974931pbb.108.1383136743690;
Wed, 30 Oct 2013 05:39:03 -0700 (PDT)
Return-Path: <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Received: from server.mydomain.com ([18.104.22.168])
by mx.google.com with ESMTP id hb3si1822530pac.152.2013.10.30.05.39.03
for <email@example.com>;
Wed, 30 Oct 2013 05:39:03 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: neutral (google.com: 22.214.171.124 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of firstname.lastname@example.com) client-ip=22.214.171.124;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com;
spf=neutral (google.com: 184.108.40.206 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of email@example.com) email@example.com
Received: from localhost (server.mydomain.com [127.0.0.1])
by server.mydomain.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6D61E638EC
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X-Virus-Scanned: Debian amavisd-new at d1stkfactory
Received: from server.mydomain.com ([127.0.0.1])
by localhost (server.mydomain.com [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024)
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Received: by server.mydomain.com (Postfix, from userid 33)
id 31B10638ED; Wed, 30 Oct 2013 12:38:35 +0000 (UTC)
To: Aniyan Rajan <email@example.com>
Subject: Your registration with mydomain.com
X-PHP-Originating-Script: 0:class.phpmailer.php
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 12:38:35 +0000
From: My Domain <email@example.com>
Message-ID: <firstname.lastname@example.com>
X-Priority: 3
X-Mailer: PHPMailer (phpmailer.sourceforge.net) [version 2.0.4]
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Hello Aniyan Rajan
-----Email Body----


text:
Video Proves That Rats Like Starbucks, Too
Starbucks has attracted its fair share of negative attention over the years. Here's another bit of bad news for detractors to feast on. Last week, a group of friends was socializing outside a Starbucks near Richmond, BC when they noticed a rat enjoying the coffee chain's delicious syrup dispensers. Naturally, they filmed the action. And now you're nauseous. [BCLocal via Eater]


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Posts Tagged biomimetics
GoQBots Spring Into Action
Posted by Georgy Cohen in Blogs, Faculty, Life Sciences, Research, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, Video on April 28, 2011
A new study in the Institute of Physics journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics by Tufts doctoral student Huai-Ti Lin and researchers Gary Leisk and Barry Trimmer details the creation of the GoQBot, a soft-bodied robot inspired by a natural defense mechanism found in some caterpillars called "ballistic rolling." According to a press release by the Institute of Physics, ballistic rolling is "one of the fastest wheeling behaviours in nature"
The below video shows both a caterpillar engaging in ballistic rolling and the GoQBot in action:
The science blog PopSci featured the GoQBot, the latest product of the ongoing biomimetic research at Tufts.
"GoQBot demonstrates a solution by reconfiguring its body and could therefore enhance several robotic applications such as urban rescue, building inspection, and environmental monitoring," Lin was quoted as saying in the press release. "Due to the increased speed and range, limbless crawling robots with ballistic rolling capability could be deployed more generally at a disaster site such as a tsunami aftermath. The robot can wheel to a debris field and wiggle into the danger for us."


text:
NEW YORK, April 10 (UPI) -- A century after the British luxury liner Titanic sank in the Atlantic, two new studies reveal rare states of nature may have played major roles in the tragedy.
In the early hours of April 15, 1912, the Titanic, on its maiden voyage out of England, collided with an iceberg and sank, taking 1,500 lives with it.
Blame for the disaster has been put on everything from an inept crew to shoddy rivets holding the ship's metal plates together.
However, two recent studies say natural forces may have created conditions perfect for the looming iceberg to go unnoticed, The New York Times reported Monday.
The first study, by researchers at Texas State University-San Marcos and Sky & Telescope magazine, found the Earth to have been unusually close to both the sun and moon in the time period leading up to the nautical disaster, creating large amount of ice in the Titanic's path, including the deadly iceberg.
Researchers suggested high tides created by the gravitational pulls of the sun and moon between December 1911 and February 1912 sent masses of icebergs normally gathered along the coastlines of Labrador and Newfoundland into the North Atlantic shipping lanes.
"We don't claim that our idea is conclusive," Dr. Donald Olson, a physicist at Texas State, but he added the team continued to find new supporting evidence after the publication of the study in Sky & Telescope's April issue.
"We found there had been remarkable tidal events around the globe -- in England and New Zealand," he said.
The second study, by research Tim Maltin of London, suggests the icy waters the Titanic sailed through were ideal conditions for cold mirages, which occur when cold air bends light rays downward, which distorts horizon lines.
Maltin cited three lookouts aboard the Titanic who reported the distant view as being "hazy," which he said he believed to be an effect of a cold mirage.
"There were no heroes, no villains," Maltin said. "Instead, there were a lot of human beings trying to do their best in the situation as they saw it."
Maltin's book, "Titanic: A Very Deceiving Night," is to be released this week as an e-book.


text:
Almost everyone is excited about going home after being in the hospital, skilled nursing center, or rehabilitation facility.
You should probably be able to go home once you are able to do the following:
Going home from the hospital or facility does not mean you no longer need medical care. You may need help:
Also, you may still need help taking care of yourself at home. Common needs include help with:
While you may have family members or friends around to help, it is important to make sure there will be enough help to ensure you have a quick and safe recovery.
Family and friends must be able to do all of the tasks and provide all of the help you need.
If not, you can talk to the hospital social worker or discharge nurse about getting help in your home. Sometimes, they will arrange for someone to come to the home and determine what help you may need.
Besides family members and friends, many different types of home care providers can come into your home to help with movement and exercises, wound care, and daily living.
Home health care nurses can help manage problems with your wound, other medical problems, and any medications that you may be taking.
Physical and occupational therapists can make sure your home is set up so that it will be easy and safe to move around and take care of yourself. They may also help with exercises when you first get home.
You will need a referral from your doctor in order to have home health care nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists visit your home. Your insurance will often pay for these visits if you have a referral. However, you should still make sure it is covered beforehand.
Other types of assistance are available for tasks or issues that do not require the clinical expertise of nurses and therapists. Names of some of these professionals include: Home Health Aide (HHA), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Caregiver, Direct Support Person, and Personal Care Attendant. Sometimes, insurance may pay for these also.
1000 Johnson Ferry Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404) 851-8000
450 Northside Cherokee Blvd.
Canton, GA 30115
(770) 224-1000
1200 Northside Forsyth Drive
Cumming, GA 30041
(770) 844-3200


text:
*Trial sizes of the Aurum total RNA mini kit and Aurum total RNA fatty and fibrous tissue kit are available. For more information, contact your local Bio-Rad sales representative. ** Yields will vary depending on the developmental stage, tissue type or cell line, and growth conditions used.
Crude Genomic DNA for PCR: InstaGene MatrixInstaGene matrix, composed of specially formulated Chelex resin, makes DNA sample preparation fast, easy, and cost-effective, providing PCR-quality template DNA from crude genomic preps in less than 1 hour. The InstaGene matrix adsorbs cell lysis products and removes inhibitors such as magnesium ions that interfere with the PCR amplification process. Simply place cells in a microcentrifuge tube, add the InstaGene matrix, boil, and spin. PCR-ready DNA is in the supernatant and can be transferred directly into PCR reaction tubes
Total RNA Isolation: Aurum Total RNA Mini KitThe Aurum total RNA mini kit produces DNA-free total RNA from a wide range of starting materials, including cultured cells, bacteria, and yeast, as well as animal and plant tissues. The Aurum total RNA mini kit can also be used for RNA cleanup and desalting.
Quantum Prep Plasmid Miniprep KitObtain optimal yield of plasmids for gene transfer, restriction, ligation, and cloning protocols. The Quantum Prep miniprep kit is tested to ensure at least 20 µg of high-copy plasmid yield from just 1.5 ml of bacterial culture. The Quantum Prep miniprep procedure takes less than 15 minutes from cell culture to purified plasmid, using an easy spin column-based procedure. DNA is recovered in water or Tris-EDTA buffer for immediate use in mapping, sequencing, transfection, transformation, PCR, or subcloning.
PCR Kleen Spin Purification ColumnsTry our prepacked spin columns for purifying PCR products and other DNA molecules >200 bp directly from reaction mixtures. A simple 4 minute spin effectively removes salts, nucleotides, enzymes, primers, and primer-dimers. Purified DNA fragments are eluted into a collection tube and are immediately available for secondary PCR, subcloning, restriction digests, ligations, sequencing, and other enzymatic manipulations.
Instagene Matrix. Treatment of samples with Chelex 100 is the standard procedure for PCR sample preparation from bacteria, whole blood, mammalian cells and animal tissue. The Instagene Matrix makes Chelex easier to handle and is QC'd to ensure reproducibility from lot to lot. It's a ready-to-use slurry made with a small particle size for simple pipetting, and includes a stirring bar for easy resuspension.
* (OD600 of undiluted culture) x (culture volume in ml) = #of OD • ml. 1 OD600 is equivalent to approximately 8 x 108 cells/ml. ** Using the Aurum vacuum manifold.
Bio-Rad offers a complete line of products for the isolation and purification of nucleic acids. From purification of milligram quantities of plasmid DNA for restriction analysis or transformation to rapid and efficient purification of PCR products, Bio-Rad provides you with high-quality kits that eliminate time-consuming, labor-intensive steps.
What is the education discount policy?
For more than 15 years, Bio-Rad has made science education a major priority. To support this effort, the company has implemented a discount policy that allows high school and college teaching laboratories to purchase kits, instruments, reagents, and other equipment at preferred prices.
How do I apply for the education discount?
If you are an educator at the high school or college level, visit our Education Discount Policy page to establish an education account number.
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50 preps, includes columns, tubes, lyophilized DNase, RNase-free reagents; education use only
Vacuum-mediated nucleic acid purification platform for spin columns or 96-well plates, includes column adaptor plate and all necessary accessories; education use only
Pkg of 25, columns for agarose gel DNA extraction, 50 bp–23 kb recovery; education use only
20 ml, Chelex-based resin for PCR-ready DNA purification, 100 extractions; education use only
Fourth module in Cloning and Sequencing Explorer Series classroom study kit, includes PCR Kleen Spin columns, test tubes, curriculum, for 12 workstations; education use only
Plasmid DNA purification kit, includes Quantum Prep matrix, solutions (cell resuspension and lysis, neutralization, wash), spin columns, sufficient for 100 preps; education use only
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text:
Martin Brodeur never wanted to leave the New Jersey Devils, so he didn't.
After one day as a free agent, the future Hall of Fame goaltender agreed to a two-year, $9 million contract with the team that drafted him in 1990. Brodeur has been with the Devils ever since, winning three Stanley Cups and four Vezina Trophies while rewriting the NHL record book.
— Who were the big players to sign on July 1?
"We did entertain some offers," Brodeur said on a Monday conference call. "But at the end, the Devils were able to come through with the extra year, which, to me, was the most important thing. ... I'm not a young buck anymore."
He added that if there were a collective bargaining agreement in place, he would've considered a one-year deal.
The 40-year-old Brodeur is the league's all-time leader in wins, saves, shutouts and countless other statistical categories, and is coming off a season in which he led the Devils to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost in six games to the Los Angeles Kings.
Brodeur was 31-24-4 with a 2.44 goals against average and .908 save percentage in 2011-12, then had a 2.12 goals against average and .917 save percentage in the playoffs, helping the Devils to knock off the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers en route to the Eastern Conference title.
Now that he is 40, Brodeur no longer can be expected to play 70 games a season, which he did every year from 1997-98 to 2007-08. To help keep their No. 1 netminder fresh, the Devils also re-signed backup Johan Hedberg to a two-year deal with a $1.4 million cap hit. The 39-year-old Swede is coming off a season in which he went 17-7-2 with a 2.23 goals against average and .918 save percentage.
As for another high-profile free agent, Brodeur said he believes Zach Parise still may return to the Eastern Conference champions.
"The Devils are right in there for him. He's really weighing his options right now," Brodeur said, adding that he spoke to Parise when free agency opened on Sunday and would talk to him again on Monday.
Parise, 27, is the best winger available in free agency and is expected to make his decision on Monday. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild are believed to be the leading contenders to land him.


text:
Morning all....I see we are up to 21 pages. I figure that's 27 if all the posts were left in.
oh, and just to be on the safe side...
Stay away from my coke...oK?
You are beautiful, no matter what they say.
Nah don't sweat it, I think you have a cute nose, its not too big or too wide or anything of the kind
You know when they first started doing nose jobs back in the day yours was the nose most women received
NO B.S., my aunt had a nose job back then and she was basically given your nose, and if you look at some of the oldtime actresses, the ones that had nose jobs back in the day, you'll notice many of them had your nose
In fact if I saw your picture 30 Years ago I probably would have assumed you had a nose job done
Point being, how bad can it be if that's the nose women once paid big bucks for?


text:
When harmless conversations become tense debates, and eight-foot birds have to worry about their jobs, you know it's an election year. With less than a month away from the presidential election, and a couple of heated debates to go, it is safe to say that politics will only become more relevant in the weeks to come. While I generally hate talking politics, as it tends to lead to never ending arguments with friends and potential girlfriends, I happen to love election years. Unlike any other time, election years bring out some of the best comedic material across all networks. Giving endless jokes to TV writers, election time is not just lol time, it's more like ROFLMAO time. This past summer, and especially these past few weeks, has had its share of serious comedic moments – here are a few of my favorites.
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
"The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium"
After years of verbal sparring, this past Saturday night, Jon Stewart faced off against his arch nemesis Bill O'Reilly in a heated political debate. Staged at George Washington University and coined as "The Rumble in the Air Conditioned Auditorium," (a clever play off of the famous boxing match, "The Rumble in the Jungle") the highly anticipated dispute was a perfect example of why political comedy is so great during elections. Unlike a normal time of year when politics lives on the back burner, every topic the moderator brought up was well known and interesting to listen to. The two fought over issues ranging from Medicare to the Constitution and both debaters came well prepared. Moderated by E.D Hill, who failed even worse than poor Jim Lehrer, the debate was a perfect blend of legitimately heated words and good-natured fun. At one point, after Jon Stewart had finished dancing across the stage, he sat on Bill O'Reilly's lap and the two answered audience questions. While unfortunately millions of viewers were blocked off from seeing the debate live due to a server crash the night of the show (myself included!!!) the show is available for download for $4.95 at www.therumble2012.com. If you have not seen it yet, don't just wait till they do recaps on the Daily Show – you have to watch the whole performance. I guarantee you will laugh, and unlike last week's presidential debate about bills no one has ever heard of, you will actually learn a ton about politics.
The expert of analyzing YouTube videos did it again this past week. After a young boy was suspended for giving Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream speech" in black face, Daniel Tosh brought him out to LA to give him one shot at redemption. After verbally assaulting him and his mother, Tosh staged a mock elementary school speech where students had to come dressed up as famous historical figures. Of course, ensuring that no one was offended, Tosh dresses the young boy up as Osama Bin Laden and has him get shot on stage. While the bit doesn't sound too funny when I type it, it was intelligently done and well worth a watch.
The piece also acted as a perfect lead-in to the finale of the show, where Tosh himself paints half of his face black. He then proceeds to try to impersonate Obama by saying his name louder and louder as Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (Comedy Central's resident Obama impersonators) stand by his side yelling at him. The shtick is short but sweet.
FYI: For those of you who may not have ever seen the show, please watch with an open mind, he offends everyone.
Big Bird joins Seth Meyers at the Weekend Update desk.
Slightly overshadowing the host, Daniel Craig, Big Bird got a few healthy laughs this past week as he answered a couple of questions about job security and twitter popularity. I for one am not a big SNL fan, so the bit didn't really work for me, but a lot of people found it funny so it's worth mentioning.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Stephen Colbert preps Jon Stewart for the debate
Before watching the rumble you need to watch the Daily Show episode last week. Stephen Colbert returns to the show and teaches his long time pal the proper way to win a debate: Always be attacking! And if you can catch and eat a live chicken, you will always win a debate. The bit is pure genius and I whole-heartedly hope you watch it.
For today's poll, tell us which political satirists is your favorite. You never know, some of these nominees may be up for a People's Choice Award so stay tuned.
Bill Maher
Jon Stewart
Stephen Colbert
Lewis Black
For the latest pop culture news and voting, make sure to sign up for the People's Choice newsletter!


text: Thought that I might ride to N. Carolina for the K Bike Camp Out. Rather than using my Canadian cell phone and get dinged big time for useage out of country (like last year), I thought I'd buy a US throwaway cell with a card for minutes and then use my 1-800 calling number. Do you have any recommendations as to which carrier is better than another or should I just hit the first Walmart and buy a $10.00 phone and a card with minutes?


text:
The feature, however, was only in rough
form in the beta candidate and previous release candidate builds.
Yesterday Microsoft release a new
release candidate that at last added a near-finalized version of
this functionality. The build is available
here and runs Windows XP SP3.
Aware of security
risks, Microsoft has accompanied the build with a warning that users
should install anti-malware and antivirus software to protect Windows
XP. It has been speculated that malicious users could exploit
the virtual machine's lack of certain security features -- such as ASLR
(Address Space Layout Randomization) or an Internet Explorer Protected
Mode -- to perform guest-to-host attacks. This problem is
minimized by the fact that the install comes with a firewall and that
Microsoft will be offering free antivirus support for XP as well as
Vista and Windows 7 this fall (a second beta is expected to drop
Brandon LeBlanc, a Windows communications manager at
Microsoft comments on the new RC build, stating, "Windows XP
Mode is specially designed for small and medium-sized businesses to
help ease the migration process to Windows 7 by providing additional
compatibility for their older productivity applications. The newly
updated Windows XP Mode now works with the RC and RTM versions of the
Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise SKUs."
differences in functionality of the new XP Mode and the old are subtle, but
significant. Windows XP applications running on the Windows 7 task
bar can now be accessed by right clicking. Disk sharing between
Windows 7 and Windows XP mode can now be disabled and users can
choose where there Windows XP differencing files are stored.
USB devices can now operate within Windows XP without needing to go
into fullscreen mode, useful for accessing content from programs like
Word 2003 running in XP Mode. Finally, a tutorial about XP Mode
is now included, a great feature for new users.
Tom Quillin,
director of Intel vPro Ecosystem Development lauds
the feature, praising that its not only a fun toy for home users,
but a valuable asset to businesses. He states, "The
increasing prevalence worldwide of PCs based on Intel Core 2
processors with Intel Virtualization Technology is enabling a variety
of new applications that provide business opportunities for greater
manageability, security and cost reduction. Used with Windows XP
Mode, Intel Virtualization Technology helps small- and medium-sized
businesses migrate more efficiently from Windows XP to Windows 7.


text:
Six Nations
Mark Jones joins Wales coaching team
ESPN Staff
January 15, 2013
Scarlets wing Mark Jones scored 13 tries in 47 Tests for Wales © Getty Images
Scarlets attack coach Mark Jones has been drafted in as part of interim Wales coach Rob Howley's coaching team during the Six Nations.
Jones had already agreed to be part of the set-up during their two-Test tour to Japan in June, but with head coach Warren Gatland stepping down temporarily to concentrate on his Lions duties, the Welsh board came to an agreement with the Scarlets for the Six Nations. It allows the former Wales wing to come on board early as backs coach and complete a coaching line-up that also features Robin McBryde, Shaun Edwards and Neil Jenkins
"Mark is an important addition to the coaching team," Howley said. "He has played the game at the highest level and developed his coaching skills during his time with the Scarlets. He is a 'hands-on coach' and understands how our environment works, which is important leading into the tournament."
Jones made his debut for Wales in 2001 against England at the Millennium Stadium and went on to win 47 caps. He also featured in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups and scored 13 Test tries.
"I am looking forward to this exciting opportunity for me to develop further as a coach," Jones said. "It will help me to explore new ideas and gain wider experience that I hope will, in turn, benefit my full-time role with the Scarlets region."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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Awesome Sound - Easy Setup
Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
For a sound bar, you can't really ask for much more. DT really delivers on par with what you would expect from a brand with this type of reputation. The clarity and balance is unmatched compared to other soundbars. Don't be mistake, you can't replace a true 5.1 system with a soundbar and a sub, but this is as close as you will get. Can't really ask for more. To top it off, got an amazing deal from Crutchfield catching this on sale. If you are in the market for a soundbar and are considering this product, stop wasting your time - add to cart and order...


text: One of the biggest and most influential music festivals in Northern Europe is Way Out West, in Gothenburg, Sweden. This year it took place on August 9-11, and it was preceded by a three day music hackathon in which Sony was part. The mission for the developers taking part in this hackathon was to try to create and build the next great music app. As part of the Sony collaboration with Gracenote, developers were presented with the opportunity to develop apps using the Gracenote API. Through the API, the participating developers could get access to the world's largest database of music and video material. Check out the video above to get a glimpse of the action!


text:
Register online for local youth basketball leagues, camps, clinics & tournaments in Houston, TX. Find articles and videos for basketball coaches & players on shooting, ball handling, defense, and offense for practice and games.
Basketball Activities Near
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Join Advantage today and look for the logo to save on eligible events.


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Snowden backs web 'magna carta' bid
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has made a surprise appearance as a speaker at the TED conference in Vancouver, claiming certain governments wanted him dead.
Mr Snowden appeared on-stage on a remote screen alongside Sir Tim Berners-Lee, credited with the invention of the World Wide Web, who was putting forward his vision of a magna carta for the Internet that would enshrine the right to web freedom.
"It is no mystery that there are governments out there that want to see me dead," Mr Snowden told the conference. "I don't want to harm any governments but they cannot ignore due process.
"A magna carta is exactly what we need. We need to encode our values in the structure of the Internet. By engaging the people who rely on it every day we will get a better internet and build a better future than we can imagine.
"I am living proof that that an individual can go head-to-head with the most powerful intelligence agencies around the world and win."
His appearance follows a similar video link at the SXSW (South X South West) technology event in Austin, Texas, last month, and delivering the alternative Christmas message on Channel Four last year.
The Technology Entertainment and Design (TED) conference brings together speakers from around the world to share their ideas on how to improve and better understand the world.
Mr Snowden also hinted during his address that there were more documents to be revealed, saying "some of the most important reporting to be done is yet to come".
Sir Tim, who was speaking as part of the celebrations to mark 25 years of the World Wide Web, described Mr Snowden as a "hero" and offered him a virtual high-five when he appeared on stage.


text:
Academy For Professional Success
AEP - The Academy for Professional Success provides programming that enhances our cornerstone beliefs via:
New York Chiropractic College is extremely proud to present this bold initiative, offering a pioneering approach to professional success for alumni and students.
The program is comprehensive, practitioner-centered and informative. It focuses on success, leadership, business and balance - the cornerstones of the Academy for Professional Success.
The Academy will provide programming that enhances our core beliefs via coaching, seminars, Webinars, teleconferences, blogs and Web social networking such as Twitter and Facebook.
is the Academy's belief that each of us possesses the inherent ability to achieve personal and professional success.
is the belief that, as health care providers, we make a positive contribution to our communities every day.
The understanding of business principles is core to the Academy.
is integrating all aspects of success including economic, professional and personal.
Alumni Website: alumni.nycc.edu (Login Required)
|Contact Us - Privacy Policy - Site Feedback
|2360 State Rte. 89, Seneca Falls,
New York 13148 Ph: (800) 234-6922
© 2014 New York Chiropractic College. All rights reserved


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Credit Union House Attracts Bigwigs: CUNA
Credit Union House announced on Monday that it is on track to exceed last year's number of visitors with more than 2,500 individuals welcomed so far this year.
"We're also on track to exceed the number of VIP visitors from the last five years," Sue McCue, director of Credit Union House, said during a CUNA conference call on Monday.
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have all attended events at Credit Union House this year alone.
In total, 75 Members of Congress from 22 different states have visited Credit Union House for events in 2013, according to McCue.
CUNA said the Credit Union House's convenient Capitol Hill location has made it easier for members of Congress to appear at events in between their votes.
"We have an established, permanent identity and entity on Capitol Hill. We're not renting a space. We are there fulltime, today, tomorrow and into the future and every organization can't say that. Credit unions can," John Magill, executive vice president of government affairs and special assistant to the president at CUNA, said on the conference call.
Below, from left, Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), CUNA Vice President for Political Affairs Trey Hawkins, CUNA President/CEO Bill Cheney and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)


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Bringing Rain Gardens to Urban Areas
Water management is a major issue in large urban areas, where after heavy rainfall, rooftops, streets and pavements act as funnels. This sends huge volumes of water very quickly into drainage systems, putting pressure on rivers and increasing the risk of flooding.
In contrast, undeveloped land absorbs and utilises water, thus slowing its progress to rivers. It is this natural bioretention that our towns and cities must learn to mimic.
Rain gardens do just that. In its most basic form a rain garden is a planted depression in the ground, providing porous and absorbent materials into which water can soak, with plants that can withstand occasional temporary flooding.
Portland in the USA is a city that has utilised rain gardens since the early '90s, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has embraced green infrastructure and water management extensively as part of its Green City, Clear Water plan. In Seattle, municipal funding - alongside the efforts of local NGOs -has helped produce neighbourhood champions who maintain their own local rain gardens.
Dusty Gedge, famous for his pioneering work with green roofs, is a strong proponent of rain gardens. He says the UK lags behind by 'at least a decade'.
In South London, Owen Davies, an engineer working for Lambeth council, is starting to change all that. An inner city borough, most of Lambeth is paved, leaving very little green open space, Victorian sewer systems and only the Thames as an open water channel. Davies, Lambeth's Sustainability Engineer for Environmental Services & Highways, says: '15% of [Lambeth's] land use is public highway; it is a public open space and I think it should be looked at not just as a place to drive through; it should also be enjoyed.'
Existing traffic calming measures are often simply concrete structures, he points out, but councils could be much more creative with the way they manage roads.
On a town - or city - wide scale rain gardens can also help support and even improve biodiversity. They will mitigate the urban heat island effect and help to create more pleasant places to live. Measures like bioretention strips and tree pits use absorbent materials to slow and absorb water run-off from roads and pavements, while Bioswales - those long depressions often seen running parallel to roads - can be used to manage water runoff or to collect and channel water across a garden or park.
Read more at The Ecologist.
Rain garden image via Wikipedia.


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Photographer's Note
Hello friends and colleagues, today I offer this composition, with the balustrade of the bridge of San Martin and the view of the Petite France district observed from the bridge, in the charming city of Strasbourg, hope you like it, then one letters on the city.
Strasbourg (French: Strasbourg in Alsace: Strossburi, in German: Straßburg) is a city of France, capital and largest city of Alsace in eastern France. Strasbourg is the capital of the department of the Lower Rhine
The urban area of Strasbourg in 2009 reached a population of 1,175,393 inhabitants, extending its influence to nearby towns of Germany and standing at the 4th position of the larger towns of France. For location, since ancient Strasbourg is an important center of communications, especially river, hosting the second most important port on the River Rhine, which is the world's busiest river. University town with over 58 000 students, has numerous national schools, the largest pole of third level education in the country. The business structure is very important Strasbourg and cultural range, very high in the presence of a theater, library, orchestra and opera all national. The city is the capital of the country, only to have that level of cultural institutions. Strasbourg is the second largest banking center of France with a bag and 8 bank headquarters. The industrial sector is particularly active, with the Strasbourg region the most dynamic in the country in terms of GDP per capita.
Its historic center is Unesco World Heritage Site since 1988 and is very intense tourist activity. It is the eighth city of the world list of cities organizing conferences, behind Paris and ahead of Barcelona.
Source Wikipedia.
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3100
Software: PhotoScape
Exposure Time: 10/3200 sec
F-Stop: f/5.0
ISO Speed Ratings: 400
Focal Length: 18 mm
Date Taken: 2012-07-01 11:15
Metering Mode: Center Weighted Average
File Size: 476 kb
Critiques | Translate
Sergiom (98920) 2013-10-21 4:48
Ciao Angel,
Quelle belle ville à marcher. Par contre tout comme moi, tu n'as pas eu belle température pour mettre toutes ces belles couleurs en valeur. Par contre l'ensemble est d'une grande netteté .
Hi Angel,
i like the p.o.v. you have chosen, nice the couple in fg and colors. i liked this city but i think it's better to see before seeing Colmar.
jacquest (19213) 2013-10-21 5:01
Hello Angel,
This is a good POV on the buildings of this city. The two people at the balustrade with their umbrellas add an element of interest. The rainy weather has given well saturated colors and dharp details.
Best regards
snunney (115471) 2013-10-21 5:02
Hello Angel,
Old Strasbourg on a rainy day, but still looking as lovely as ever. I like the point of view and the presence of the two people with their umbrellas. Also, the excellent detail to be discerned in the colourful façades.
Oceania (5202) 2013-10-21 6:02
Hi Angel,
Rainy day in this beautiful place, it has different mood and atmosphere, but equally beautiful.
Nicou (162536) 2013-10-21 7:08
Avec ces personnages et leur papapluie quelle aigme et compo quelle rendu sur ces façade et cette architecture en colombages fantastque sur le pont sueprbe.
Bravo et amitié
adramad (53540) 2013-10-21 7:42
Hola Angel.
Esta ciudad es tan bonita, que con cualquier condicion climatologica esta preciosa, aqui el dia no podia estar peor, pues ya veo los paraguas, pero tanto las flores del primer plano, como las coloristas fachadas, crean una imagen muy eficaz y hermosa.
Buena gestion de la luminosidad y una buena nitidez.
Ten una buen dia.
Un fuerte abrazo.
Kugart (1778) 2013-10-21 7:46
Hi Angel,
Lovely scene here taken from the bridge in Strasbourg showing the delightful timber framed houses. Nice saturated colours and good light management for a somewhat dull day. Nice perspective showing the balustrade of the bridge and the two people in the shot looking towards the river.
Fis2 (117395) 2013-10-21 9:57
Witaj Angel!
Beautiful architecture,
interesting bridge.
I like frame, colors and sharpness.
Well done.
Greetings from Southern Greater Poland.
Good night my Friend.
lousat (104697) 2013-10-21 13:53
Ciao Angel,una luce poco fortunata che ti ha costretto a bruciare il cielo,ma la cosa era necessaria per non perdere i dettagli ed i colori di questo magnifico scenario con una esposizione troppo bassa,ottimo lavoro anche stavolta! Buon Martedi e complimenti,Luciano
nikkitta (17070) 2013-10-21 15:26
Buenas tardes Angel
Me encanta Strasburgo y su colorida y original arquitectura, veo,por tu foto que nada se pierde en un dia de lluvia, incluso parece que los colores resaltan aun mas
Buena composicion de un lado las flores del balcon y al otro las casas
La pareja le da el toque romantico
Buen trabajo, un saludo
fabbs99 (17179) 2013-10-22 12:03
Hello Angel,
Amazing sharpness and perfect light. Superb pov and exposure.Thanks for sharing this beautiful work.
macjake (78877) 2013-10-22 12:16
Hi Angel
perfect example to show us how to take a photo of a totally overexposed and bright white sky.
it worked out so well.
the white sky actually shows off the architecture that much more, and the 2 people holding umbrella's give us that relateable human effect.
nice shot
Silvio1953 (164873) 2013-10-23 0:45
Ciao Angel, bella vista di una magnifica città, nonostante la giornata piovosa i colori sono splendidi e la nitidezza è ottima, bravo, ciao Silvio
ikeharel (86598) 2013-10-23 4:08
Hola Angel,
Even when it rainsm, this town beauty is notable and draws the looks admiring the architecture's.
nice placed the couple under their umbrella off-center the image, allow more elements of the house on left, to employ the pic. space.
Flowers added extra vivid tone to the marvelous sight.
Buen tardes,
Kamilutka (8107) 2013-10-23 12:04
Hello Angel,
what a shame the weather wasn't great-it would highlight all the beautiful colors of this place. Nevertheless, even during rain Strassburg is a charming city to visit. Good idea to include two people in the corner. Well chosen POV.
Thanks for sharing
claudeD (43504) 2013-10-24 6:47
Hello Angel,
I know the place very well from several visits to Strasbourg. "Petite France" is an amazing location. You had no chance with the rain that day of your visit.TFS.
With regards from Luxembourg
Photo Information
- Copyright: angel cornejo (cornejo) (52234)
- Genre: Places
- Medium: Color
- Date Taken: 2012-07-01
- Categories: Daily Life, Architecture
- Camera: Nikon D3100, Tamron AF18-200 F/ 3.5-6.3 xr, 62mm HAMA Circular Polarizer
- Exposure: f/5.0, 1/320 seconds
- More Photo Info: view
- Photo Version: Original Version
- Date Submitted: 2013-10-21 4:34


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SCOTLAND'S economy would have had a budget deficit of £2.7 billion last year – even with its "geographical share" of North Sea oil revenues, official figures have found.
Without oil revenues the same Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) report showed that the deficit would have been 10.2 billion.
But the figures – drawn up by Scottish Government statisticians, who insisted there was no ministerial interference – also suggest that Scotland is in a stronger position than the rest of the UK if oil is taken into account.
The new report, which goes to the heart of the debate over whether Scotland could survive financially as an independent nation, is the first GERS investigation to be published under the SNP administration.
The SNP seized on a figure that suggested Scotland would have a budget surplus of 837 million if it was given 83 per cent share of North Sea revenues. The surplus changes to a deficit of 2.7 billion when capital costs for projects such as roads, schools and hospitals are included.
The figures were calculated on an average price of $65 per barrel during 2006-7. The 2008 average figure is $120, a point John Swinney, the finance secretary, was keen to emphasise. "As North Sea oil revenues soar, the City accountancy firm Grant Thornton estimates that Scotland's surplus would now stand at some 4.4 billion," he said.
But the figures have been disputed by the UK Treasury, which argued that some costs have not been included, such as Scotland's share of nuclear power station decommissioning costs.
"The fact of the matter is that in Scotland borrowing is higher than the rest of the UK; tax receipts per person are lower and spending per person is higher," a Treasury spokesman added.
The Scottish Government accused the Treasury of double standards in its argument.
"They want us to use the actual spending in Scotland for decommissioning because it is greater here, but on things like defence spending they use the per capita formula when most of the money is spent in the south of England," a source close to Mr Swinney said.
But the Centre for Public Policy for Regions, an independent think tank based at Glasgow University, issued a warning to the SNP.
Professor John McLaren said: "There are some difficult questions to be answered here. Oil is not a product that can be relied upon for the long term. Its price fluctuates and the amount coming out is reducing.
"This report shows that something has to be done about the underlying 10 billion deficit if Scotland were to be independent. And if the SNP create an oil fund they have to remember that would take money away from balancing the books."
The analysis was supported by the pro-independence Greens, who have warned that peak oil production has now passed and a different economic model is needed.
Derek Brownlee, the Conservatives' finance spokesman, was also dismissive. "As a fuel crisis sweeps the globe, the SNP is trying to build the case for independence on the volatile price and diminishing supply of oil," he said."The SNP seems to be highly selective in its crystal ball gazing – for example the accompanying study only runs until 2013 and ignores the North Sea Oil decommissioning costs, which might well produce much smaller or even negative oil tax revenues in later years."
Scottish Labour pointed out that the SNP used to attack the GERS report until it supported their argument.
And Tavish Scott, the Liberal Democrats' finance spokesman, accused Mr Swinney of "cherry picking", adding: "What the figures do show is a clear case for Scotland to remain part of the UK, but raise as much of its own spending as practical."
Nationalists have some hard choices to make
OIL could be the lubricant that makes the Scottish economic machine tick.
The Government and Expenditure and Revenue (GERS) report for 2006-7 confirms this but also shows that, without this unpredictable commodity, Scotland's books are in poor shape.
When all spending is taken into account, Scotland would still be running at a deficit of 2.7 billion.
This means that if Scotland were independent and continued with its same spending, then it would be largely reliant on a finite resource with a highly variable price and unknown future costs.
As the Centre for Public Policy for Regions warns, this is not a secure basis for an independent economy and if the SNP is to fulfil its dream then it needs to decide what it will do with the underlying spending deficit of more than 10 billion.
This is as true if a Norwegian-style oil fund were to be created. Any money put into a fund is less that can be used to meet the balance of payments.
So GERS may prove that Scotland would be viable as an independent country, but it also shows that the Nationalists need to start looking beyond oil and make some hard decisions between high taxation or much reduced services if they are to come up with a realistic vision.


text: Joe Landman <landman at scalableinformatics.com> writes: >> I think you're looking through the lens of your customer base. A large > > Quite possibly. > >> number of clusters never run commercial codes, and some commercial > > True. They tend to be low margin commodity clusters that are very > hard to support "value added" companies atop though. That depends. SiCortex claims that they're an overall win for their customers. Perhaps this is true, perhaps not, but one can certainly see how people who need extremely large clusters might care a lot. >> codes come with source. So the addressable market is still pretty big. > > Well... the TAM is "large" in some sense, but the margins in the > academic/research market are nothing to write home about. It is hard > to build a (venture backed) company servicing those markets. There are a lot of venture backed companies in computational chemistry that seem to make all their money on academic and research -- indeed, I don't know of any market for computational chemistry software outside of academia and research (though of course some of that research is paid for by pharma companies). Going outside of computers, there are plenty of companies that make their money selling biotechnology equipment and specialty chemicals that are primarily of interest in academia and in research -- arrays to measure gene expression levels, for example, but there is a very broad market. None of this should be surprising -- there is a lot of money spent on academic and commercial research in the world. Perry -- Perry E. Metzger perry at piermont.com


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Casey is doing his best to lose this game.
Casey is doing his best to lose this game.
Why does our bench just jack 3's up all night...I hate this live by the 3-ball mentality, this team need a post threat off the bench already.
That line up looked SO bad out there. Anderson and Ross were always within 2m of each other.
Ok Rudy you've been waiting for the 4th quarter so here it is... you better fucking win this game
Andrea has taken more shots than Rudy. I'm about to cry.
Too many shooters on this team. All of them inconsistent with the exception of Lucas. If Anderson keeps jacking shots like this he will play himself out of the league.
This is embarrassing.
Casey efficiently ensuring the loss.
Anderson must have some really bad pictures of Casey.
Sub Anderson before I shoot myself.
Okay we've run the Andrea experiment, now please put JV in or anybody for that matter.
We dont really have possessions to give up
This is f****** embarassing.
Talk about a trap game
Bargnani after this game I hope he gets quick hooks for being useless yo someone check Beal's Urine for illegals the guy is going off!
He has not made the team bad. The perimeter is where they are being hurt.
Toronto needs to hire an actual, honest to god, HEAD coach, for once in their fucking existence.
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If Only Citi Had a Formal Cost-Cutting Plan
If Citi really got to business on the cost-cutting front, it could boost its earnings-per-share as much as 25%, or $1, says Nomura.
CEO Michael Corbat has made clear that expenses are a major focus of his strategy, though Citigroup hasn't announced a formal cost-cutting program like some of its rivals.
The company is already more efficient than J.P. Morgan and Bank of America and it's been cutting more than rivals–savings of about 8% annually versus 6% for those with stated savings plans.
Nomura says cutting up to 10% more of costs could add up to a buck to Citi's annual EPS. Citi reported expenses of $36.8 billion for 2012 for the first three quarters of this year, down 3% on-year.
Its shares are down 1.8% to $34.59 in recent action, among the weaker banks in a generally red day for the industry. Its shares remain up 32% for the year.