text:
Puffling operate the Puffling recruitment service that helps find flexible employment and/or job sharing arrangements for candidates via its website (Puffling Services). A Candidate's use of the Puffling Services is subject to these Candidate Terms of Service.
The following terms are used regularly throughout these Terms of Service and have a particular meaning:
(a) Agreement means these Candidate Terms of Service;
(b) Candidate means any person or Puffling Pair (where implied by context) that uses the Puffling Services as a Candidate.
(c) Candidate Information means any information provided by a Candidate to Puffling, or that the Candidate otherwise consents to Puffling collecting about the Candidate.
(d) Client means a person, company or other employer together with any subsidiary or associated company that engages the Puffling Services to arrange Introductions or Engagements with Candidates.
(e) Client Information means any information provided by a Client to Puffling, or that a Client authorises Puffling to collect about the Client.
(f) Employment means an employment arrangement between the Client and a candidate subject to an Engagement, but specifically excludes a temping arrangement.
(g) Engagement means the engagement or use of the Candidate by a Client on a permanent or temporary basis whether as an employee or a contractor;
(h) GST has the same meaning as in A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (Cth).
(i) Introduction means an introduction of a Candidate made by Puffling by providing contact details or arranging a meeting that results in any in-person meeting, telephone call, email or other correspondence with:
i. A Client for the purposes of evaluating the Candidate's suitability for employment, temping, contracting or other placement; or
ii. Another Candidate for the purposes of evaluating a potential job-share arrangement with that Candidate.
(j) Puffling Pair means the job-sharing team of Candidates.
(k) Privacy Act means the Privacy Act 1988 Cth
(l) Puffling means Puffling Recruitment Pty. Ltd. ABN 11 616 219 044.
(m) Puffling Services means the any of the following services provided by Puffling:
i. Recruitment services, including arranging Introductions and Engagements;
ii .dFinding and introducing Candidates to each other for the purposes of arranging a job-share; and
iii. Use of the Website.
(n) Restraint Period means the period of 6 months from the end of the Candidate's last Engagement.
(o) User means any Candidate or other user of the Website.
(p) Website means https://www.pufflingtech.co or any other website operated by Puffling from time-to- time to provide the Puffling Services.
2.1 To use the Puffling Services, the Candidate must sign up for an account via the Website and provide such information as Puffling may require to enable Puffling to 2.1 provide the Puffling Services.
2.2 Each Candidate agrees that all use of the Puffling Services is subject to these Candidate Terms of Service.
2.3 The Puffling Services are only available to Users over the age of 18.
2.4 The Company may suspend the Puffling Services to any Candidate or other user that breaches the terms of this Agreement.
3.1 By signing up to the Puffling Services on the Website, the Candidate acknowledges that they are engaging Puffling to provide the Puffling Services and are bound by the terms of this Agreement.
3.2 The Candidate authorises Puffling to provide any of the Candidate's Candidate Information to:
(a) Clients for the purposes of arranging an Introduction, or Engagement; or
(b) Other Candidate's for the purposes of arranging an Introduction or job-share.
3.3 The terms of this Agreement are subject to change by notification 30 days in advance by Puffling to the Candidate. Notifications can be issued via email, or via the Website.
3.4 The Candidate must notify Puffling if the Candidate does not accept any changes to this Agreement, and terminate this Agreement within 30 days of receiving notice of such changes.
3.5 The Candidate acknowledges that Puffling does not guarantee that the Puffling Services shall result in the Candidate achieving an Introduction or Engagement.
3.6 Where Puffling makes an Introduction to another Candidate, the Candidate acknowledges and accepts that:
(a) Puffling makes no representation as to the character, qualifications, experience or other credentials of any Candidate;
(b) Puffling makes no representation that such an Introduction will result in a Puffling Pair;
3.7 Puffling makes no representation that a Candidate or Puffling Pair that is formed between Candidates will receive an Introduction or Engagement with any Client.
3.8 Where one or more Candidates form a Puffling Pair, each Candidate in the Puffling Pair acknowledges that they are responsible to each other Candidate in the Puffling Pair and that:
(a) Puffling is not responsible for ensuring any Candidate within a Puffling Pair will achieve any work, whether the Puffling Pair is placed in an Engagement;
(b) Puffling is not responsible to any Candidate if one or more Candidates leaves a Puffling Pair for any reason, including if it results in termination of the Engagement; and
(c) The members of a Puffling Pair are free to make any arrangements between themselves with regard to an Engagement provided they comply with the requirements of the Client, in relation to that Engagement.
3.9 Where the Candidate accepts any Employment position with a Client, the Candidate agrees that the Candidate shall make best endeavours to maintain the Employment arrangement for at least 3 months from commencement.
4.1 Whilst Puffling endeavours to make every reasonable effort to ensure the suitability of a Client, Puffling makes no representation and bears no responsibility for the accuracy of any information provided by a Client regarding a potential Engagement or the Client's:
(a) Reputation;
(b) Work safety practices;
(c) Profitability; or
(d) Business generally.
4.2 The Candidate warrants that all information that it provides Puffling is accurate and up- to-date, and shall indemnify Puffling in the event that any such information proves to be inaccurate or out of date, including (without limitation) with regard to the Candidate's character, credentials, experience or qualifications.
4.3 Each Client and Candidate is responsible to each other with regard to any Introduction or Engagement. Puffling shall not be responsible for any act or omission, or any agreement formed between a Client and Candidate during an Introduction or Engagement.
5.1 The Candidate shall not undertake an Engagement, and must notify Puffling within the Restraint Period if the Candidate is seeking or has been offered an Engagement with any Client, former Client, successors of a Client, employee or former employee of Puffling whom the Candidate:
(a) Had an Introduction to, within the previous 12 months that did not result in an Engagement; or
(b) Had an Engagement that ceased in the previous 12 months.
5.2 Where a Candidate notifies the Puffling of any matter subject to clause 5.1, the Candidate may request Puffling's consent to undertake such an Engagement, which consent Puffling shall not unreasonably withhold.
5.3 In the event that Puffling has arranged an Introduction between the Candidate and a Client, the Candidate agrees that the Candidate will not seek or accept an offer of employment presented by another recruitment or employment agency for placement with that Client for a period of two weeks from the cessation of the Candidate's Introduction, or last Engagement with that Client.
5.4 Where the Restraint Period is found by a court of law to be unenforceable, then a three- month restraint period will apply. Where three months is found by a court of law to be unenforceable then a forty-five day restraint period will apply.
6.1 All information in respect of a potential job-sharing Candidate or Client is confidential information provided to the Candidate for the sole purpose of enabling the Candidate to determine the suitability of a job sharing partner or Client for employment. The Candidate will keep such information confidential and will not use it for any purpose other than that for which it was provided.
6.2 The Candidate acknowledges that Candidate Information and Client Information provided by the Company is sensitive confidential information and may contain personal information as that term is defined in the Privacy Act.
6.3 The Candidate is responsible for ensuring that it maintains all:
(a) Confidential Information as confidential, both during and after the term of this Agreement; and
(b) Personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act and any other applicable privacy legislation.
6.4 Puffling shall maintain all Candidate Information and Client Information in accordance with he requirements of the Privacy Act.
7.1 Puffling complies with Australian anti-discrimination laws (Anti-Discrimination Act NSW 1977) and does not and will not question Candidates or Clients on issues that may breach this legislation.
8.1 Special Conditions. The parties may agree to any Special Conditions to this Agreement in writing.
8.2 Prevalence. To the extent this Agreement is in conflict with, or inconsistent with any Special Conditions made under this Agreement, the terms of those Special Conditions shall prevail.
8.3 Disclaimer. Each party acknowledges that it has not relied on any representation, warranty or statement made by any other party, other than as set out in this Agreement.
8.4 Relationship. The relationship of the parties to this Agreement does not form a joint venture or partnership.
8.5 Waiver. No clause of this Agreement will be deemed waived and no breach excused unless such waiver or consent is provided in writing.
8.6 Further Assurances. Each party must do anything necessary (including executing agreements and documents) to give full effect to this Agreement and the transaction facilitated by it.
8.7 Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. Each of the parties hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of courts with jurisdiction there.
8.8 Severability. Any clause of this Agreement, which is invalid or unenforceable, is ineffective to the extent of the invalidity or unenforceability without affecting the remaining clauses of this Agreement.
1.1. Puffling Recruitment Pty Ltd respects your right to privacy and is committed to safeguarding the privacy of our customers and website visitors. We adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). This policy sets out how we collect and treat your personal information.
1.2." Personal information" is information we hold which is identifiable as being about you.
2.1 Puffling Recruitment Pty Ltd will, from time to time, receive and store personal information you enter onto our website, provided to us directly or given to us in other forms.
2.2 You may provide basic information such as your name, phone number, address and email address to enable us to send information, provide updates and process your product or service order. We may collect additional information at other times, including but not limited to, when you provide feedback, when you provide information about your personal or business affairs, change your content or email preference, respond to surveys and/or promotions, provide financial or credit card information, or communicate with our customer support.
2.3 Additionally, we may also collect any other information you provide while interacting with us.
3.1 Puffling Recruitment Pty Ltd collects personal information from you in a variety of ways, including when you interact with us electronically or in person, when you access our website and when we provide our services to you. We may receive personal information from third parties. If we do, we will protect it as set out in this Privacy Policy.
4.1 Puffling Recruitment Pty Ltd may use personal information collected from you to provide you with information, updates and our services. We may also make you aware of new and additional products, services and opportunities available to you. We may use your personal information to improve our products and services and better understand your needs.
4.2 Puffling Recruitment Pty Ltd may contact you by a variety of measures including, but not limited to telephone, email, sms or mail.
5.1. We may disclose your personal information to any of our employees, officers, insurers, professional advisers, agents, suppliers or subcontractors insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy. Personal information is only supplied to a third party when it is required for the delivery of our services.
5.2. We may from time to time need to disclose personal information to comply with a legal requirement, such as a law, regulation, court order, subpoena, warrant, in the course of a legal proceeding or in response to a law enforcement agency request.
5.3. We may also use your personal information to protect the copyright, trademarks, legal rights, property or safety of Puffling Recruitment Pty Ltd, www.puffling.co, its customers or third parties.
5.4. Information that we collect may from time to time be stored, processed in or transferred between parties located in countries outside of Australia. These may include, but are not limited to Australia.
5.5. If there is a change of control in our business or a sale or transfer of business assets, we reserve the right to transfer to the extent permissible at law our user databases, together with any personal information and non-personal information contained in those databases. This information may be disclosed to a potential purchaser under an agreement to maintain confidentiality. We would seek to only disclose information in good faith and where required by any of the above circumstances.
5.6. By providing us with personal information, you consent to the terms of this Privacy Policy and the types of disclosure covered by this Policy. Where we disclose your personal information to third parties, we will request that the third party follow this Policy regarding handling your personal information.
6.1. Puffling Recruitment Pty Ltd is committed to ensuring that the information you provide to us is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure information and protect it from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.
6.2. The transmission and exchange of information is carried out at your own risk. We cannot guarantee the security of any information that you transmit to us, or receive from us. Although we take measures to safeguard against unauthorised disclosures of information, we cannot assure you that personal information that we collect will not be disclosed in a manner that is inconsistent with this Privacy Policy.
7.1. You may request details of personal information that we hold about you in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). A small administrative fee may be payable for the provision of information. If you would like a copy of the information which we hold about you or believe that any information we hold on you is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
7.2. We reserve the right to refuse to provide you with information that we hold about you, in certain circumstances set out in the Privacy Act.
8.1. If you have any complaints about our privacy practices, please feel free to send in details of your complaints to Level 2, 66 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 2010, Australia. We take complaints very seriously and will respond shortly after receiving written notice of your complaint.
9.1. Please be aware that we may change this Privacy Policy in the future. We may modify this Policy at any time, in our sole discretion and all modifications will be effective immediately upon our posting of the modifications on our website or notice board. Please check back from time to time to review our Privacy Policy.
When you come to our website (www.puffling.co) we may collect certain information such as browser type, operating system, website visited immediately before coming to our site, etc. This information is used in an aggregated manner to analyse how people use our site, such that we can improve our service.
We may from time to time use cookies on our website. Cookies are very small files which a website uses to identify you when you come back to the site and to store details about your use of the site. Cookies are not malicious programs that access or damage your computer. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but you can choose to reject cookies by changing your browser settings. However, this may prevent you from taking full advantage of our website.
10.3. Our website may from time to time use cookies to analyses website traffic and help us provide a better website visitor experience. In addition, cookies may be used to serve relevant ads to website visitors through third party services such as Google Adwords. These ads may appear on this website or other websites you visit.
Our site may from time to time have links to other websites not owned or controlled by us. These links are meant for your convenience only. Links to third party websites do not constitute sponsorship or endorsement or approval of these websites. Please be aware that Puffling Recruitment Pty Ltd is not responsible for the privacy practises of other such websites. We encourage our users to be aware, when they leave our website, to read the privacy statements of each and every website that collects personal identifiable information. 01 January 2017
Puffling operate the Puffling recruitment service that helps find individuals and/or job sharing employment candidates for clients (Puffling Services). A Client's use of the Puffling Services is subject to these Employer Terms of Service.
The following terms are used regularly throughout these Terms of Service and have a particular meaning:
1.1 Each Client agrees that all use of the Puffling Services as a Client is subject to these Employer Terms of Service.
1.2 To use the Puffling Services, the Client must provide such Client Information as Puffling may require to enable Puffling to provide the Puffling Services.
1.3 The Company may suspend the Puffling Services to any Client that breaches the terms of this Agreement.
2.1 The Client agrees to pay Puffling for search, interviewing, telephone reference checks and placement of Candidates.
2.2 The Client shall pay Puffling a Fee of:
2.3 Each salary package offered by the Client must include the base salary and employer superannuation.
2.4 Puffling may charge the Client such other Fees as notified by Puffling to the Client from time-to-time on 1 months' notice, or as otherwise agreed between Puffling and the Client.
2.5 Puffling shall provide the Client with a Tax Invoice for the Fee prior to the commencement of the Engagement.
2.6 If Puffling does not provide a valid Tax Invoice the Client may withhold from any payment made to Puffling the amounts required for the Client to comply with the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Cth) and related legislation.
2.7 The Client agrees to pay any Tax Invoice promptly and within the stated timeframe, which in default shall be 14 days from the invoice.
2.8 If the Client fails to pay an amount due under this Agreement by a due date, Puffling may charge interest on the overdue amount at no more than 10% per annum compounding daily.
2.9 Should the Client dispute any charge on a Tax Invoice, the Client must notify Puffling of the disputed item within 5 days of the date of the Tax Invoice.
2.10 The Client must pay the amount of the Tax Invoice not in dispute within the stated timeframe.
2.11 Failure by the Client to notify Puffling of a disputed Tax Invoice within 5 days shall be deemed acceptance by the Client of the entire Tax Invoice and a waiver of any right to make a claim in relation to the Tax Invoice.
2.12 Where Fees are not paid in accordance with this Agreement, the Client will forfeit any claim under the Replacement Discount or Guarantee clause of this Agreement, unless Puffling agrees otherwise.
3.1 Except where required by law or in accordance with the rest of subclauses in this clause 3, the Client shall not be entitled to a refund or a discount or any remedy on replacing a Candidate in the event that an Engagement is terminated early for any reason.
3.2 The subclauses of this clause only apply if Puffling offers the client a Replacement Guarantee. Puffling does not offer a Replacement Guarantee unless agreed otherwise with the Client in writing, or if the Client paid the Guarantee Fee in accordance with clause 2.2(b).
4.1 Whilst Puffling endeavours to make every reasonable effort to ensure the suitability of a Candidate selected on the Client's behalf, Puffling does not verify the authenticity or accuracy concerning the Candidate's character, experience, skill, qualifications or general integrity.
4.2 For the period of 12 months following any Introduction, the Client must not contact a Candidate directly, but must contact Puffling to arrange any further meetings, discussions, provide further correspondence or make any offer regarding an Engagement with the Candidate.
4.3 If the Client makes an offer of Engagement, in any capacity, to any Candidate within the twelve (12) month period following the Introduction, then Puffling retains the right to charge the Client the relevant Fee for that Engagement.
4.4 If the Client discloses or passes on details of a Candidate introduced by Puffling to a third-party, and that third-party hires that Candidate within 12 months of the Introduction, then the Client will be liable for the Standard Fee that would apply to that Engagement as though the Client had engaged the Candidate under this Agreement.
4.5 The decision to engage or reject a Candidate, either in a freelance or permanent capacity, is the sole decision of the Client. The Client acknowledges that it is required to make and rely on its own enquiries and that the Client voluntarily assumes charge of the interview process for Candidates. Puffling accepts no liability for any loss or damage, of whatever kind, suffered by the Client as a result of any:
4.6 The Candidate is not, and at no time will become an employee of Puffling.
4.7 The Client is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of each Candidate whilst providing services to the Client at the Client's premises, and must satisfy all its obligations in relation to all applicable:
4.8 Puffling will use its best endeavours to present suitable Candidates to the Client. However, Puffling makes no representation or guarantee that, when presented, any Candidates will be acceptable to the Client, or suitable for any Engagement.
4.9 To the maximum extent permitted by law, Puffling disclaims all liability and warranties in relation to this agreement. To the extent a liability or warranty cannot be excluded, it is limited at Puffling's option, to:
4.10 Any claim against Puffling in connection with this agreement must be brought within 6 months of the conduct giving rise to the liability or claim.
4.11 Puffling's total aggregate liability (including liability for negligence) under or in any way related to this agreement is limited to the Fees paid or payable to Puffling
5.1All Candidate Information is confidential information provided to the Client for the sole purpose of enabling the Client to determine the suitability of a Candidate/s for employment. The Client will keep such information confidential and will not use it for any purpose other than the purpose for which it was provided.
5.2 The Client acknowledges that Candidate Information is sensitive and personal and that the Client must comply with applicable privacy legislation (including the Privacy Act) and acknowledges that disclosure of such information may amount to a breach of privacy law.
5.3 Puffling shall maintain all Client Information as confidential information, and shall only disclose Client Information to Candidates as may be necessary to arrange an Introduction or Engagement.
5.4 Notwithstanding clause 5.3, the responsibility for protecting the Client's confidential information, personal information and intellectual property during an Introduction or Engagement lies solely with the Client.
6.1 Puffling complies with anti-discrimination laws (Anti-Discrimination Act NSW 1977) and does not and will not question Candidates or Clients on issues that may breach this legislation.
7.1 Special Conditions. The parties may agree to any Special Conditions to this Agreement in writing.
7.2 Prevalence. To the extent this Agreement is in conflict with, or inconsistent with any Special Conditions made under this Agreement, the terms of those Special Conditions shall prevail.
7.3 Disclaimer. Each party acknowledges that it has not relied on any representation, warranty or statement made by any other party, other than as set out in this Agreement.
7.4 Relationship. The relationship of the parties to this Agreement does not form a joint venture or partnership.
7.5 Waiver. No clause of this Agreement will be deemed waived and no breach excused unless such waiver or consent is provided in writing.
7.6 Further Assurances. Each party must do anything necessary (including executing agreements and documents) to give full effect to this Agreement and the transaction facilitated by it.
7.7 Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. Each of the parties hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of courts with jurisdiction there.
7.8 Severability. Any clause of this Agreement, which is invalid or unenforceable, is ineffective to the extent of the invalidity or unenforceability without affecting the remaining clauses of this Agreement<


text:
Monday, October 06, 2008
We hope that you're able to focus on helping users (and improving the web) by creating great content or providing a great service on your site. In between creating content and working on your site, you may have read some of the (often conflicting) link discussions circling the web. If you're asking, "What's going on—what do I need to know about links?" then welcome to the first day of links week!
Day 2: Internal links (links within your site)
Internal linking is your home page linking to your "Contact us" page, or your "Contact us" page linking to your "About me" page. Internal linking (also known as link architecture) is important because it's a major factor in how easily visitors can navigate your site. Additionally, internal linking contributes to your site's "crawlability"—how easily a spider can reach your pages. More in Day 2 of links week.
Day 3: Outbound links (sites you link to)
Outbound links are external sites that you're linking to. For example, www.google.com/webmasters links to the domain googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com (our lovely blog!). Outbound links allow us to surf the web—they're a big reason why the web is so exciting and collaborative. Without outbound links, your site can seem isolated from the community because each page becomes "brochure-ware." Most sites include outbound links naturally and it shouldn't be a big concern. If you still have questions, we'll be covering outbound linking in more detail on Day 3.
Day 4: Inbound links (sites linking to you)
Inbound links are external sites linking to you. There are many webmasters who (rightfully) aren't preoccupied by the subject of inbound links. So why do some webmasters care? It's likely because merit-based or volunteered inbound links may seem like a quick way to increase rankings and traffic. Answers to your questions like, "Are there no-cost methods to maximize my merit-based links?" are provided on Day 4.
Update: Included references to blog posts as they were published throughout links week.

subset: commoncrawl


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Real Estate Facts Not Fiction
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Strategic Defaults, It Could Get Ugly
Residential News
Residential Real Estate Edition
| By
Keith Jurow
| May 2, 2011 8:00 AM ET
Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter
In an article posted on
World Property Channel
last September --
Strategic Defaults Threaten All Major US Housing Markets
-- I discussed the growing threat that so-called "strategic defaults" posed to major metros which had experienced a housing bubble. With home prices showing renewed weakness again, now is a good time to revisit this important issue.
What Is Meant By Strategic Default?
According to Wikipedia, a strategic default is "the decision by a borrower to stop making payments (i.e., default) on a debt despite having the financial ability to make the payments." This definition has become the commonly accepted view.
I define a strategic defaulter to be any borrower who goes from never having missed a payment directly into a 90-day default. A good graph which I will discuss shortly illustrates my definition.
Who Walks Away from Their Mortgage?
When home prices were rising rapidly during the bubble years of 2003-2006, it was almost inconceivable that a homeowner would voluntarily stop making payments on the mortgage and lapse into default while having the financial means to remain current on the loan.
Then something happened which changed everything. Prices in most bubble metros leveled off in early 2006 before starting to decline. With certain exceptions, home prices have been falling quite steadily since then around the country. In recent memory, this was something totally new and it has radically altered how most homeowners view their house.
In those major metros where prices soared the most during the housing bubble, homeowners who have strategically defaulted share three essential assumptions:
The value of their home would not recover to their original purchase price for quite a few years.
They could rent a house similar to theirs for considerably less than what they were paying on the mortgage.
They could sock away tens of thousands of dollars by stopping mortgage payments before the lender finally got around to foreclosing.
Put yourself into the mind and shoes of an underwater homeowner who held these three assumptions. Can you see how the temptation to default might be difficult to resist?
Who Does Not Walk Away?
Most underwater homeowners continue to pay their mortgage. An article posted online in early February by USA Today discusses the dilemma faced by underwater homeowners in Merced, California, a city which has suffered one of the steepest collapses in home prices since their bubble burst in 2006.
The author cites the situation of one couple who had bought their home in 2006 for $241,000. They doubted it would bring more than $140,000 today. The husband considered the idea of looking for a better job in another state. But that meant selling the house for a huge loss or giving the house back to the bank and walking away. They refused to do that. The reason was simple in their mind. They made an agreement when they took out the mortgage.
The same explanation was given by another couple in their 50s who owe $375,000 on their loan and believe it would not sell for more than $150,000. They both work and can afford the mortgage payment. They are very attached to their home and feel a moral obligation to pay the mortgage. Yet they know that many others have walked away. Because they refuse to bail out of their loan, they concede that they are stuck and described their situation as a "bitter pill."
Two Key Studies Show that Strategic Defaults Continue to Grow
Last year, two important studies were published which have tried to get a handle on strategic defaults. First came an April report by three Morgan Stanley analysts entitled "Understanding Strategic Defaults."
The study analyzed 6.5 million anonymous credit reports from TransUnion's enormous database while focusing on first lien mortgages taken out between 2004 and 2007.
The authors found that loans originated in 2007 had a significantly higher percentage of strategic defaults than those originated in 2004. The following chart clearly shows this difference.
Why are the 2007 borrowers strategically defaulting much more often than the 2004 borrowers? Prices were rising rapidly in 2004 whereas they were falling in nearly all markets by 2007. So the 2007 loans were considerably more underwater than the 2004 loans.
Note also that the strategic default rate rises very sharply at higher Vantage credit scores. (Vantage scoring was developed jointly by the three credit reporting agencies and now competes with FICO scoring.)
Another chart shows us that even for loans originated in 2007, the strategic default percentage climbs with higher credit scores.
Notice in this chart that although the percentage of all loans which defaulted declines as the Vantage score rises, the percentage of defaults which are strategic actually rises.
A safe conclusion to draw from these two charts is that homeowners with high credit scores have less to lose by walking away from their mortgage. The provider of these credit scores, VantageScore Solutions, has reported that the credit score of a homeowner who defaults and ends up in foreclosure falls by an average of 21%. This is probably acceptable for a borrower who can pocket perhaps $40,000 to $60,000 or more by stopping the mortgage payment.
Why Do Homeowners Strategically Default?
Is there a decisive factor that causes a strategic default? To answer this, we need to turn to the other recent study.
Last May, a very significant analysis of strategic defaults was published by the Federal Reserve Board. Entitled "
The Depth of Negative Equity and Mortgage Default Decisions
," it was extremely focused in scope. The authors examined 133,000 non-prime first lien purchase mortgages originated in 2006 for single-family properties in the four bubble states where prices collapsed the most -- California, Florida, Nevada, and Arizona. All of the mortgages provided 100% financing with no down payment.
By September 2009, an astounding 80% of all these homeowners had defaulted. Half of these defaults occurred less than 18 months from the origination date. During that time, prices had dropped by roughly 20%. By September 2009 when the study's observation period ended, median prices had fallen by roughly another 20%.
This study really zeroes in on the impact which negative equity has on the decision to walk away from the mortgage. Take a look at this first chart which shows strategic default percentages at different stages of being underwater.
Notice that the percentage of defaults which are strategic rises steadily as negative equity increases. For example, with FICO scores between 660 and 720, roughly 45% of defaults are strategic when the mortgage amount is 50% more than the value of the home. When the loan is 70% more than the house's value, 60% of the defaults were strategic.
This last chart focuses on the impact which negative equity has on strategic defaults based upon whether or not the homeowner missed any mortgage payments prior to defaulting.
This chart shows what I consider to be the best measure of strategic defaulters. It separates defaulting homeowners by whether or not they missed any mortgage payments prior to defaulting. As I see it, a homeowner who suddenly goes from never missing a mortgage payment to defaulting has made a conscious decision to default.
The chart reveals that when the mortgage exceeds the home value by 60%, roughly 55% of the defaults are considered to be strategic. For those strategic defaulters who are this far underwater, the benefits of stopping the mortgage payment outweigh the drawbacks (or "costs" as the authors portray it) enough to overcome whatever reservations they might have about walking away.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The implications of this FRB report are really grim. Keep in mind that 80% of the 133,000 no-down-payment loans examined had gone into default within three years. Clearly, homeowners with no skin in the game have little incentive to continue paying the loan when the property goes further and further underwater.
While the bulk of the zero-down-payment first liens originated in 2006 have already gone into default, there are millions of 80/20 piggy-back loans originated in 2004-2006 which have not.
We know from reports issued by Loan Performance that roughly 33% of all the Alt A loans securitized in 2004-2006 were 80/20 no-down-payment deals. Also, more than 20% of all the subprime loans in these mortgage-backed security pools had no down payments.
Here is the most ominous statistic of them all. In my article on the looming home equity line of credit (HELOC) disaster posted here in early September (
Home Equity Lines of Credit: The Next Looming Disaster?
), I pointed out that there were roughly 13 million HELOCs outstanding. This HELOC madness was concentrated in California where more than 2.3 million were originated in 2005-2006 alone.
How many of these homes with HELOCs are underwater today? Roughly 98% of them, and maybe more. Equifax reported that in July 2009, the average HELOC balance nationwide for homeowners with prime first mortgages was nearly $125,000. Yet the studies which discuss how many homeowners are underwater have examined only first liens. It's very difficult to get good data about second liens on a property.
So if you've read that roughly 25% of all homes with a mortgage are now underwater, forget that number. If you include all second liens, It could easily be 50%. This means that in many of those major metros that have experienced the worst price collapse, more than 50% of all mortgaged properties may be seriously underwater.
The Florida Collapse: Is This Where We Are Heading?
Nowhere is the impact of the collapse in home prices more evident than in Florida. The three counties with the highest percentage of first liens either seriously delinquent or in pre-foreclosure (default) are all located in Florida. According to CoreLogic, the worst county is Miami-Dade with an incredible 25% of all mortgages in serious distress and headed for either foreclosure or short sale.
An article posted on the Huffington Post in mid-January 2011 describes the Florida "mortgage meltdown" in grim detail. Written by Floridian Mark Sunshine, it begins by pointing out that 50% of all the residential mortgages currently sitting in private, non-GSE mortgage-backed securities (MBS) were more than 60 days delinquent -- either seriously delinquent, in default, bankruptcy, or already foreclosed by the bank. I checked his source -- the American Securitization Forum -- and the percentage was correct.
The author then goes on to discuss a strategic default situation among his friends in Florida. One of them had purchased a condo in early 2007 for $300,000. By mid-2010, it had plunged in value to less than $100,000 and he decided to stop paying the mortgage. When he expressed his concerns about the possible consequences to his buddies -- including an attorney, an accountant, and a doctor -- all expressed the same advice to him. They told him to walk away from the mortgage, save his money, and prepare to move to a rental unit. To them, it seemed like a no-brainer.
The author was a little surprised that no one thought there was anything wrong with strategically defaulting. The attorney actually suggested that the defaulter file for bankruptcy to prevent the bank from going after a deficiency judgment for the remaining loan balance after the repossessed property was sold.
The conclusion expressed by the author has far-reaching implications. As he saw it, "More and more Floridians who pay their mortgage feel like chumps compared to defaulters; they turn over their disposable income to the bank and know it will take most of their lifetimes to recover."
As prices slide to new lows in metro after metro, will this attitude toward defaulting spread from Florida to more and more of the nation? A May 2010 Money Magazine survey asked readers if they would ever consider walking away from their mortgage. The results were sobering indeed:
Never: 42%
Only if I had to: 38%
Yes: 16%
Already have: 4%
In late January of this year, a report on strategic defaults issued by the Nevada Association of Realtors seemed to confirm the findings of the two studies I've discussed. The telephone survey interviewed 1,000 Nevada homeowners. One question asked was this: "Some homeowners in Nevada have chosen to undergo a 'strategic default' and stop making mortgage payments despite having the ability to make the payments. Some refer to this as 'walking away from a mortgage.' Would you describe your current or recent situation as a 'strategic default?'?"
Of those surveyed, 23% said they would classify their own situation as a strategic default. Many of those surveyed said that trusted confidants had advised them that strategic default was their best option. One typical response was that the loan "was so upside down it would never have been okay."
What seems fairly clear from this Nevada survey and the two reports I've reviewed is that as home values continue to decline and loan-to-value (LTV) ratios rise, the number of homeowners choosing to walk away from their mortgage obligation will relentlessly grow. That means growing trouble for nearly all major housing markets around the country.
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Thursday, August 9, 2012
Birthday Beach Break
41 comments:
Happy Belated Birthday!ReplyDelete
Hey another August born blogger! Happy belated birthday, Alex :D Have a great year.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks! Oh, and don't be nervous/bummed about your bday... I think I remember you saying you get freaked by getting older. Embrace it!Delete
Happy Belated Birthday man! Enjoy the beach!ReplyDelete
Happy belated birthday! A well earned break I might add, see you on the other side.ReplyDeleteReplies
Ha, thanks man. I've emerged on the other side ready and rarin' to go.Delete
It was your birthday yesterday? Dang, man, why didn't you tell us before? Happy belated birthday.ReplyDeleteReplies
Ha thanks. Ah, I've never been one to make a fuss about my birthday. No worries about getting older at all, just no need to have all the attention on me, you know?Delete
- AnonymousAugust 9, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Happy belated birthday, and enjoy the beach. I didn't know you're interested in other kinds of writing. As you know, based on your blogging and on Earrings, I have a tremendously high opinion of your talents. Can't wait to see where you go in the coming year.ReplyDeleteReplies
Aww thanks so much Stephanie, that was all very kind of you to say!Delete
Happy Birthday! Have fun at the beach.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 9, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Happy belated bithday! Enjoy your time at the beach!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks! It was a blast.Delete
So you share your Birthday with Roger Federer !! That's Nice.ReplyDelete
Happy Belated Birthday and Enjoy Your Break !!Replies
Ha nice, and Dustin Hoffman!Delete
Happy Belated Birthday. Hope you have a good time chillin'ReplyDelete
Happy (belated) birthday man! Enjoy your break. Thinkin' of taking one myself such I just finished a mammoth post that took me ages. Have a good one, Alex!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Tyler! Is that your updated 50 Directors? Giving that a read later today.Delete
Nice beach house, reminds me of that awesome mumblecore movie Vacation! You should watch that at the beach whilst you take a week of birthday celebrations. Have a great time.ReplyDeleteReplies
Ha, nice. I need to check that out sometime.Delete
Happy belated birthday, Alex! A trip to the beach sounds pretty nice right about now. Jealous.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks man! Ah it was very nice, very relaxing.Delete
Happy (super) belated bday mate!! Hope the break went/is going well :)ReplyDelete
Happy Belated! Enjoy the beach!ReplyDelete
Hope your beach break is fun-times!ReplyDelete
Oh my God, Alex, I missed your birthday, how could I? Sorry but I hope this makes it better: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope you had a great day, you will have a great year ahead of you and I wish you all the best! Have fun in your beach break!ReplyDeleteReplies
Haha it's all good! Thanks for the well wishes!Delete
Keep rockin' and rollin' with future projects, and enjoy the good weather during your break! Look forward to what you have in store for us here on the blog in the upcoming months :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks so much Chris!Delete
Oh man, I totally missed this. Happy belated birthday, Alex! Hope you had a good one.ReplyDelete
Happy belated birthday. Hope you had fun at the beach.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Max. I did indeed.Delete
I'm so late. But, happy birthday, Alex! Hope you had a good timeReplyDeleteReplies
Aw thanks Andina!Delete


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By Rep. Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg
Speaker of the House
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 8, 2013) – Nearly two years have passed since the effort to create a state university in Eastern Kentucky became public. It all began in December 2011, when former Gov. Paul Patton, state Rep. Leslie Combs, state Sen. Ray Jones and I proposed to bring the University of Pikeville (UPike) into the state's public postsecondary system. Almost immediately, our suggestion was met with a hailstorm of opposition from such university presidents as Morehead State University's Wayne Andrews and Western Kentucky University's Gary Ransdell, not to mention other county officials. The state's largest newspapers also editorialized against it even while recognizing that the coal industry was in jeopardy.
Those of us who supported this effort presented undeniable facts to anyone who would listen, from Gov. Steve Beshear and other legislators to the major papers' editorial boards and the Kentucky Coal Coalition, which is composed of county judge/executives and magistrates. We told these policy makers that a plan to rescue Eastern Kentucky from a total economic reliance on coal had to start with enhancing public education opportunities.
Unfortunately, our pleas fell on deaf ears, with the exception of Gov. Beshear, who agreed to create a scholarship fund from Multi-County Coal Severance tax dollars. This allowed third- and fourth-year college students in the region to pursue their bachelor's degree close to home either at area private colleges or at the KCTCS schools that had partnered with a regional four-year university.
Former Gov. Patton, who was UPike's president when this initiative began, promised the local officials in counties like Bell and Harlan – where the local opposition to a public UPike was strongest – that his school would reach out to work with their community college, making upper-level courses available in those areas.
Remember, this was supposed to be the responsibility of Morehead State University and Eastern Kentucky University, both of which have failed over the decades in fulfilling this task.
Unlike the false promises made by those institutions, Gov. Patton kept his word. As a result, and working with KCTCS, distance-learning programs were set up by UPike in Harlan, Bell, Letcher and Johnson counties.
In the 2012 and 2013 legislative sessions, Rep. Combs and I passed a bill in the House to make the pilot coal-severance scholarship program permanent. Unfortunately, our bill died in the Senate in 2012, and was only passed by that chamber in the final minutes of the 2013 Regular Session, meaning it could not get final approval before the midnight deadline for adjournment.
The manner in which the Senate acted, essentially denying students in both the Eastern and Western Kentucky coalfields the opportunity to further their education, was the cruelest and most blatant abuse of power I have witnessed in my 34 years of public service. I hope this wrong will be corrected during the 2014 Regular Session.
Even if this program is made permanent, though, I still believe there needs to be a comprehensive plan to save the counties of Eastern Kentucky, and this discussion should include the possibility of authorizing a full-time, four-year public postsecondary school. This could be achieved by using our own coal severance money, which is a win-win for us and the taxpayer while it helps our children and young adults achieve a brighter future.
Time is drawing short to take action. Each week, it seems, we learn that more mines are closing and more coal miners are out of work.
My hope is that the leaders of our public universities, the Kentucky State Senate and others who opposed our effort will now open their eyes to what is so obvious to those of us who live and grew up in the mountains: The only long-term solution is improving the educational attainment levels.
The 12 counties that have been the focus of our effort – Pike, Leslie, Magoffin, Letcher, Harlan, Perry, Bell, Martin, Johnson, Floyd, Breathitt and Knott – have a college graduation rate of 9.1 percent for citizens who are 25 and older. Statewide, the rate is 17.1 percent, and for the nation it is 24.4 percent. This statistic, when combined with the decline in the coal industry, doubly underscores the need to do more than what has been done.
In closing, I want to thank Gov. Beshear and those county officials and judge/executives and magistrates who over the past two years have changed their views on this extremely important issue.
They were the easy ones to convince, since they, like us, see the problems daily. We can only hope that the others I have mentioned will be granted a new vision as well.


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Finding what you need in your kitchen drawers can be a nightmare. Messy drawers can turn a simple kitchen task into a stressful ordeal, but it doesn't need to be that way. With the right items to organize kitchen drawers, everything you need will be easily accessible.
When you have just a couple of kitchen drawers to organize, it's relatively simple. But, when your kitchen has a larger number of drawers than average, including several deep drawers, you must find creative ways to make use of the space.
Before you start organizing your kitchen drawers, have a clear-out. We all have those wonky utensils with broken handles that we're holding onto just in case, but now's the time to get rid of them. Sort through your drawers and get rid of unnecessary duplicates (no, you don't need five lemon zesters), broken items and anything that you never use. Anything you don't need can be donated, recycled or thrown in the garbage, depending on its condition and what it's made from.
Shallow kitchen drawers are most commonly used to hold utensils and other small items, such as baking paper, food bags and cloths for cleaning and drying. However, with the right organizational solutions, you can make the most of the space and keep your drawers neat with everything inside easy to see and access.
Utensil organizers sit in your drawers with a range of compartments to hold different pieces of flatware and larger utensils. Expandable options, like the Pipishell Bamboo Expandable Drawer Organizer, help you make the most of the space in your drawers by expanding to their full width. That said, you still might not find you have enough space in one drawer for all your flatware plus your larger utensils. In this case, you can maximize space by using a compact cutlery organizer for your knives, forks and spoons alongside a larger organizer for your bigger utensils, like spatulas, whisks, ladles and wooden spoons.
If you find that the convenience of pod coffee is hindered by having to rummage around for the flavor or coffee type that you want, consider turning one of your drawers into a coffee pod drawer with the help of the right organizer. The Polar Whale Coffee Pod Storage Organizer comes in a range of sizes to fit most drawers. It's a breeze to use — simply fit your coffee pods into the recesses provided and you'll easily be able to read the pod type off the lid. No more searching through messy drawers full of loose coffee pods.
When you don't have space for a spice rack or prefer to keep a clutter-free countertop, where do you keep your spices? Although you can keep them in cabinets, it's hard to access the back rows of herbs and spices and you can easily forget what you've got in there. Instead, use a drawer spice organizer, like the Lynk 4 Tier Steel Spice Tray Drawer Organizer. It's expandable between roughly 14 and 26 inches wide and can hold four rows of jarred herbs and spices. It fits any drawers that are at least 3.25 inches deep, 16.5 inches long and 13.25 inches wide. This is a great way to store spices since you can easily see and access each jar.
Deep kitchen drawers give you more space to work with, yet they can feel less versatile and not all that useful without the right organizational items. Sure, they're big enough to fit pots, pans, plates and bowls, but you often need to stack them awkwardly, making things hard to access and leaving them looking messy. Luckily, you can find plenty of options to help you organize your kitchen drawers.
The trouble with storing things in deep kitchen drawers is that you need to stack thinner items, like plates and baking sheets, on top of one another. This allows you to fit more in each drawer but makes it tricky to access anything not at the top of the pile, taking more time to find what you need and resulting in messy drawers. When you use drawer dividers, however, you can make individual compartments to store items upright, rather than stacked. It makes it much easier to grab what you need without rummaging through your drawers and keeps your drawers looking neater since you won't be constantly moving items around inside them.
Peg systems — such as the Rev-A-Shelf Wood Peg Board System for Deep Drawers — consist of a base that sits in the bottom of a drawer that has a series of holes in it, into which you can fit the included pegs and other attachments. The standard pegs are great for organizing drawers to better fit mugs and crockery, while you can also buy additional metal attachments to easily stack pots and pot lids, though this is also possible with the standard pegs. They're great for making the most of the space in deep drawers and come in a range of sizes, so you can select one to best fit the dimensions of your kitchen drawers.
Use storage bins to create a produce drawer for fruits and vegetables that don't need storing in the fridge, such as potatoes, onions and avocados. These bins keep different items of produce separate and allow you to more easily store piles of product that don't typically stack. This is a great way to utilize space if you have an unused deep drawer, freeing up space in your cabinets or on the countertop. You can also use them to store any other small items that you don't use often or haven't found a better way to organize.
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.


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Alex Rodriguez's 2009 World Series ring will go up for auction tomorrow morning with an initial price tag of $5,000, though Rodriguez is not selling it. Rather, his steroid-mule cousin, Yuri Sucart, sold the ring to an auctioneer for $5,000 and some think the ring could fetch as much as $40,000.
Rodriguez evidently gifted the ring to Sucart and, as is usually the case when people try to auction a unique piece of memorabilia at a fraction of its potential worth, Sucart is getting rid of it because he is "tired of the notoriety that comes with being associated with Rodriguez" and not "really, really hurting for cash."
1010 WINS' Gene Michaels did some man-on-the-street reporting with noted Yankees fan "Jim" who thought the whole thing was "awesome." Until he heard the price, which was not-so-awesome for him. But did anyone other than Jim have any thoughts and, if so, Derek Jeter—Derek Jeter to the Derek Jeter—as a Jeter?
"Most people I met said they would not want that ring, but if a certain shortstop's ring became available, well then they'd be all in."
That's the side no one talks about when they talk about being a True Yankee Fan of a True Yankee, the less-glamorous side. A True Yankee would never give away his World Series ring so you'd never get a chance to buy it from a down-on-his-luck relative. So even though it comes with a certificate, it's probably a fake.
Alex Rodriguez's Only World Series Ring Going Up For Auction [CBS]
Cousin of Alex Rodriguez — the man the Yankees slugger says convinced him to take steroids — is selling World Series ring he got as gift [NY Daily News]


text:
The City of Cedar Springs held an appreciation party for former Fire Chief Jerry Gross Sr. last Thursday, June 9, before the city council meeting. Gross decided to step down from administrative duties, at the end of May, after 11 years as Fire Chief. "My intent is to stay with the department and still run fires and medical calls," explained Gross, who turns 64 in September. He has been on the fire department for 32 years.
The Post thanks Jerry for his commitment to the community and the dedication he has shown through his service. We wish you the best!


text:
Top Items:
Om Malik / GigaOM:
Joost To Kill Desktop Client — Exclusive: In what is likely to be a major shift in the company's strategy, peer-to-peer startup Joost is going to stop making its desktop client. The decision to suspend the client is likely to be announced soon, I am told.
Janko Roettgers / NewTeeVee: A Browser-Based Joost? Welcome to the Club
Don Reisinger / TechCrunch: Breaking: Joost Turns to the Web for Help
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / HipMojo.com: Embrace the Browser? Joost Do It
Greg Sandoval / Download.com editors: About time: Joost to launch browser-based player
Chris Crum / WebProNews: Joost Trying to Play Catch Up
Jackson West / Valleywag: Joost finally abandons desktop app
Ian Lamont / Industry Standard: Web-based Joost player in closed beta, no word on public release date
MG Siegler / VentureBeat: Joost's desktop client is toast
Rafat Ali / paidContent.org: Joost Does The Right Thing: Killing Desktop Version; Focusing On In-Browser
Amit Chowdhry / Pulse 2.0: Joost Killing Off Desktop Application. Good Riddance!
Michael Learmonth / Silicon Alley Insider: Joost Killing Off The Desktop Client No One Downloaded
Effective Cpms / Clickety Clack: Joost Moving Away From Downloadable App, Will Go For Plugin
Adam Ostrow / Mashable!: Joost Tries to Remain Relevant; Will Nix Desktop Client
Kevin C. Tofel / jkOnTheRun: Goodbye Joost client. Hello Joost web service.
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Screenshots And Video Of The New Joost — So much for Joost's carefully prepared plans to release a browser version of their TV over IP service later this month. News leaked this morning that Joost would be abandoning their year old XUL based desktop client in favor of a browser based service that's more like Hulu and YouTube.
Liz Gannes / NewTeeVee: The New Joost: Like Hulu, But Social
Ashley / CyberNet: Joost Getting Ready For the Web
Jose Vilches / TechSpot: Joost prepares to launch web-based player
Ryan Stewart / The Universal Desktop:
What went wrong with Joost's desktop client? — , the company which in a lot of ways was on the forefront of rich media, is canning its signature desktop client in favor of a purely web based portal. As a big proponent of desktop applications in general, and especially these hybrid applications …
Discussion: SitePoint Blogs and ReadWriteWeb
Josh Catone / SitePoint Blogs: Joost Giving Up on the Desktop
Marshall Kirkpatrick / ReadWriteWeb: Joost Ditches the Desktop Player - Could iTunes Video Be Next?
Josh Lowensohn / Webware.com: Hands-on with the new Joost: Software still required
Microsoft Kicks off new Windows Campaign with Star Power — "This is the Conquistador," explains Jerry Seinfeld, showing a befuddled Bill Gates a brown loafer. "They run very tight." — After seeing the new ad from Microsoft, which debuted today, some may wonder what Jerry Seinfeld …
Michael Masnick / Techdirt: So Much Hate For Microsoft's Seinfeld/Gates Buddy Ad
Maria Russo / Web Scout: Seinfeld and Gates' Microsoft misfire
Pthurrott / SuperSite Blog: Telling the story of Windows
Emil Protalinski / One Microsoft Way: First Gates-Seinfeld ad leaves us scratching our heads
Kevin McLaughlin / ChannelWeb Complete Feed: Microsoft Tech 'Gurus' To Hone Windows Retail Pitch
James Kendrick / jkOnTheRun: It's official- Tablet PC is just a feature of Windows
Joe Wilcox / Microsoft Watch: Is Windows Marketing Nothing or Something?
Mark Frauenfelder / Boing Boing: First Microsoft ad with Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld
Warner Crocker / GottaBeMobile: Microsoft's Image Enhancement Rollout Needs A New Voice
Mark Wilson / Gizmodo: New Windows Ad Just an "Icebreaker"
Benjamin J. Romano / Tech Tracks: Internal Microsoft memo describes initial Windows ad as 'icebreaker' …
Kara Swisher / BoomTown: Forget "The Conquistador": When Is Microsoft Going to Drop …
Joanna Stern / LAPTOP Magazine: White Inspiron Mini Costs $25 More
Mr. Besilly / iPhone Savior: Seinfeld Microsoft Ad Rambles On About Nothing
John Paczkowski / Digital Daily: Microsoft Memo: New Windows Ad "An Icebreaker"
Steve Lohr / New York Times:
Microsoft Works to Perfect Windows Vista — An advertising blitz intended to help Microsoft polish the tarnished brand of its Windows Vista operating system began this week with a head-scratcher of a commercial. — The ad features Jerry Seinfeld flexing some new shoes, Bill Gates adjusting his shorts and no mention of Vista.
Discussion: TechCrunch
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch: First Bill Gates/Jerry Seinfeld Advertisement. Where's The Microsoft?
Microsoft to copy Apple Genius strategy
Microsoft to copy Apple Genius strategy
Discussion: Gizmodo and MacDailyNews
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Microsoft Ads: First Phase To "Engage Consumers, Spark Conversation"
Microsoft Ads: First Phase To "Engage Consumers, Spark Conversation"
Discussion: PC World, The Technology Chronicles, Out of the Box, ClickZ News Blog, The Register, CNET News.com, CyberNet, Beyond Binary, The Apple Blog, CrunchGear, TG Daily, Technologizer, MarketingVOX, The Digital Home, Epicenter, Know It All, Smalltalk Tidbits …, The Mac Observer, Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim, Screenwerk, Tech Tracks, Business Technology, Download Squad, Engadget, i-boy, Microsoft News Tracker, p2pnet, Boy Genius Report and Search Engine Land
Philip Michaels / PC World: The Bill and Jerry Show
Deborah Gage / The Technology Chronicles: Did you get the new Microsoft commercial?
Zachary Rodgers / ClickZ News Blog: Seinfeld Plays Opposite Man of Silicon in New Windows Spots
Austin Modine / The Register: World goes mad as Bill and Jerry eat churros
Ina Fried / CNET News.com: Microsoft tries to reclaim Windows' image
Ina Fried / Beyond Binary: Memo: Windows chief on new ads
Josh Pigford / The Apple Blog: Windows ad featuring Jerry Seinfield airs
John Biggs / CrunchGear: Bill Gates/Jerry commercials: Raisin' rhetoric
Wolfgang Gruener / TG Daily: Microsoft: The Windows story is ... complicated
Harry McCracken / Technologizer: Gates! Seinfeld! Shoes! Churros! Same Old Windows Vista!
Don Reisinger / The Digital Home: Reality Check: The Seinfeld ad was superb
Meghan Keane / Epicenter: What's With the New Microsoft Ads?
James A. Robertson / Smalltalk Tidbits, Industry Rants: Tip for MS: Fire the Advertising Agency
Andy Beal / Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim: Watch the Jerry Seinfeld/Bill Gates TV Ad - Boring or Brilliant?
Greg Sterling / Screenwerk: New MSFT Ad: Funny, Won't Sell Vista
Benjamin J. Romano / Tech Tracks: Microsoft launching Windows ad campaign at 5:15 p.m. with spot …
Joshua Topolsky / Engadget: Poll: Is Microsoft's new ad working?
George Nimeh / i-boy: Microsoft's Shoe Circus
Kelly Hodgkins / Boy Genius Report: New Vista advertisement debuts and flops
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land: I Don't Get The Microsoft TV Ad But I Like It
Sam Oliver / AppleInsider:
Analyst braces clients for "underwhelming" Apple event — American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu put out a call to clients on Friday, saying they should be prepared for a slight letdown at Apple's event next Tuesday unless chief executive Steve Jobs pulls a rabbit from his black turtleneck.
Discussion: Digital Daily and Infinite Loop
John Paczkowski / Digital Daily: Apple's "Let's Rock" Event More of an Easy-Listening Affair?
Charles Jade / Infinite Loop: Down and out at the September 9 Apple Event?
Daniel Terdiman / CNET News:
Are Demo and TechCrunch50 fragmenting their audiences? … Update, 12:36 p.m. PDT: Business Week now says it is planning to send a reporter from its print side to DemoFall to complement the online reporter it is sending to the TechCrunch50. — If you're a fan of high-tech product announcements, next week could well be heaven for you.
Discussion: Epicenter and Don Dodge on The Next …
Betsy Schiffman / Epicenter: The Ultimate Popularity Contest: TechCrunch Vs. Demo
Rafe Needleman / Webware.com:
A user guide to following DemoFall and TechCrunch50
A user guide to following DemoFall and TechCrunch50
Discussion: High-Tech PR Blog and CNET News.com
Ted Weismann / High-Tech PR Blog: DEMO vs. TechCrunch 50
Daniel Terdiman / CNET News.com: Demo + TechCrunch = Launch Week
Mary A. C. Fallon / DEMO.com:
72 companies to launch disruptive innovations at DEMOfall 08
72 companies to launch disruptive innovations at DEMOfall 08
Discussion: CenterNetworks and VentureBeat
Matt Cutts / Gadgets, Google, and SEO:
Twitter added nofollow to "www." links in their Bio field — Yesterday John Battelle emailed me to ask about Rae's post. This will be a little inside baseball to some people who don't live and breathe search and Twitter, but I figured I'd take what I emailed to John, add some pictures, and post it here.
Discussion: Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim
Clive Thompson / New York Times:
Brave New World of Digital Intimacy — On Sept. 5, 2006, Mark Zuckerberg changed the way that Facebook worked, and in the process he inspired a revolt. — Zuckerberg, a doe-eyed 24-year-old C.E.O., founded Facebook in his dorm room at Harvard two years earlier, and the site quickly amassed nine million users.
Discussion: Valleywag, GMSV, bijan sabet and Smart Mobs
Melissa Gira Grant / Valleywag: What does online gossip profit us?
Levi Sumagaysay / GMSV: Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your life?
Judy Breck / Smart Mobs: Brave New World of Digital Intimacy
Kaj Arnö:
The rumours on Monty resigning — We have a rumour of MySQL co-founder Michael "Monty" Widenius resigning, as posted by Valleywag and expanded by Sheeri Kritzer Cabral. — Usually, I wouldn't comment on rumours. But as I've been asked copious amounts of questions, let me make an exception today.
Discussion: The Register, Pythian Group Blog, PC World, 451 CAOS Theory and Slashdot
Cade Metz / The Register: MySQL daddy quitting Sun?
David Edwards / Pythian Group Blog: Log Buffer #113: A Carnival of the Vanities for DBAs
Chris Kanaracus / PC World: MySQL Cofounder May Resign
Matthew Aslett / 451 CAOS Theory: Has MySQL founder and CTO resigned from Sun?
CmdrTaco / Slashdot: MySQL Founder Monty Quits Sun (Or Not)
Paul Boutin / Valleywag:
MySQL founder quits Sun
MySQL founder quits Sun
Discussion: Computerworld Blogs blogs, Pythian Group Blog, The Open Road, Pulse 2.0 and Tech Trader Daily
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols / Computerworld Blogs blogs: Has the head of MySQL left Sun?
Sheeri Cabral / Pythian Group Blog: Monty Widenius, One of MySQL's Founding Fathers, Leaves Sun/MySQL
Matt Asay / The Open Road: MySQL's Monty Widenius leaves Sun
Amit Chowdhry / Pulse 2.0: MySQL Co-Founder Michael Widenius Steps Down From Sun
Alana Taylor / MediaShift:
Old Thinking Permeates Major Journalism School — "Nowadays it's essential for journalists to blog," says Professor Mary Quigley to a class of 16 NYU journalism students. The class is titled "Reporting Gen Y (a.k.a. Quarterlifers)," and it's one of the few NYU undergrad journalism classes that focuses on new media.
Discussion: Alana Taylor, Reportr.net, Social Media and Lost Remote
Alfred Hermida / Reportr.net: Student takes on old thinking at journalism school
Cory Bergman / Lost Remote: 'Old thinking' permeates major J school
Steve Rubel / Micro Persuasion:
How Search Will Revolutionize Social Networking — Social networking is on fire. eMarketer predicts that in the US the category will reach 44.3% of Internet users by year's end. According to Google Insights, related searches are up 3,000% over the last four years.
Discussion: Blog World Expo Blog
Jacob Morgan / Blog World Expo Blog: Search and Social Networks
The Boy Genius / Boy Genius Report:
Full PRADA II specifications! — We just got a heads up from one of our trusty sources, and they've come through with full PRADA II specs for us! In case you don't remember, the new PRADA II handset will feature a slide-out QWERTY keyboard as pictured above. Here's a rundown on the specs we got:
Discussion: Gizmodo, Crave, PhoneReport v2.0, Unwired View, Electronista, Homotron.net, IntoMobile, MobileCrunch, Engadget Mobile and SlashPhone
Kit Eaton / Gizmodo: Prada II Full Specs Leak Online
Meraj Chhaya / PhoneReport v2.0: LG Prada II features leaked
David Gonzales / Unwired View: Full LG PRADA II specs revealed
Jesse James / Homotron.net: Prada II Phone: Still Just Pretty
Greg Kumparak / MobileCrunch: LG PRADA II specs leaked
Chris Ziegler / Engadget Mobile: LG PRADA II to include WiFi, even more pretension?
Kim Poh Liaw / SlashPhone: Rumor: LG Prada II Specification from BGR
Jeremy Kirk / PC World:
Researchers Build Malicious Facebook Application — A team of researchers have built a malicious Facebook program an experiment to demonstrate the possible dangers of social networking applications. — The experiment shows the ease with which attackers could dupe large number of users …
Discussion: Threat Level, WebProNews, Silicon Alley Insider, Zero Day and All Facebook
Chris Crum / WebProNews: You're Not Safe Using Facebook Apps
Vasanth Sridharan / Silicon Alley Insider: Researchers Dupe 1,000 Facebook Users Into Downloading Malicious App
Ryan Naraine / Zero Day: Demo Facebook app creates DoS botnet
Ryan Paul / Ars Technica:
First look: Firefox 3.1 alpha 2 officially released — Mozilla has officially announced the availability of the second Firefox 3.1 alpha. This release includes support for the highly-anticipated HTML 5 "video" element and a handful of other features that move the browser forward.
Discussion: ZDNet.com.au and Hardware 2.0
Renai LeMay / ZDNet.com.au: Mozilla releases new Firefox alpha
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes / Hardware 2.0: Is Firefox faster than Chrome?


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The Secret Beyond Matter
Beauties for Life in the Qur'an
Descriptions of Places in the Qur'an
The Qur'an provides detailed information about several prophets, their people, and the places in which they lived. Allah also draws our attention to areas that are suitable for settlement, environments that are beneficial for human health, and climates that are convenient for life.
Places of Shelter
While informing believers of the place where the Prophet 'Isa (as) and his mother Maryam lived, the Qur'an provides signs about the qualities of a sheltered place:
And We made the son of Maryam and his mother a Sign, and gave them shelter on a mountainside where there was a meadow and a flowing spring. Surat al-Mu'minun: 50
Following the Prophet 'Isa (as)'s birth, Maryam settled with him in such a district. One benefit of the place was that a river flowed through it. Before all else, such a location contains an abundant supply of water, which is essential for life. A river also facilitates physical and environmental cleanliness, as well as ensures the proper functioning of all bodily organs. Remaining without water for a prolonged period of time may cause very serious consequences, including death. Living in a place where there is a source of water allows people to have a ready supply of water to meet their bodily, hygienic, and other needs.
A settled area with a rich supply of water surely provides many other benefits. History shows that civilizations established alongside rivers made extensive use of these benefits.
As the verse maintains, a river whose water flows down a mountainside or a hill deposits fertile sediments in the river bed and, at the point where it leaves these sediments, gradually forms a mineral-rich and nourishing alluvial plane. Such an area is of great benefit to the quality and productivity of agriculture. Rivers facilitate irrigation and contribute to the fertility and growth of plantations. A copious supply of flowing water also promotes stockbreeding alongside the river.
Another reason why rivers have been a key element for all civilizations is that they promote such commercial and social activities as navigation, transportation, and fishing. For example, using the Nile river's benefits enabled the Egyptians to attain an advanced culture and civilization.
Besides these very important social and commercial benefits, the beautiful sight of a river is surely another blessing for the human soul. These sources of water, which are pleasing to both the eye and the ear, provide a beautiful view and make such settled areas quite valuable.
These benefits, of which we have mentioned only a few, are enough to show that places with an abundant supply of water are the most suitable places for settlement. Allah also points to this fact by describing the place in which Maryam and the Prophet 'Isa (as) lived.
Beautiful Places
In those verses about Paradise, Allah points to beautiful places and environments. Gardens are among such places, as we read:
As well as those two there will be two other Gardens. So which of your Lord's blessings do you both then deny? Of deep viridian green. Surat ar-Rahman: 62-64
Allah created humanity and knows what gives the most pleasure to one's soul. The pleasure a person derives from green lands is a manifestation of this fact.
But those who have fear of their Lord will have high-ceilinged halls, and more such halls built one above the other, and rivers flowing under them. That is Allah's promise. Allah does not break His promise. Surat az-Zumar: 20
Places with "rivers flowing under them" are mentioned in verses that describe Paradise. Residences and mansions in Paradise are said to be constructed on such places. Allah's promise to reward His true servants with places that have rivers flowing under them is a clear sign of the favorable nature of such places also in this world.
Gardens of fruits are also mentioned in the Qur'an as beautiful places. Allah makes fruits with different and striking smells, tastes, and colors grow out of dry soil. Tree branches laden with these fruits and gardens of such trees are obviously among the most beautiful places on earth. Again, from the Qur'an we learn how wonderful and admirable the gardens of Paradise will be in the eternal life.
A verse refers to gardens and fruits as follows:
He sends down water from the sky, from which We bring forth growth of every kind, and from that We bring forth the green shoots. And from them We bring forth close-packed seeds, and from the spathes of the date-palm date clusters hanging down, and gardens of grapes and olives and pomegranates, both similar and dissimilar. Look at their fruits as they bear fruit and ripen. There are Signs in that for people who have faith. Surat al-An'am: 99
Date palms from which "date clusters hang down" are striking both in appearance and taste. Besides, gardens of grapes, olives, and pomegranates, which vary in taste and color, have an impressive view once they start to bear their fruits and reach their full maturity.


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When I began writing this column, I shared that occasionally I would do a column that was more exclusively about my personal life. I have tried to limit myself in that and, in the 28 years I have been writing this column, have probably done less than ten pieces whose main focus was my own life. When I have done so, it was almost always to share with readers a major transition in my life.
This column is one of those personal pieces. My personal life is again undergoing a major transition, though this one does not concern a move to a new job or to a new city. It has to do with my health:
In early May I went for a routine colonoscopy and the doctor discovered a cancerous tumor in my colon. The good news was that it was discovered relatively early, before there were symptoms. They scheduled me for surgery in early June and removed the affected area, along with a series of lymph nodes. The operation, while pretty invasive, went well, but some of the lymph nodes had already been affected, meaning that the cancer was not necessarily fully contained in the tumor. I have recovered very well from the surgery, though this took some weeks. An oncologist advised me that prudence dictates that there be a follow-up treatment to the surgery, namely, six months of chemotherapy. He also assured me that the long-term prognosis is good, but that, as with all cancer, nothing is really sure until it's sure. A cure is most likely, but not assured. I start the chemotherapy treatments in early August and will be facing a certain desert-experience for the next six months.
This is not a plea for sympathy. I share this with you because one shares this with one's family and you are my family of readers. I will appreciate your prayers, even as I trust you not to deluge me with emails, cards, and letters. What we give to each other inside the mystical body of faith, family, and friendship, need not be announced to be effective.
Where am I with all of this?
Initially, especially before the surgery and subsequent scans revealed more precisely the limit of the cancer, there was understandably a good amount of fear and paranoia. One's thoughts and fears aren't easy to control when one's next visit to the doctor might mean a death-sentence. Eventually though, and not just because the long-term prognosis now appears quite positive, I have begun to find a deep peace within all of this. I trust in God and know that I am in safe hands, irrespective of whatever happens. I also trust the medical professionals with whom I have been dealing. They have been marvelously competent and infinitely gentle. What a grace for us all, the skill of doctors!
But that peace of soul is also predicated on a number of realizations that were only abstract theories for me before this illness. Some things are infinitely more real to me now: I now know existentially that life is fragile, that health is precious, and that it's to be appreciated rather than taken for granted. I know too existentially that we cannot safeguard our own lives, no matter how carefully we try. Faith and hope are flooding into my life as never before.
So too is love. Family and friends are mostly taken for granted when we are young and strong and under the illusion that death is not really a reality for us. We realize how deep a grace family and friendship are only when we are fully attuned to our own vulnerability; mostly, too, it only then that we actually allow others to love us.
And there are other deep lessons in this for me: I have been driving my engines hard for a long time, dodging bullets as I overwork and am over-extended. So many times in the past years, in a trance of overwork, I promised God that I would slow my life down, just as soon as this particular task was finished. Indeed, often, explicitly in prayer, I asked God to let me do this slowdown willfully, and not have some health breakdown force it on me. Like the young Augustine, I was praying: "Slow me down, but not yet!" My cancer diagnosis is finally doing for me what I couldn't do for myself. My prayer now is: Let me receive this gracefully, and as a grace!
One last lesson: Should I land on my feet, healthy and my old self again after the chemotherapy, I hope to have the strength to not return to my old life, grateful to have dodged a bullet and ready for business as usual. Instead, like the one leper who returned to give thanks to Jesus rather than going back to normal living, I am praying that the grace of this visitation will be the alchemy I have long needed to make me turn instead habitually in gratitude towards Jesus and towards the present moment.


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Tag Archives: Redemption
Growing Up Gangster by Gregory Marshall
Paperback: 378 pages
Publisher: Brown Girls Publishing
Price: $15.00
Purchase: Amazon
Powerful…Poignant…Inspiring As a child growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Gregory Marshall was enamored with the fast life. Money, women and cars were the things to have and Greg was determined to get them-by any means necessary. It wasn't long before the innocent youngster had turned into a cold-hearted gangster known around town simply as G Man. His ruthless life of crime made him a legend in South Central LA-and the go-to man for everyone from Tupac Shakur to the notorious Monster Kody. But a drug deal gone bad eventually left him shot and near death…forcing him into the ultimate struggle for survival. Faced with intense rehabilitation and paralysis that had crippled the entire right side of his body, Greg had two choices, give up or get up. He chose the latter. And with the use of only one finger, he wrote his story through gritty, breathtaking, and sometimes brutal details…including his anger at injustices, the pain of abandonment and one unlikely act of kindness that started him on the path of healing and forgiveness.
*** Watch the vlog review here: https://youtu.be/7ihwparEYdQ ***
Growing Up Gangster is a powerful memoir about Gregory Marshall's life. Gregory entered a life of crime at an early age, which was partly due to his father being absent from his life. His father had left his mother and abandoned him and his siblings, and started a new family. The rejection and pain he felt from what his father did drove him to the streets and into a life of crime.
If you want read a well-written memoir that will have you at the edge of your seat, I highly recommend this one.
For a more detailed and thorough review, please be sure to watch my vlog.
Greg Marshall was an innocent youngster-turned-gangster whose journey took him from the dangerous streets of South Central Los Angeles to the Deep South in Natchez, Mississippi. A life of crime, several stints in prison, all led up to Greg being shot and left for dead in a drug deal gone bad forcing him into the ultimate struggle for survival. After undergoing an intense rehabilitation, in which Greg had to overcome paralysis throughout the right side of his body, he penned his story about the deepest secrets of street life and the underworld, but also of how he eventually embraced God's redemption and forgiveness. Greg's story is one of pain, despair, crime, love, healing—all leading to where he is today—hoping to make a positive difference in the lives of others and becoming a beacon of hope for those who need it most.
Posted in book reviews, faith Also tagged Brown Girls Publishing, Drugs, Gregory Marshall, Growing Up Gangster, Memoir, Prison, South Central LA, Tupac Shakur Leave a comment


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Story highlights
Two separate drone strikes target militants in Pakistan's tribal region, officials say
One strike kills a Taliban leader with ties to the Pakistani government, the officials say
Another strike kills four in North Waziristan, the officials say
Two suspected U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan's volatile tribal region left 15 people dead — including a Taliban commander – on Thursday, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
Among the 11 killed in one strike in the province of South Waziristan was a Taliban commander named Mullah Nazir, also known as Maulvi Nazir Wazir, the officials said.
The drone fired two missiles in the Sarkanda area of Birmil, killing Nazir, the officials said.
Read more: Not just for military use, drones turn civilian
Nazir was at odds with the Pakistani Taliban over a peace agreement he signed with the Pakistani government in 2007. As part of the deal, he refused to attack Pakistani government or military targets, though he was believed to be behind a number of attacks that targeted the U.S. military.
Read more: Top terror takedowns in 2012
Nazir narrowly escaped a suicide bomb attack in early December. After the attack, he warned the Mehsud tribe, which includes Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, to vacate South Waziristan or face consequences.
Also killed in the strike were two of Nazir's deputies, the officials said.
The second drone strike targeted a vehicle in the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, killing four, the officials said.
Read more: Senior al Qaeda leader killed in Pakistan, officials say
The drone fired a missile that struck the vehicle. It then fired two more missiles as people rushed to try to rescue the occupants, the officials said.
In recent years, the U.S. government has sharply stepped up the use of drone attacks in Pakistan's mostly ungoverned tribal region, widely believed to be a safe haven for militant groups fueling the insurgency in Afghanistan. U.S. officials say the drone strikes are an effective strategy against militant groups and insist civilian casualties are rare.


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|About Me:
|Own a 1985 type 10 cavalier coupe.It is yellow gold,ps,pb,sunroof,4spd manual,2.0tbi.I am the 3rd owner,my sister was the 2nd.Car has 205,000 and also own my 1st ride since brand new.It is a 1987 mazda b2200 cabplus pickup.It is at 198k and ps,pb,ac and orig paint,and some mild changes like whls,radio and tonneau,and running boards.
|Mostly working on my now former daily 87 mazda truck.I also restore areas of my cavalier when I can and it stays covered and garaged.If I ever get some time I have a pile of new parts for the cav to install.Just too busy seems like forever.
|What's New:
|I back in march of 2011 bought a new Honda civic lx s.After almost 24 yrs between new car buys(about 2 days).This replaced my 87 mazda trk as a daily.Now fastforward got bored with the auto boring matic and missing a 5spd and a daily truck.I traded in my civic and bought a new 2014 Toyota Tacoma access cab with 4x4 and the 2.7 eng.I owned the civc 2.6 yrs and great but,just missed the daily truck thing.I still have my mazda just fixing things along the way and the yota is super nice!
Dream Car: I think I am satisfied with what I have.


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Composition: polyhexamethylene 0.0001 g, sodium edetate 0.100 g, isotonic buffered solution pH 7.2
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Tuesday Challenge - Autumn/Fall ColorsOctober 27, 2015
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Connecticut Trade Mission Finds Success in IsraelApril 8, 2010
Jim Cramer is the Deputy Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. He and his colleagues promote U.S. exports to the Israeli and Palestinian economies, with particular emphasis on small and medium sized American companies.
First full day of the Trade Mission already generates returns
What a day. We kept Congressman Joe Courtney and the entire delegation running at full speed. At 8 a.m. sharp, Joe and a handful of Connecticut defense companies went to the Israeli Ministry of Defense for a meeting to promote their products. Connecticut's high tech defense sector is a perfect match for Israel's security needs.
While Joe and the group were busy at the Ministry, our other delegates started their jam-packed Gold Key schedules. Getting these schedules organized was a lot of work, but we had great help. Anne Evans, Melissa Grosso and the entire team from the Middletown U.S. Export Assistance Center were fantastic. The Commercial Service Israel understands how to do business in Israel, and Anne and Melissa know the needs and challenges facing Connecticut's exporters. Working together we really arranged some amazing schedules that targeted in on specific client needs. Great job Anne & Melissa!
Congressman Courtney kept running all day. Following his morning meeting he was interviewed for a Connecticut radio show and had lunch with 2 of Israel's top entrepreneurs. While Connecticut and Israel may both lack natural resources, each makes up for it through smarts and entrepreneurial spirit, so today's lunch was a perfect fit. Joe rejoined many of the delegates after lunch for a briefing on opportunities in Israel's security and medical sectors put on by our partner, the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute.
All of these activities were great, but what we are really about is returns. And today we heard that one of the delegates may have made a multi-container sale to an Israeli distributor. Some final negotiations are going on tomorrow, and I don't want to jinx it, but I feel great about accomplishing something like this in such a short period.
I followed up with a lot of the delegates during tonight's fantastic networking event at the Ambassador's residence. One delegate whose schedule was managed by our senior specialist Irit van der Veur couldn't believe how perfectly tailored his meetings were. Another thanked me over and over again for the help CS Israel had provided, and a third company couldn't stop complementing the work Christina Azar in our office did for them. What a team!
Everyone seemed exhausted and exhilarated from what they were able to accomplish during this first day of meetings. I can't wait to see them at dinner tonight to hear about the success they'll find today!


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A team of Princeton University students is competing in a military-sponsored contest to create a full-size, self-driving vehicle that negotiates rugged terrain with no human input. The students and their vehicle, a salvaged pickup truck dubbed "Prospect 11," are currently in California for several days of intensive trials along with 42 rival teams.
The students are participating in the "DARPA Grand Challenge," a contest with a $2 million prize sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the research arm of the Department of Defense. Details about the contest, team standings and a blog from the students are available through the DARPA Web site.
The students, who are being advised by Alain Kornhauser, professor of operations research and financial engineering, began their effort in May 2004. They worked for a year to create a vehicle that uses a global positioning system and computer vision to follow a course and avoid obstacles. After two visits from DARPA officials to observe the vehicle's performance, the team was chosen as an alternate semifinalist. The semifinal round is now occurring at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
Based on the results of this round, DARPA will select 20 teams to compete in the DARPA Grand Challenge finals. They are scheduled to start Oct. 8 in the desert of Primm, Nev., where the vehicles will be subjected to a 150-mile course. DARPA will award $2 million to the team whose autonomous vehicle correctly completes the route in the fastest time under 10 hours.
Regardless of whether they advance to the final round, the students feel an enormous sense of accomplishment, said team member Anand Atreya, a junior. "The fact we've engineered a vehicle that will run by itself on a course we specified is pretty amazing," Atreya said.