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Lady Gaga Spotted Shopping for Wedding Dresses in Toronto [PHOTOS]
Are wedding bells in store for Lady Gaga soon?
Yesterday, the pop singer was spotted in Toronto, Canada, shopping at a couture wedding store in the Yorkville area of the city. She was accompanied by her mom, her dog Asia and dozens of curious fans outside.
We're not insinuating anything, but why would you shop for a wedding dress if you weren't engaged?
Then again, it is Lady Gaga that we're talking about -- and given her history of eye-catching fashion, we wouldn't be surprised if she is simply looking for ideas for a new outfit.
Back in November 2013, Gaga told Howard Stern in an interview that she didn't see herself getting married anytime soon. If she did get married, however, her dream wedding would be at David's Bridal, with the groom and groomsmen on one side and her and the bridesmaids on the other, "getting hammered, picking the worst dresses and going to the courthouse."
Gaga has been dating actor Taylor Kinney on and off for two years.
Click through the photos below in the gallery and judge for yourself whether Gaga is looking to tie the knot.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey guys, about half a year ago or so, GUB approached me about taking part in a PGz podcast. I thought the idea was awesome, but nothing was said about it for the longest time. So now we've got a podcast webpage all put together on Podbean @ http://prestigegamerz.podbean.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
We've been kicking around topic ideas for the first official podcast in the chatbox, if you've been there you'll probably have seen some of this. We're looking to do the first one this Friday night as long as all the participants are willing and able. I was hoping sometime around 5-6pm EST US (10-11pm GST) since it will be leading into the weekend and at least two of our podcasters are British. So far the casters are:
Axikal (me, durr)
Musashi1596 (whenever he's up for it)
So there you have it. Look forward to our programme which will be posted up on the Podbean website as soon as I can get the whole thing uploaded.


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Yes, this is not a photoshop trick! These are real bags. Unbelievable right? You can click on each bag to see its original page on their official website and you can see their facebook page here. Carry one of these and you're sure to make quite a statement! They're available in stores in China, but for the rest of us, thankfully they have an online store too. I especially love the last bag - Travel Fever. Someone gift it to me please :)
|First Date
|Afternoon Tea
|Travel Fever
Jump From Paper rightly believes that life is too short to go around being boring all day and I definitely agree with them. What about you?


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If you have a sub account and you know your password you can use your PS Vita system to change it yourself.
Sub accounts cannot change their password if it has been forgotten; the master account has to change the sub account password. Follow the steps below to do this:
Having problems changing your Password?


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What methods of Government are similar to the methods in the Doomsday book? For an assignment. What is the Doomsday book and what did it record? Can you think of a similar process undertaken by the Australian government today?
checking account no credit check ~ no credit check checking accounts ~ no credit check checking account


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As she begins her seventh season at the helm of the Yale softball program in 2018-19, Jen Goodwin has the Bulldogs on the rise. Yale has improved its Ivy League record from the previous season in three of the last four years. In 2017, the Bulldogs finished with their best Ivy League record since 2009 and entered the last day of the regular season still in contention for the North Division title. Five players from the 2017 team earned All-Ivy recognition, the most selections for Yale since 2011.
Goodwin made an immediate impact when she arrived in New Haven. In her first year, she led a squad that belted a school record 31 home runs. Goodwin also mentored catcher Sarah Onorato, who had one of the finest seasons in school history. Onorato was named the Ivy League Player of the Year, the first Yale player to win the award since Seema Hingorani in 1991.
In 2015, Goodwin led a team that featured five freshmen or sophomores in the regular lineup to 11 victories.
The Bulldogs also have shined in the classroom under Goodwin, earning All-Academic Team honors from the NFCA three times and had numerous players earn academic honors from CoSIDA, the NFCA and the Ivy League.
Prior to Yale, Goodwin spent two years as the Assistant Executive Director for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. At the NFCA, her primary duties included managing the curriculum for the Association's Coaches College, developing the NFCA's new recruiting tournaments, which launched in the summer of 2011, and serving as the director of the StrikeOut Cancer program which raised more the $250,000 in two years.
Goodwin has extensive Ivy League coaching experience. She spent two years as an assistant at Harvard, recruiting two-time Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Rachel Brown and helping guide the Crimson to the 2007 Ivy League title, and was Dartmouth's interim head coach in 2004.
"I truly believe in the Ivy League philosophy and all that it stands for and couldn't be more excited with all that Yale has to offer," Goodwin said.
In her two years as an assistant to Jenny Allard at Harvard, the Crimson won 56 games, including a 28-12 mark in Ivy League play, and captured the North Division title each year. In 2007, Harvard advanced to the NCAA Tournament, dropping a pair of one-run games at the Hofstra Regional. In addition to recruiting Brown, who holds virtually every Harvard pitching record, Goodwin worked closely with Harvard's hitters, who improved in every statistical category both years.
"I pride myself on being a teacher of the fundamentals," Goodwin said. "I look forward to getting into the cages with the hitters especially, working with them on becoming more independent in the batter's box, and handling their failures. Everyone knows that even the best hitters fail seven out of 10 at bats, so my approach with the hitters will be to help manage those failures."
At Dartmouth, the Big Green won 17 games and set a school record for home runs in a season under her tutelage. Following her stint at Harvard, Goodwin returned to Dartmouth as the Director of Basketball Operations.
Prior to Harvard, Goodwin spent two seasons as the associate head coach at San Jose State. In addition, she was the head coach at Simmons College (2001-02) and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (1999-2000).
"Jen comes to Yale with exceptional credentials and a very keen understanding of the Ivy League," Athletics Director Tom Beckett said. "Her career as a student athlete was outstanding and her impact as a coach has likewise been extraordinary."
A four-year softball letterwinner at Bridgewater State, Goodwin was a three-time All-American at first base, third base and utility. Upon graduation, she ranked fifth in Division III career home runs with 38 and held four career school records – batting average (.464), doubles (46), home runs (38) and RBI (200). She was the 1995 and 1996 ECAC Player of the Year and was inducted into the Bridgewater State Hall of Fame in 2005.
Following graduation, she played for the Stratford Brakettes, where she was a third-team ASA All-American at third base. Goodwin also played two years on the USA Women's National Baseball team and worked as an instructor at various camps, including four years as a head coach at the Nomar Garciaparra Baseball Camp.


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The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is hoping to uncover new information about a local missing woman. Maebell Dawson has been missing since January 3, 1998 from her apartment at Martin Luther Manor, 1453 Liscum Drive in Jefferson Township. According to friends and family members, Mrs. Dawson was last seen entering her apartment on Saturday, January 3, 1998 at about 9:30 P.M. When family members were unable to reach her they became concerned and went to check on her. Mrs. Dawson's coat and purse were found inside her apartment, however no one has seen or heard from her since.
Maebell Dawson is a 69 year old black female between 5'4" - 5'6" tall. She was born 6/25/29. She weighs approximately 180 lbs. and has graying hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a tan jogging suit.
If you have information about this missing person, please contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 937-225-4357.


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'Tis the season to be sexy. The holidays are upon us and most of our shopping list has been attended to (we hope). We're taking time off from work, slowing down the pace and connecting with those we love to appreciate the good things in our lives. For those of us lucky enough to have a significant other, the holidays present an opportunity to rediscover each other in the spirit of the season. In the privacy of your time together, there's an opportunity to light a fire, both literally and figuratively, cuddle up and explore where the long, chilly nights may take you. Sexy is a state of mind, to be sure. We all have different ideas of what constitutes a sexy person, a sexy moment or even a sexy thought. Thank goodness for that! How boring would life be if we all liked the same thing? When it comes to intimate apparel, the French saying Vive le Difference applies. We're all built differently and have our own tastes so it stands to reason we would take a very personal approach to sexy dressing during the holidays. With this in mind, I looked through the Pink Slip assortment and thought about the garments that had the sexiest effect. Some of them wouldn't automatically be thought of as sexy, but I think the most functional undergarment can be very sexy in the right circumstances so my "hot list" of sexy intimates for 2012 includes pieces in a range of categories. If you're shopping for a new look this holiday season, consider these options and how you might put your own special spin on them. You know how I encourage experimentation. So go ahead, live a little.
#1: The Classic bustier does double duty, providing the boost of a bra while cinching the stomach. The Marilyn lace bustier by Arianne is a perfect example in chic black.
#2: A strapless bra usually means you're wearing a strapless dress. How sexy is that? Offering a great combination of functional and sexy is the Celeste strapless bra by Simone Perele.
#3: Long-line bras, like CLO Intimo's Kali in a geometric design, are a very modern silhouette.
#4: There's nothing like a cute panty to bring out a sexy look. Check out these cheeky boy shorts from Leg Avenue.
#5: Lace is a romantic approach to sexy. The lace Fortuna racerback vest by CLO Intimo can be worn in and out and is a hot number when paired with the cheeky bottom or string bikini.
#6: Sexy legwear. Work your legs in a garter belt and stockings by Philippe Matignon.
#7: The classic teddy gets a striking visual update from Leg Avenue in padded mesh.
#8: Lola Haze puts a new twist on the slip with the Liquid Lace Chemise, a unique design that borders on ready-to-wear by combining shine and lace.
#9: Retro bottoms are a hot and classy look. LOU Paris offers a beautiful high-waisted panty in great colors in its Fee de Reves collection.
#10: Lingerie accessories dress up even the most basic of underwear pieces. Oh La La Cheri, a specialist in sexy intimates with an erotic vibe, channels vintage peekaboo glamour with a multi-way lace wrap with matching thong and eye mask.
Wishing you a very happy – and very sexy – holiday season!


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First "30 Minutes or Less" was criticized for making light of the real-life death of a pizza delivery driver. Now there are folks that suspect the film has inspired a copycat ransom attempt. Even if it's learned that it's so, what does it really matter?
"30 Minutes or Less" stars Jesse Eisenberg as a pizza delivery driver who is kidnapped by two guys who then strap a bomb vest on him and tell him that if he doesn't rob a bank, they'll blow him up. It's a set-up ripe with comedic possibilities, no? Just day's before the film's release, Madeleine Pulver, the teenage daughter of an Australian millionaire was attacked by a home invader who strapped to her neck a device he claimed was a bomb and handed her a ransom note before running off. It would be 10 hours before the bomb squad would be able to remove the thing, which turned out to be nothing but a relatively harmless pretzel of metal and wires.
The film bears a far greater resemblance to the 2003 death of Brian Wells, who upon his arrest for having robbed a bank in Erie, PA, was found to have a bomb strapped to his neck, one that he told police was placed there by three men who then forced him to commit his crime. Minutes before the bomb squad arrived, the bomb detonated, killing Wells instantly. It was subsequently determined by the courts that Wells had been working in concert with the others, but had not realized a real bomb would be placed around his neck.
So will this recent incident cause the studio to push back the release of "30 Minutes or Less"? And should it? No and no. Despite Sony's absurd attempt to distance the film from what happened to Wells ("Neither the filmmakers nor the stars of '30 Minutes or Less' were aware of this crime prior to their involvement in the film."), if Well's death wasn't enough to hold up the project, an elaborate hoax certainly shouldn't.
Tragedy has been the inspiration for comedy since forever, with actual tragedies inspiring great comedy. Gus Van Sant's hilarious dark comedy "To Die For," starring Nicole Kidman and Matt Dillon," was based on the story of Pamela Smart, the New Hampshire teacher who in 1990 convinced one of her teenaged students to murder her husband.
There have been film's, like "Big Trouble," whose release was soft-pedaled or pushed back in deference to major tragedies, but in that case it was a comedy that involved a bomb on a plane, and it was right after 9/11. With all due respect to Ms. Pulver, what befell her in no way approaches what happened on 9/11.
If we were to start suppressing every piece of art that was inspired by (or inspired) an act of stupidity, we'd all be sitting around staring at cave paintings—and after about a week we'd have to start blocking the caves, 'cuz some moron will surely have done something untoward.


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Katie Holmes is coming home.
Rejoice, Joey Potter fans. The beloved "Dawson's Creek" star is set to make her return to TV!
Holmes is set to star in a buzzed-about drama pilot for ABC, E! News has confirmed.
U.S. & World
The juicy drama, which comes from "Behind the Candelabra's" Richard LaGravenese, is set in modern-day New York City and has a similar premise to the film "Dangerous Liaisons" (or "Cruel Intentions"), with a diabolical duo making a bet to destroy a woman's perfect marriage. Said woman? Holmes' Ann!
NEWS: Katie Holmes reveals her number one priority
Well-bred, smart and stylish, Ann runs a philanthropic foundation with her husband, and becomes the target of the bet between Philip (to be played by Rufus Sewell) and Margot (yet to be cast) to reveal the lie of love. However, Ann will soon become a match for Phillip, meaning we'll get to see quite the racy side of Holmes. (We. Can't. Wait.)
Should the currently-untitled project be picked up to series by ABC at their Upfronts presentation in May, it will be Holmes' first regular TV gig since saying goodbye to the "Creek" in 2003. Since leaving the Dawson-Joey-Pacey love triangle behind, Holmes has made a high-profile guest appearance on "How I Met Your Mother" and played Jackie Kennedy in "The Kennedys," ReezlChannel's miniseries.
Holmes isn't the only "Creek" alum on the small screen: James Van Der Beek's new CBS sitcom "Friends With Better Lives" debuts later this month, Busy Philipps is starring on TBS' "Cougar Town," and Josh Jackson is set to star in Showtime's "The Affair" after spending five years on Fox's Fringe.
PHOTOS: Dawson's Creek and other shows that made the move from high school to college


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Summarize the plot, detailed plot can go into respective mission articles
Jonathan "Johnny" Klebitz is a character in the GTA IV era, appearing in the first piece of downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV, The Lost and Damned, in which he is the protagonist. In 2008, Johnny is the thirty-four year old acting leader of The Lost Brotherhood motorcycle gang, while the gang's leader, Billy Grey, is incarcerated. While he is the leader, Klebitz maintains a relative peace between The Lost Brotherhood and the gang's rival, The Angels of Death. Johnny is of Jewish Religion, which is revealed throughout the story of The Lost and Damned. Billy and Brian tend to criticize him of his heritage whenever they are angry at him.
Immediately when Billy Grey gets out of rehab he becomes angry with Johnny for not having his bike ready for him. Then Grey proceeds to start a fight with The Angels of Death (AOD) just so he could be reunited with his bike. This creates tension, not only between the two gangs, but also between Billy and Johnny. Later on, Johnny and fellow biker, Jim Fitzgerald take a truck to an Angels of Death hangout to steal bikes for a contact in Japan. Some AOD members come outside and see what is happening and a shootout occurs. Outnumbered, Klebitz called Clay Simons and Terry Thorpe for backup. Johnny and Jim got away only to find out that some crooked LCPD officers (originally watching the AOD) saw the whole thing. The officers, Ed McCornish and Jimmy Matthews, demand cash if they weren't to say anything. Jim doesn't seem to like this idea. So he and Klebitz arrange to meet up with the cops only to trick them and lead them into an ambush where fellow Lost Brotherhood members shoot and kill the officers and their backup.
Billy Grey throws several parties at The Lost MC clubhouse to celebrate his release from prison. While being visited by part-time lawyer, part-time biker, Dave Grossman. Klebitz has a sit-down with Billy, and the two discuss the tension between them. When they begin to start agreeing with each others' point of view, Grey gets a text message from someone about how some members of The Lost are being jumped by members of The Angels of Death. Several Lost members ride out to fight off the AOD members. After rescuing the attacked Lost members, Grey is informed of the death of Jason Michaels, who was killed by a hired gun.
Grey knows that it wasn't The Angels of Death, but tells The Lost Brotherhood that it was in order to convince Johnny to attack their clubhouse, even after he informed other members of The Lost Brotherhood that it was a Eastern-European, "pole", or "serb" hitman. Once the attack ends Grey, accompanied by Klebitz, Jim, and Brian Jeremy go inside to ransack the building. Grey finds two duffle bags full of heroin, and plans to steal and sell them. This creates even more tension between Klebitz and Grey.
Billy later calls Klebitz and tells him to speak with Elizabeta Torres, head of the Torres Cartel, who has found a buyer for the stolen heroin. Torres informs Klebitz about the deal and sends an eastern European man named Niko Bellic and a Northwood gangster named Playboy X to accompany him. The deal, however, was an undercover LCPD sting operation. The three are ambushed and separated. After some commotion, Klebitz escapes with the heroin.
Billy Grey then calls Klebitz and tells him to meet up with Congressmen Thomas Stubbs III. Klebitz continues to do various odd jobs for the congressman, such as killing Arthur Stubbs, bugging Deputy Mayor Bryce Dawkins' Infernus, rescuing a CEO under arrest by the LCPD and the FIB, taking blackmail photos of one of Stubbs' political rivals, and stealing a prison bus full of inmates.
The Lost Brotherhood later find out that the heroin they stole from The Angels of Death originally belonged to the Triads. Billy Grey and Brian Jeremy think that they should just do whatever they want with the heroin, but Johnny and Jim Fitzgerald believe it would be smarter to get rid of it, due to the LCPD being on to them. Eventually, Grey agrees and sets up a deal. So Billy, Brian, Jim, and Johnny go to the deal, but only Johnny and Jim go in. The Triads never intended to make the deal so they take the heroin and start shooting at Johnny and Jim. Johnny and Jim escape to another building rooftop. After shooting though hoards of Triads, Johnny and Jim look down to the street to see that Billy has crashed his bike (after being attacks and betrayed by the same Triads) and is getting arrested by some LCPD officers, after there was a call about hearing gunshots. Grey started hollaring that Johnny set him up as the police closed in on him. Then Johnny calls Brian Jeremy, who states that he agrees with Grey and thinks Johnny betrayed him. After the mission ends Johnny becomes Chapter President again. This causes The Lost Brotherhood to split into two different chapters, Klebitz' faction, and Brian's faction.
Jim Fitzgerald calls Klebitz sometime later and tells Klebitz to meet up with him. Upon arrival, Jim Fitzgerald introduces Klebitz to Malc and DeSean of the Uptown Riders. Then Malc sells Klebitz some pipe bombs.
Once again Johnny speaks with Elizabeta Torres and she says that she needs a job done. This time she needs Johnny to steal a vehicle full of drugs and guns. She also tells him that he will be working with Malc and DeSean of the Uptown Riders. Johnny, Malc, DeSean, and a few members from the Uptown Riders take over a toll booth then wait to ambush the convoy. Then Johnny and Malc steal the Slamvan and deliever it to location hidden from the police.
After a while, Jim Fitzgerald phones Klebitz to tell him to meet up with him, Terry Thorpe, and Clay Simons. After Klebitz gets there, Ray Boccino, a Capo of the Pegorino Family, shows up and tells them that he needs this civil war within The Lost Brotherhood to end because its bad for bussiness. He then tells them where Brian Jeremy is. With that said, Johnny, (possibly with Terry, and Clay) go to Brian's house. Johnny tells him to stop acting like a bitch and either shoots him in the chest, or lets him go to later become a random encounter. His random encounter ends the same way with the death of Brian.
After a frantic text message from Ashley Butler saying that she is being held hostage for her debts to Dimitri Rascalov. Johnny realizes that in order to prevent harm to Ashley he needs to do what the kidnappers demand. The kidnappers have Johnny kidnap a man named Roman Bellic for Rascalov. Johnny enlists the help of Malc to kidnap Bellic, as he can't ask anyone in The Lost Brotherhood, due to them not believing in kidnapping. They take him from the gambling shack on Dillon Street in Schottler, and have him delivered to a warehouse in Bohan's industrial district.
Later, Ray Boccino has Klebitz accompany Niko Bellic to a diamond deal with the Jewish Mob and the gang's leader, Isaac Roth. Klebitz, however, takes off with the money after Luis Fernando Lopez ambushes the deal. Ray learns of Klebitz' betrayal, and has Jim Fitzgerald captured. Jim is tortured by Boccino while he waits for Klebitz to arrive at Drusilla's after Boccino uses Fitzgerald's phone to lure Johnny into a trap. Boccino holds Johnny at gun-point, continuing to question the two bikers on the location of his money, but Jim breaks free and kills one of Ray's goons, then the two escape. Boccino has hitmen sent after Johnny in Alderney, and (possibly with Terry Thorpe and Clay Simons' assistance), he manages to avoid death. After calling Ashley Butler and meeting her at The Lost MC clubhouse, Ashley tells him that Boccino had her convince Johnny to work with him in the first place so Ray can use The Lost Brotherhood, while neglecting their pay. She also reveals that Jim Fitzgerald has been killed by one of Boccino's hitmen who, unknown to Klebitz, was actually Niko Bellic.
Upon this loss, Thomas Stubbs III meets with Johnny at The Lost MC clubhouse, and informs him of Billy Grey planning to rat out Johnny and Angus Martin, fellow member of The Lost Brotherhood, in order to be released from prison. Johnny gets everyone left in The Lost Brotherhood to break into the Alderney State Correctional Facility, and Klebitz personally kills Billy. After escaping the prison, Klebitz and the remaining members discover the Lost MC clubhouse ransacked and destroyed by Ray's goons. Johnny orders the remains of the Lost MC clubhouse burned down, and the surviving members of The Lost Brotherhood watch the clubhouse burn.
Johnny Klebitz is voiced by Scott Hill.
Personality, Characteristics, and Appearance
Johnny Klebitz is a hardened biker, wearing a large Lost MC black jacket, a button up black dress shirt, blue jeans, and black biker boots. His hair is buzzed and he has a handle-bar (biker style) mustache. He rides a custom Hexer motorcycle and usually carries an Automatic 9mm with him. He has many different facial scars, most likely due to the many fights he got into as a biker. It is implied he has a bad eye, when talking to Clay Simons he says 'Oh, I should use my good eye.' He also has many tattoos. Some on his neck, arms, and chest.
He, unlike Billy Grey, cares about the future of The Lost Brotherhood and its members, but is quick to shut down anyone who is wrong or disobeys him. He starts to care more about his friends then The Lost Brotherhood, after Jim Fitzgerald is murdered. Johnny also has a bit more common sense than the other bikers. For example: When Ray Boccino was having Jim Fitzgerald tortured, Johnny was willing to risk everything to kill Boccino, but was convinced otherwise by Thomas Stubbs III. Stubbs told Johnny that Boccino would either be in jail or dead in a month.
Johnny has women troubles, as shown with Ashley Butler. The two used to date, but Klebitz ended the relationship with her due to her sleeping with Billy Grey, and her continuous drug addictions. He still cares for her, but believes the drugs have completely taken over her. He will still do anything to protect her, as shown when he recieves a phone call from her and drops what he was doing to give her aid.
Murders committed
- Ed McCornish - Killed for blackmailing Jim Fitzgerald
- Jimmy Matthews - Killed for blackmailing Jim Fitzgerald.
- Arthur Stubbs - Killed on orders of Thomas Stubbs III and makes it look like a terrorist act.
- Brian Jeremy - Killed for betraying him.
- Evan Moss - Killed for having the diamonds for the trade.
- Billy Grey - Killed for attempting to rat out The Lost Brotherhood.
LCPD Database record
Surname: Klebitz
First Name: Johnny
Age: 34
Place of Birth: Acter, Alderney
Affiliations: Member of the Alderney Chapter of the Lost OMG
Criminal Record:
- 1991 - Grand Theft Auto
- 1993 - Assault
- 1994 - Manslaughter
- 2000 - Parole Violation
- Believed to be second in command of the Alderney Chapter of the Lost Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.
- Assumed control of the gang when its head, Billy Grey, was incarcerated.
- Exact nature of the relationship between Grey and Klebitz is unknown.
- Under his command, the Lost MC have been able to co-exist with their rivals the Angels of Death in relative peace.
- Ties to known South Bohan drug dealer, Elizabeta Torres.
Mission appearances
- The Ballad of Gay Tony
- Johnny's full first name is Jonathan, as he is called Jonathan numerous times by Lost members in mission dialogue.
- In a conversation with Billy Grey early on in the Lost and Damned, Johnny states that he weighs 230 lbs.
- If you move quickly, you can see Johnny fleeing down the staircase and out the back of the museum, when playing as Niko in the mission Museum Piece. If you kill him, however, you will fail the mission. According to the storyline however, Niko escaped first.
- Johnny's appearance from GTA IV to The Lost and Damned has been slightly changed. In the original GTA IV, he wore a beige vest with The Lost Brotherhood logo on the back. Klebitz' change in appearance has not been explained by Rockstar, but it is likely they wanted to develop a more blended in outfit, instead of one that would clash with the rest of his appearance, possibly to create a more civilized-looking character for players to play as.
- Of all the Grand Theft Auto IV Era protagonists, Johnny is the oldest, being 34.
- It should be noted that during the end cutscene of Roman's Holiday, Johnny sympathizes for Roman as he's taken away, even asking the Russians to go easy on him, though Johnny had no choice in the kidnapping.
- Johnny drives a custom Hexer bike.
- At the end of The Lost and Damned he, Terry, Clay and Angus are all that is left of the Alderney Chapter of The Lost.
- Johnny's jacket reads Vice President and after compelting This Shit's Cursed his jacket says Loyal President
External Link


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As'Salaamu Alaikum. I have a few questions pertaining to Arabic.
1. Laam At-Ta'reef – what is it and its significance?
2. Types of Laam At-Ta'reef – Laam Ash-Shamsiyyah and Laam Al-Qamariyyah. Which one of these should be pronounced vs. made silent?
3. Hamzat Al-Wasl – What is it, when is it pronounced and when is it made silent. When pronounced, what Harakah should be assigned to it, and under what conditions?
4. Two Saakins – What happens what two Saakins come together? What happens when a Madd Letter comes before a Saakinah letter?
5. Al-Alif Al-Maqsoorah – what is it and how to pronounce it?
6. At-Ta'awwudh and Al-Basmalah – how to pronounce them combined and separated?
I appreciate whatever assistance you can provide InshaAllah.
Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
You will find the information you want, insha' Allah on the site. Please see the links matching the question numbers below.
1 and 2 The description and rules of Laam At-Ta'reef: http://www.abouttajweed.com/new_page_5.htm
3. Hamah Al-Wasl rules. You will need to study all of the sub-links, as the vowel used when starting the word with a hamzah al-wasl varies depending on what part of grammar the word among other factors in verbs: http://www.abouttajweed.com/the_hamzah_al-wasl_lessons.htm
4. Two Saakin letters meeting. Please see the detailed answer to a question in the following link: http://www.abouttajweed.com/121003.htm
5. Alif Maqsoora is always at the end of a word, and is an alif originating from a ya', so it is written like a ya' without the dots, and is pronounced as an alif if the first pronounced letter of the next word is not a sukoon. If the first pronounced letter of the next word is a sukoon, then the alif is dropped. Also please see: http://www.abouttajweed.com/30010207.htm
6. For the rules on the basmalah and please see: http://www.abouttajweed.com/lessons_on_seeking_refuge_and_the_basmalah.htm
Insha' Allah these links will help you in finding the answers to your questions.
Wa assalaam alaikum.


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You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2009.
Barely a fortnight after Liverpool's tenure as Capital of Culture came to an end, a council in Merseyside has announced the closure of ten of Wirral's twenty four libraries along with a number of leisure centres. The plan had initially been to close thirteen, but after a surge of public protest that saw nearly 400 people attend the strategic asset review hearing in Wallasey Town Hall, Upton, Pensby and Birkenhead Central Libraries have been saved. I grew up there, and although my local library wasn't one of the many affected, this is a hugely personal issue for me. I spent the best part of a day last week contacting everyone I know who still lives there, trying to convince them to go on one of the many protests that took place. Sadly, they made little difference.
The Wirral is seen as being predominantly middle-class, and whilst this is true of many parts of the peninsula, it isn't true of all of them. One woman told a BBC reporter, "We're in a poor area. We've only got two things. One is the baths and one is the library and both of them are being taken away. I don't think that's fair."
In a recession, we need more libraries not fewer. Not all schools possess well-stocked libraries, although they should. Not every child and adult has access to the wealth of information stored on the internet, although they should. For many, community libraries are the only places people can go, not just for books but to use the internet, look for jobs and get information about local groups and facilities, they posses photocopying and fax facilities. They offer services for the visually impaired and they loan out DVDs and CDs for a fraction of the price of your average Blockbuster. In this economic climate, why are councils reducing the facilities for affordable entertainment?
To say that they should be closed is tantamount to saying that it doesn't matter that there are people who can't afford to purchase books from Waterstones or Amazon, it doesn't matter that a community has no free access to newspapers or reference books or the internet. But it does matter. Free access to books, no matter what your age or background, is one of the fundamental principles of a civilised, educated society,
Libraries shouldn't be one of our most neglected resources, they should be among our most cherished.
I've got an article about Rachel Maddow up here. They give bonuses for getting 1000 page views, so you should pimp it like crazy bitches. Also, I think it's a pretty good article and I'm proud of it. And Rachel Maddow rocks. You should also leave lots of comments telling me how awesome I am.
….then maybe I'll finally get around to updating this thing again. I suck as a blogger.


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Be greeted by an amazing mosaic masterpiece that will set the mood for your visit to Russell Island (Canaipa), the largest of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands. For fishing, there's a jetty at the northern end of the island, with a nearby fenced swimming enclosure for cooling off on a hot day. High tide is best for swimming in tidal pools. Free camping is also available for maximum of three nights.
This is an ideal spot for picnicking in the foreshore park adjacent to the small beach. Sandy Beach is also a fantastic spot for fishing or simply relaxing on the grass, with nearby picnic tables, barbecue area and toilets. Adventurers can take a walk around Rocky Point and spot some of the local wildlife.
Go for a day trip or stay longer, venture in the freshwater wet heath area of Turtle Swamp, where the trees are home to dozens of species of birds and spring wildflowers are a pleasure to discover.
The Southern Moreton Bay Islands beaches are to be enjoyed for their peaceful tranquillity, with early mornings and evenings delightful in their picture postcard beauty.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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(8) 6V Flooded Lead Acid
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We know we're supposed to take these women seriously and acknowledge their true MMA skills but since when do we ever do what we're supposed to?
In this video, two attractive Brazilian MMA fighters demonstrate the omoplata technique. Before you click play, the uploader of said video asks "No sexual comments please, this is a professional and serious MMA technique video, no room for male hormonal hogwash here."
Fair enough.


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Logitech Mini Boombox
A compact speaker which pairs with smartphones and bluetooth-enabled devices, the Logitech Mini Boombox charges via USB and allows users up to 10 hours of audio. Its specially designed acoustic chamber delivers great sound with enhanced bass while its built-in mic provides for clear calls.
Tags: logitech, compact speakers
Product Specification
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WASHINGTON - Canada has joined the United States and four other countries in efforts to cut emissions of common, short-lived pollutants even as it's facing questions internationally about its true commitment to fighting climate change.
Environment Minister Peter Kent was in the U.S. capital on Thursday, appearing alongside U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to announce the five-year initiative.
He said the coalition, which also includes Bangladesh, Ghana, Mexico and Sweden, will "reduce emissions, help counter climate change, and work towards delivering a global solution to this global problem."
"This is a key complement to our action on greenhouse gases through ambitious national reductions," Kent added.
State Department officials say the project was spurred by the slow pace of international climate change talks.
Yet Canada's contribution is modest by any standards — it's kicking in just $3 million. The U.S. is contributing $12 million, while the amount being doled out by the other nations wasn't immediately known.
Nonetheless, Clinton said the news amounted to a watershed moment.
"Today's announcement, if we do everything we want to do and intend to do, will be looked back on in years to come as a real turning point in the fight against the effects of climate change," she said.
"We have every hope that we will see results soon."
The project, to be run by the United Nations Environment Program, is aimed at addressing short-lived pollutants like methane, hydrofluorocarbons and soot, also known as black carbon.
All have a significant impact on global warming, accounting for as much as 40 per cent of the problem. But unlike carbon dioxide, they have a short lifespan and don't linger in the environment for thousands of years.
If such measures were implemented worldwide, scientists say it could slow global warming by about half a degree Celsius by 2030.
Kent's visit to Washington came a day after he was on the hot seat in the House of Commons amid complaints from the world's biggest emerging economies. Brazil, South Africa, India and China say they're questioning Canada's sincerity on climate change given it recently walked away from the Kyoto Protocol.
Kyoto was the world's only legally binding global warming agreement.
"Most of the world recognized the Kyoto Protocol was not working, and a post-Kyoto climate-change agreement needs to be created," Kent had said Wednesday in the House.
On Thursday, Kent was asked why the government was announcing with great fanfare a $3 million contribution to a global initiative while it was closing down a network of monitoring stations in the Arctic that had tracked the same particle-forming pollutants.
"We are focusing on other scientific research and operations in the Arctic and the Far North that will figure directly in addressing things like black carbon," he said.
Also on HuffPost


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4ct Plum Assorted Finishes Ball Shatterproof Christmas Ornament Set, Purple
Find Seasonal Holiday Decorations at Target.com! 4.75" assorted finish Vickerman shatterproof ornaments come with 1 matte, 1 shiny, 1 glitter, and 1 sequin totaling 4 pieces. Shatterproof ornaments give you the look of real glass with the safety and reliability of plastic. These small ornaments are the perfect size for your decorating projects, whatever they may be. Color: Purple.
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Heat take off late, top Bucks for 2-0 lead
MIAMI -- All the Miami Heat really needed was two brilliant minutes to take a two-game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Dwyane Wade scored 21 points, LeBron James finished with 19 and the Miami Heat took off in the fourth quarter to pull away and beat the Milwaukee Bucks 98-86 in Game 2 of the teams' Eastern Conference first-round series on Tuesday night.
Chris Bosh, Shane Battier and Chris Andersen all scored 10 points for the Heat, who now lead the best-of-seven 2-0. Game 3 is Thursday in Milwaukee.
The Heat scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter, needing just over 2 minutes to blow open what had been a three-point game.
Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 points for Milwaukee, which got 16 from Mike Dunleavy and 14 from Larry Sanders. The Bucks' starting guards, Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, combined for only 15 points.
And an already-daunting task for Milwaukee -- beating the reigning NBA champions -- just got tougher. James is 10-0 when his teams have a 2-0 series lead, and Wade is 8-0 in that situation.
The first 2:23 of the fourth quarter decided everything. Andersen started it with a three-point play, James had a layup not long afterward and the Heat were starting to roll. Another basket by Andersen off a pass from Ray Allen made it 77-65, and James found Norris Cole for a 3-pointer that capped the flurry and made it 80-65.
Just like that, it was over.
Jennings and Ellis combined for 48 points in Game 1, and the Bucks got blown out. So in the first half of Game 2, they combined for one point, were held to five shots that all missed ... and the Bucks were within 47-43 at halftime.
Chances are, very few would have seen that coming.
But play was sloppy from the outset, with the teams combining for eight turnovers in the first 6 minutes to set the tone for a clumsy first half. Wade, James and Chalmers shot 15 for 19 combined in the first half for Miami -- and the rest of the Heat were 3 for 17. For Milwaukee, Ilyasova had 12 points in the first 10 minutes, then two points the rest of the half.
So much like in Game 1, Milwaukee came out for the second half with a chance of stealing home-court advantage.
And for the entirety of the third quarter, the Bucks hung around, though the Heat showed some signs of getting things going. Bosh had a dunk for a six-point lead, then made a jumper -- on a play that James started by running down a loose ball and flicking it between his legs for a save along the sideline -- for a 68-60 lead, what was then the biggest Heat margin of the night.
The Bucks got within 68-65 to end the third, but then came the run that Miami had been waiting for all evening.
Both teams got a big scare with 6:59 left. Battier drove for a layup from the right wing, and Sanders rushed down the middle of the lane to attempt a block. A collision ensued and both players hit the court awkwardly, Battier hitting his head on the hardwood and Sanders -- who fell over Battier -- grabbing at his right knee after the play.
Battier made the two free throws he was awarded, then was subbed out of the game and departed for the Heat locker room to get stitches on his chin. Sanders was taken out of the game about a minute later, though remained on the Bucks' bench.
NOTES: It's the 11th time the Heat have gone up 2-0 in a playoff series. They're 10-0 in the previous instances. ... Milwaukee has lost 21 of its last 29 playoff games. ... Sanders was third in the NBA's Most Improved Player voting, behind Indiana's Paul George and New Orleans' Greivis Vasquez. "Look where he was last year and where he is today. The improvement is very obvious," said Bucks coach Jim Boylan, who thought Sanders should have won. ... Jennings was held without a first-half basket for only the fifth time all season.


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- Film Note : -movie_rating-
- Release Date of film : 2003-05-30
- Average rate : 6.3
- Vote Count : 576
- Societies of production : Paramount Pictures
- Status : Released
- Tagline : Get in. Get out. Get even.
- Duration of movie : 111
- Languages spoken : English
- Youtube Id : -youtube_id-
- Original title : The Italian Job
- Movie genre : Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller,
- Mark Wahlberg Character (Charlie Croker)
- Charlize Theron Character (Stella Bridger)
- Jason Statham Character (Handsome Rob)
- Edward Norton Character (Steve)
- Fausto Callegarini Character (Italian Guard)
- Seth Green Character (Lyle)
- Mos Def Character (Left Ear)
- Donald Sutherland Character (John Bridger)
- Stefano Petronelli Character (Garbageman)
- Fabio Scarpa Character (Garbageman)
- Cristiano Bonora Character (Garbageman)
- Tiberio Greco Character (Garbageman)
- Jimmy Shubert Character (First Detective)
- Tammi Cubilette Character (Second Detective)
- Mary Portser Character (Stella's Receptionist)
- Boris Lee Krutonog Character (Yevhen (as Boris Krutonog))
- Franky G Character (Wrench)
- Olek Krupa Character (Mashkov)
- Gawtti Character (Skinny Pete)
- Melanie Jayne Character (Skinny Pete's Girl)
- Gregory Scott Cummins Character (Ukranian)
The Italian Job Synopsis:
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F. Gary Gray Job as : Director, Tim Bevan Job as : Executive Producer, Donald De Line Job as : Producer, Jim Dyer Job as : Executive Producer, Eric Fellner Job as : Executive Producer, Wendy Japhet Job as : Executive Producer, John Powell Job as : Original Music Composer, Wally Pfister Job as : Director of Photography, Richard Francis-Bruce Job as : Editor, Christopher Rouse Job as : Editor, Donna Powers Job as : Screenplay, Wayne Powers Job as : Screenplay, Troy Kennedy Martin Job as : Screenplay, Lynsey Jones Job as : Producer, Guido Cerasuolo Job as : Line Producer, Sheila Jaffe Job as : Casting, Charles Wood Job as : Production Design,
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My Favorite Vegan Liquid Hand Soaps
Before I delve into my list of fave vegan liquid hand soaps, lemme give you some quickie reasons why I prefer using liquid soaps vs. solid bars for my sweet, delicate phalangey fingercicles.
- I is laaaaaay-zaaaay. I don't wanna waste my time lathering up a bar of soap before washing my hands. I want instantaneous sudsification. Na mean?
- It's less messy and doesn't get that slimy layer of nastiness if it's sitting around like soap bars do.
- The liquid soap scent tends to linger longer. Me gusta.
- I've convinced myself that pumping the liquid soap bottle burns 0.764 of a calorie. Those bits can definitely add up and whip you into bikini shape in no time!
Just in case y'all are like, "Damn, why's this girl hatin' on soap bars?"… Lemme just say, I ♥ using bar soaps when I bathe and shave my legs. There's enough love to go around, my babies! Onto my fave liquid soaps:
- Hugo Naturals – Vanilla & Sweet Orange ($7.99), perfect spring scent, smells like a heavenly, citrusy, creamcicle treat
- Nature's Gate Organics – Lemongrass & Clary Sage ($6.99), thick formula, a little goes a long way, smells clean and would make a lovely addition to any kitchen.
- EO – French Lavender ($8.99), soothing, beautiful floral scent
- Dr. Bronner's – Peppermint Castile Soap ($6.39 for 8 oz. bottle), versatile, lasts a long time, tingly, and straight-up awesome
- Trader Joe's – Lavender and Chamomile Soap ($2.99) ← Can't beat that price! It's easy to dispense and has a subtle, relaxing, delicate scent.
- Lather – Cucumber Wasabi Hand Wash ($12), a li'l pricey but it'll mos def get you in the mood for sushi (the vegan kind, fools!) 😉
- Method – Refresh Mint Foaming Hand Wash ($3.99), affordable, available at places like Target, smells refreshing, and has a fun foam factor.
There you have it! When there are all these awesome vegan liquid hand soaps to choose from, there's NO excuse to not wash your hands, ev-ah! And as a public service announcement, please—pretty please—always wash your hands after going pee pee, #2 and/or #3. Thank you y muchos gracias. xx
What's your favorite vegan liquid hand soap?
About Sunny (Sunny's Profile)Longtime vegan, hardcore compassionate beauty junkie, serious cake aficionado, and lover of all things floofy and sparkly! If there's something in particular you'd like me to review, drop me a line at email@example.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Google +.
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Now out of these soaps, which one leaves your hands feeling the softest afterwards? I habitual yeah my hands having 8 pets, cooking at home & being an avid nail biter ;0} I desperately need a hand soap that restores my hands and heals them instead of just constantly stripping all of the oil off and leaving them constantly cracked but as the masses of creature & environment loving hoards, REFUSE to use any non-cruelty free products. This includes not using any non-animal tested products that are still under a company that's tests for other products in their line. Any suggestions?
The items you listed are not necessarily vegan. They are cruelty-free but none of them have been approved by the vegan society (click on each item's profile):
This is the list of vegan society approved brands in the US:
I haven't tried any of these, and would like to, so thanks for the recs :-))
Dr. Bronner's is a wonderful soap. Peppermint is a great scent that my boyfriend and I can both enjoy. Great post!
I'll go on record to say that I don't like bar soap. I use Dr. Bronner's as hand soap in my bathrooms (I also have a bottle for washing my hands at work and carry a tiny one in my purse for washing my hands out and about, too) and as body wash in the shower. I love Dr. Bronner's!


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Last year, the breakout star of Mark Millar's comic-series-turned-DIY-superhero flick was Hit Girl, a ten-year-old assassin dedicated to eviscerating crime. At London's Kapow! Comic Con this weekend, Millar announced that the heroine will be getting her own miniseries come September.
Said Millar to Comic Book Resources:
There are four new Millarworld books I'm planning on writing over the next year. I've actually written some of them already, and others I'll be writing over the next few months [...] The first is a spinoff from 'Kick-Ass,' and it's called 'Hit Girl.' It's going to be drawn by a guy named Leandro Fernandez. He's an amazing artist, and he kind of works in a style similar to Eduardo Risso. So this is Hit Girl in her own ongoing book because I found that as I was writing the 'Kick-Ass' comic, Hit Girl would almost take it over because she was so much fun to write. When I was writing 'Kick-Ass 2' I found myself just desperate to write Hit Girl, but I had to force myself to give Kick-Ass as many scenes as possible because it was his book. So since I had so many ideas for Hit Girl that I couldn't fit into one book, so I've just spun it off into a solo title.
In addition to Hit Girl , Millar revealed a flurry of new projects. He'll be expanding his Millarworld line with Super Crooks ("a heist story with supervillains," Leinil Francis Yu's on art), a project with Watchmen's David Gibbons for late 2011, and "a huge, 12-issue superhero epic for Image" with his Authority collaborator Frank Quitely for January 2012. Millar launched the Kapow! convention, so it makes sense he'd be the belle of the ball.


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SYRACUSE, Utah — A 14-year-old boy is in a juvenile detention center after leading police on a chase in his grandfather's car. The boy drove across a park with children running to get out of the way. The chase ended after a driver used his truck to intentionally stop the fleeing vehicle.
"The person driving the truck could see it was turning back into the park, and he did not want the car to hit all of the children, or any of the children, and he actually pulled his truck in the way so the car collided with the truck," said Officer Erin Behm with the Syracuse Police Department. Neither the boy nor the driver of the truck were seriously injured.
Read more: FOX13


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A year after Eric Duckworth built his health club in the fastest-growing community in Pennsylvania, the YMCA announced plans to build a 77,000-square-foot facility, complete with a full-service fitness center, just five miles away. Duckworth filed suit against the Y. That was seven years ago. Today, the owner of the Fitness Factory in Cranberry Township, PA, is still fighting the Y in the courts, but the Y has forged ahead with plans to build the multi-million dollar fitness facility.
The Fitness Factory is not alone. Other Pennsylvania health clubs have also sued YMCAs in attempts to block construction of new fitness facilities in their markets. The state's 1998 statute, the Institutions of Purely Public Charity Act, prohibits charitable institutions such as Ys from using their tax-exempt status to compete unfairly against small businesses such as health clubs. Lawyer Fred Greenburg, who has represented several clubs in cases against the Ys, remembers only one Pennsylvania court case in which a for-profit club sued a Y and won. A court ruled the Sewickley Family YMCA had to pay taxes on its steam room, sauna and leased physical therapy practice, but its Nautilus equipment and weight rooms, swimming pool and gymnasium remained tax-exempt.
For the last several years, Ys have been building multi-million-dollar facilities in markets traditionally served by for-profits — the suburbs. Thus the issue becomes two-fold — these nonprofits not only have a tax advantage, but they also have moved into lucrative markets previously left to for-profit health clubs.
Competition doesn't come just from the Ys. Tax-exempt nonprofits such as hospitals, churches and Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) also are building state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar fitness centers in suburban communities. Roughly 60 percent of the 250 JCCs are located in suburban communities, and 175 to 200 of the JCCs have fitness centers. Alan Mann, executive director of the JCC, says fitness centers are integral to JCC's tri-fold mission of education, service and community building.
"There's an old Jewish adage — the body is the temple of the soul," Mann says. "In order for the soul to be healthy, the body must be healthy. We fulfill the Jewish purpose by helping people to be as fit as they can be so they can be as productive as possible."
While the JCCs have been building fitness facilities in the suburbs for decades, no JCC fitness center has been sued by a for-profit club for unfair competition, Mann says. The reason Ys may be taking the hit, and JCCs are on the sidelines, may stem from the number of Ys as compared to the number of JCCs. According to the 2004 Health Club Trend Report by the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association and American Sports Data, only 1 percent of the more than 41 million U.S. health club members belong to JCCs or Young Men Hebrew Associations (YMHAs) while 19 percent are members of YMCAs or YWCAs (see chart on page 40).
JCCs not only operate fitness facilities in the suburbs but also serve the urban populations and provide help to new immigrants, who may not otherwise be able to afford a fitness center membership.
Likewise, the YMCA continues to operate many of its fitness facilities in urban areas. For example, when its 60-year-old downtown facility fell into disrepair, the YMCA of the Sierra moved to another location in downtown Reno, NV, rather than moving to the suburbs.
While the YMCA may have the reputation of only serving the less fortunate, its mission is to serve everyone in the community, says Larry Lutz, an attorney representing the YMCA in the case brought against it by the Fitness Factory (see case study on page 36). Children in suburban communities may wrestle with issues such as drug abuse, divorce and other problems, and the YMCA can help them grow spiritually as well as physically as part of its mission of building strong kids, strong families and strong communities.
"It's crazy to say the only place the Ys should be is in the downtown areas," Lutz says. "You're naïve if you think that just because kids live in suburbs, they don't have issues that Ys can help them with. Some may think that as per capita income increases, health and spiritual problems decrease, but I think you find just the opposite."
The YMCA has served outlying communities for 150 years, says Arnold Collins of the YMCA of the USA, which is the largest non-profit community service organization in the United States. In addition, the Y's tax exempt status and charitable mission have been affirmed by local courts, taxing agencies, state legislatures, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Congress as well as generations of local volunteer boards, donors, program members and participants, he says.
"All YMCA programs, including adult fitness, which makes up one-third of our vast array of YMCA programs and activities, are part of our historical, charitable purpose and meet the definition of chairity because of the benefit they provide to the entire community," Collins says.
As a tax-exempt nonprofit, the JCC also operates under both government and self-imposed restrictions, Mann says. To maintain its nonprofit status, the JCC must submit filings to the federal government and show that it is providing a charitable service to the community. The JCCs must also pay taxes on unrelated business income as required by law and pay royalty fees for the music used during the group exercise programs. State and federal laws governing a nonprofit vary from state to state (see table on facing page).
Leveling the Playing Field
Nonprofits such as Ys and JCCs may comply with the necessary regulations to maintain their tax-exempt status, but some for-profit clubs still feel they are competing unfairly. When nonprofits directly compete against for profit health clubs — by offering the same services and marketing to the same potential members — they should become commercial entities, pay taxes and abide by the same laws as other businesses, says Scott Gillespie, president of Saco Sport & Fitness in Saco, ME.
"These multi-million dollar castles that the YMCA is now putting up are clearly for the masses and clearly meant to compete against commercial fitness centers and athletic clubs," he says. "In numerous cases, these charitable entities have put commercial clubs out of business."
YMCA facilities have included gyms since 1869 (see timeline on page 42), and as fitness equipment has evolved over the years, the YMCA has also changed with the times, Lutz says.
"When we put elliptical trainers, stairmasters and treadmills in a new facility, it's an evolution of what we did 100 years ago," Lutz says. "Are we supposed to sit back and say, 'You put all this stuff in your facility, and we'll put some medicine balls in a room and see if the members use it?' That would be wrecking our mission."
Some for-profit clubs are unable to compete with tax-exempt nonprofit fitness facilities, which have a 30 percent to 40 percent advantage over the same club built and operated commercially, Greenburg says. For example, growing competition from nonprofit fitness facilities forced the 100,000-square-foot Deerfield Multiplex in Deerfield, IL, to close its doors two months ago after celebrating 25 years in the business.
Recent nonprofit clubs have been built on budgets that would make some of the best for-profit clubs drool, and it is time that this issue be addressed, says Joel Potter, chief enlightenment officer for the Gold's Gym in Omaha, NE; Lincoln, NE; and Battle Creek, MI.
"The public should be outraged," Potter says. "Not only are these companies violating the spirit of what a nonprofit organization means to the average taxpayer, but they are also violating public trust and consuming limited resources to aid the truly needy. Our government is collecting tax dollars from the average taxpayer that the fitness industry could provide were the playing field leveled."
Rather than fighting nonprofits, however, for-profit clubs should instead focus their efforts on better serving the millions of unfit and sedentary adults who don't find traditional health clubs appealing, says Leslie Nolan of the Radial Group.
"Many [nonprofits] have prices in line with commercial clubs, so when customers choose non-profits, it's often because the commercial clubs turn off those customers," Nolan says. "The health club industry lost this battle on the legislative front years ago, and it's a waste of time and money to keep beating a dead horse."
Not everyone agrees with Nolan. Chad Potter, owner of the Danville Health Club in Danville, IL, says while nonprofits provide many valuable services to the community, they often offer services well beyond their boundaries and directly compete with for-profit clubs. A hospital opened a wellness center five miles from his club, and he says that financially, he can't compete with the center's higher staff count or their marketing efforts.
"One full-page ad in our Sunday paper is my monthly budget, and they have two or three [ads] a week in our local papers," he says.
Kevin McCauley, co-owner of The Workout Co. in St. Louis, says nonprofits advertise their services on television, radio and in the newspapers without ever mentioning their charitable purpose, and they directly compete against his club in a host of other ways.
"They offer discounts on their enrollment fees and member referral promotions at strategic times of the year similar to many for-profit centers," he says. "They open new facilities in affluent areas because they are focused on the bottom line and their return on investment. Rarely do these nonprofit fitness centers open in areas where people can least afford it."
The Ys are also directly competing against for-profit clubs when it comes to pricing their memberships, Greenburg says, recalling a chart he saw in a YMCA comparing the cost of Y memberships with local clubs' dues.
The Ys build new branches to serve the community's needs, not to turn a big profit, Lutz says. Case in point: the Y doesn't turn anyone away because of an inability to pay.
"We go where the people are and where Ys are necessary," he says. "We don't sit down and say, 'This is a place where we can make money.'"
While this may be the case, the Ys aren't the only ones giving away memberships. For-profit club owner McCauley donates 100 memberships per year to schools, churches and various nonprofit organizations for their fundraising activities.
Blending Faith and Fitness
While some for-profit health clubs struggle to compete against the tax-exempt Ys and JCCs, others face a new breed of competition — church fitness facilities. David Smith, general manager of Paradise Fitness for Women, says in his area, three local churches within two miles of his club have built full-service fitness facilities. These facilities have the same commercial equipment as his club, pay no taxes, pay no business license fees, market to both their members and non-church members and charge only $50 a year for members and $90 per year for non-members.
"All of this is classified as a form of ministry," he says. "I've contacted local government and these churches personally to let them know of the unfairness in their practices and that they're running a business by marketing to the same people we do without the added costs."
Church fitness facilities, however, aren't going away anytime soon. In fact, these "family fitness centers" top the list of some architectural design firms' church-related projects, says Brad Bloom, editor of Faith and Fitness magazine. As he's traveled to church fitness facilities nationwide, he's noticed that some consist of small fitness rooms with a limited amount of equipment, while others are multi-million dollar, 60,000-square-foot to 90,000-square-foot facilities that rival area for-profit clubs.
While some church fitness facilities only serve their own congregation, the majority are open to the community and have an aggressive outreach campaign, Bloom says. For example, 80 percent of the members of the Family Lifestyle Center at North Phoenix Baptist Church are not part of the church's congregation. Twenty years ago, the church's fitness center started as a 20-foot by 17-foot room with two stationary bikes and some hand weights, and now the fitness center spans 93,000 square feet and features a basketball court, six racquetball courts, a skating rink, 26 group exercise classes a week, a Jacuzzi, a sauna, a game room and a full-service snack bar. For all of these amenities, the church members pay a quarterly fee of $40 for an individual, $50 for a couple and $60 for a family. Community members pay $70 as an individual, $85 for a couple and $110 for a family quarterly. Each time a new member joins the fitness center, Dan Geer, the church's fitness director, calls to welcome them. Last year, he estimated he made more than 1,400 phone calls.
As a non-profit, the Family Lifestyle Center saves about $300,000 to $400,000 in operating costs with its tax-exempt status, Geer says. The church uses the money from the membership fees to cover the costs of operating the large fitness facility.
"We generate the fees, and it makes enough for us to keep it open," he says. "That way we're not a burden on the church."
The fitness center is located about a mile from a full-service YMCA and is surrounded by a number of for-profit clubs, but Geer doesn't think the clubs view his fitness center as competition.
"I don't think we're hurting anyone," he says.
About 20,000 Baptist churches have recreation programs, and the number is growing, says John Garner, consultant in recreation and sports ministry for LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville. Church fitness centers have a different mission from for-profit health clubs and therefore don't compete directly with them, he says.
"The reason we exist is so different," he says. "In the secular world, gyms' primary mission is to get people to look and feel better, and the church goes much deeper by also sharing the gospel with them."
Rec Center Competition
For-profit health clubs also face competition from university recreation centers, which comprise 5 percent of U.S. health club memberships. More than 650 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) member institutions provide programs, facilities and services to their constituents in all 50 states, says Gregory Jordan, NIRSA president. These recreation centers have a ready-made customer base of faculty, staff and students, who are usually more affluent than the general population, says Nolan of the Radial Group. For example, Boston University's fitness center set aside 20,000 square feet just for weights and cardio equipment, plus an aquatic facility, climbing wall, indoor track, basketball, racquetball and squash courts and fitness studios for yoga, Pilates and spinning. They also often charge low prices for services such as personal training, Nolan says.
"Competition for new enrollment is red-hot, so there's a trend towards top-notch equipment and facilities to help attract students to universities," she says.
While tax-exempt university recs, church fitness centers, Ys and JCCs may pose competition to for-profit clubs, all fitness facilities need to work together in communities nationwide to fight the growing obesity epidemic, Bloom says.
"If nonprofits and for-profits could come together in a spirit of cooperation, the bottom line is that the memberships would grow all the way around," Bloom says.
Case Study: Fitness Factory Sues Y For Unfair Competition
When the YMCA announced plans to replace its 5,000-square-foot building with a 77,000-square-foot facility, Eric Duckworth, the founder and owner of the Fitness Factory in Cranberry Township, PA, sent the Y a letter asking if they could sit down and talk about peacefully coexisting.
"They replied with a terse response from their attorney that they don't compete," says Duckworth, a former Carnegie Mellon professor. "That's when the legal process began."
Seven years later, the club is still fighting the Y in the local courts. Despite the pending lawsuit, the Y broke ground on the multi-million dollar facility, and construction is underway. The Y's new fitness center will feature the latest aerobic and selectorized strength-training equipment, an indoor aquatic center, a gymnasium, climbing wall, indoor track, community meeting rooms and child care center.
The YMCA contended that since it first started renting space in a building in Jackson Township, PA, in 1993, it planned to construct a new building. The Y purchased 20 acres of land in February 2003 for $960,000 and received $11.5 million in tax-exempt, low-interest financing from the county's Industrial Development Authority to cover the cost of construction as well as the furnishings and equipment.
"In 1997, the Fitness Factory came in knowing we were there and built a private health club," says Larry Lutz, a lawyer who is representing the Butler County YMCA in the case. "When we started to make plans to build our building, they filed a lawsuit against us. We were already there and thought that was very unfair."
While Duckworth doesn't expect his lawsuit to halt construction, he hopes he will be able to prevent the Y from significantly expanding its current fitness services when it opens the new building. As a business owner in Pennsylvania, he sued the Y under the state's 1998 statute called The Institutions of Purely Public Charity Act. The act specifically states that tax-exempt institutions may not fund or capitalize lease obligations or subsidize a commercial business that is unrelated to the institution's charitable purpose. The legislation defines a commercial business as the sale of products or services that are principally the same as those offered by an existing small business in the same community.
Some health clubs sued nonprofits under this statute, not to seek monetary damages but rather to stop them from competing unfairly, says Fred Greenburg, Duckworth's attorney. For example, the Windwood Health and Sports Club sued the YMCA to prevent it from building a new fitness facility in Franklin Park, PA, but later dropped the lawsuit. So far, no for-profit clubs have won cases against the Ys under the state statute, but Greenburg hasn't given up yet.
"It's a tough battle, but I'm optimistic that either through court decisions or legislative actions, the playing field will be leveled, but it will take a lot of work," Greenburg says. "I think the Y health club business is nothing more than a commercial business and doesn't deserve special treatment. The Y does many wonderful things as an organization, but right now it's operating as a commercial health club under the guise of being a public charity."
|State and federal income taxes on annual profits
|State and municipal taxes on land, buildings and equipment
|Business permits, licenses and other taxes
|Sales tax on the products they use for the business (office supplies)
|Employer taxes like Social Security for eligible employees
|For-profit health clubs
|Exempt from federal taxes as public charities
|Depends on state law requirements
|Depends on state law requirements
|Depends on state law requirements
|Depends on state law requirements
|Don't Pay
|Don't Pay
|Don't Pay
|Hospital wellness centers
|Differs by state
|Differs by state
|Differs by state
|Differs by state
|Differs by state
|Church fitness centers
|Differs by state
|Most don't pay these taxes
|Differs by state
|University recreation centers
|Depends on the policies and procedures applicable to a certain institution
|Depends on the policies and procedures applicable to a certain institution
|Depends on the policies and procedures applicable to a certain institution
|Depends on the policies and procedures applicable to a certain institution
|Depends on the policies and procedures applicable to a certain institution
|Source: YMCA of the USA, JCC Association, Medical Fitness Association, LifeWay Christian Resources and the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association
What Is a Nonprofit?
To become a nonprofit, a business or organization needs to first form a non-profit corporation at the state level. While the details of the filing process and the fees vary by state, CPA Leslie Nolan estimates that most nonprofits spend $1,000 in filing and legal fees during this process. Then some states require nonprofits to file a request for tax-exempt status at the state level so they're not subject to state-level taxes. To achieve federal tax-exempt status, nonprofits have to file Form 1023 with the IRS pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue tax code and pay $500 plus thousands of dollars in legal and accounting fees to prepare the paperwork. The IRS approval process typically takes between four and six months.
More than 600,000 public charities were registered with the IRS in 1997. Charitable nonprofits, with the exception of tax-exempt organizations that make less than $25,000 each year and churches, must file annual information returns with the IRS.
About 6 percent of all businesses in the United States are considered nonprofit. All nonprofits must be governed by a board of directors or trustees.
Nonprofits, unlike for-profit businesses, do not operate in order to generate money for owners and investors. As a result, they must invest surplus revenue back into their organizations or businesses. If the funds can't be used for operating expenses, nonprofits can choose to create an endowment, increase their rainy day reserves or provide services at a lower cost to customers.
Nearly all nonprofits are exempt from state and local property taxes; federal, state, and local income taxes; and state and local sales taxes. However, they are required to pay taxes on income derived from activities that are unrelated to their mission. They also aren't exempt from withholding payroll taxes for employees. The IRS's exempt organizations division ensures that these nonprofits are complying with the requirements for eligibility for tax-exempt status, and IRS auditors investigate the financial status of thousands of nonprofits each year.
Source: Board Source, the Internal Revenue Service and Leslie Nolan of the Radial Group
|First YMCA in the United States is founded in Boston at the Old South Church.
|The Brooklyn YMCA adds "physical work" to its programs based on the belief that "bodily health is intimately connected with mental and spiritual activity and development." The YMCA also offers physical work programming to reach young Christian men that it may not otherwise be able to reach. At this time, the Y limited its membership to young men aged 16 to 40.
|The first YMCA buildings with gymnasiums are constructed in Washington, DC; San Francisco and New York City. Nine years prior, the 205 YMCAs that had been established focused primarily on Bible study, reading and counseling and occupied churches or donated buildings.
|Robert Roberts of the YMCA coins the term, "body building."
|YMCA's School for Christian Workers serves as a training center and innovator of physical education. The Brooklyn YMCA also houses the first reported "swimming bath." By the end of that year, 17 Ys had pools and by 1900, 100 Ys featured pools. The Y is now the largest operator of swimming pools in the United States.
|James Naismith, an instructor at YMCA's Springfield College, invents the game of basketball.
|William Morgan of a Massachussets Y invents volleyball, which was originally called mintonette.
|"Muscular Christianity" becomes YMCA's slogan. This motto demonstrates that "sound morals and sound body were entirely compatible; that an athlete could lead a team on Saturday and a Bible class on Sunday with equal facility and success."
|The YMCA offers recreational services to the military during World War I.
|The Youngstown Ohio YMCA hosts the first national YMCA basketball championship.
|A YMCA volunteer invents racquetball at the Greenwich, CT, YMCA.
|Judi Missett debuts her Jazzercise classes at the McGaw YMCA in Evanston, IL.
|Jackie Sorenson starts her dance classes at the Townson, MD, YMCA, which leads to the aerobics boom in the United States and Canada.
|The YMCA and the National Basketball Association create the Youth Basketball Association.
|The Y introduces its Fitness Leaders course to train and certify teachers for fitness classes.
|89 percent of the YMCAs report having fitness centers.
|92.9 percent of the 2,594 YMCA branches have fitness training facilities. In addition, the Ys have 20.1 million members — 9.7 million are under age 18 and 10.3 million are over age 18. About 42 million families and 72 million households are located within three miles of a YMCA.
|Source: YMCA of the USA


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I hear it over and over again when I meet new couples, especially ones who are newly married or have just bought their first home…
"What do we do with our home if one of us likes modern furniture and the other likes traditional furniture?"
Well there is no need to worry anymore because I have a quick and easy guide to help you jump start the process and get through this little battle of MODERN VS TRADITIONAL. Below are 5 strategies I tackle to make sense of it and help you capture a style that will let both personalities shine:
1. FIRST! Make a list of all the existing furniture both of you own. Often there is one person in the couple who has WAY more "stuff" than the other. Once you look at this list, decide who has a higher percentage of items. If it's the modern person that owns the majority of furniture and accessories, then try selecting a few traditional pieces the next time you are looking to buy new artwork or accent furniture.
2. Look at the details: If you need to purchase a few new pieces of furniture once you move in together, try to accomplish meeting each other's needs by looking at the details in the furniture you are buying. Let's say for example you are deciding between two armchairs and one is looking very traditional. However the other one is traditional but has modern lines, or modern leg details. This should be the piece you purchase because it is meeting both of your needs.
3. Don't be afraid to mix styles! If let's say each of you are bringing a house full of furniture into the new place, feel free to mix up the style, colors, and patterns so that there is a mix of each other's personal items in every room. It's OK to break up furniture sets and create a blend of both styles in one space!
4. Don't delegate common rooms to one person only! What does this mean? Well, if there is a home office and only one of you really use that space, then go ahead and let that person have total control of the room. However, if you are organizing common area furniture, like the living room or dining room, then it has to be a blend of both parties! Unite your taste in one look that expresses things you both appreciate.
5. Remember that your taste and style is evolving and forever changing. Things that you like now will change over time and somewhere down the road both of you may end up having similar taste. It takes time for a couple to develop their own style and you need to just enjoy the process for now and have fun together!
For more in depth help, or to hire Shirry for your new home design, go to: asdinteriors.com


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I have taught for 38 years at the 3rd, 5th, and 6th grade levels. Fifth grade is my first love. I teach all major subject areas. In addition to my regular classroom duties, I have taught in a Basic Skills summer school program for many years as well as taught workshops to co-workers in whole language and technology. My other duties at school include being "Teacher in Charge" and Student Council advisor.
I try very hard to make learning fun for my students each and every day of the school year. It is my goal to use a variety of techniques to reach every learning style of my students. Motivation is the name of the game for I feel that the more children like school, the more they will learn. I try to be resourceful in utilizing a wide variety of techniques to reach every student. Creating games and using manipulatives are both priorities in my classroom.
I was the first teacher chosen at my school for the Governor's Teacher Recognition Award. I am a published poet. I received an A+ for Teachers award and grant. I was selected as a Woman of the Year in my county. I get selected by a former student every year to attend a "Teacher Appreciation Tea". I am also a multiple nominee of "Who's Who Among American Teachers". I am currently in the process of getting a book of poetry published. During the 2009-1010 school year, I was selected as "Teacher of the Year" for my school district. I am especially honored because it is the first year in which our district has participated in this award.
I received a B.A. in elementary education as well as an M.A. in the same. I have always tried to take courses to keep me abreast of the latest educational trends. I also have 30 additional credits beyond my Masters degree in various subject areas.
I am the mother of two wonderful adults as well as the grandmother of five equally wonderful grandchildren which include not one, but two sets of twins. I hail from the state of Maryland originally where most of my family still resides. I currently live with my husband in the state of New Jersey where I am an avid poetry writer, shopper, political fanatic, and sports fan.
PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Higher Education, Adult Education, Homeschool
English Language Arts, Creative Writing, Writing-Expository, Reading, Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary, Specialty, Math, Applied Math, Arithmetic, Basic Operations, Fractions, Geometry, Graphing, Measurement, Numbers, Other (Math), Science, Anatomy, Astronomy, Basic Principles, Biology, Earth Sciences, Environment, Social Studies - History, Civics, Elections - Voting, Government, Native Americans, U.S. History, European History, World History, Arts & Music, Visual Arts, Graphic Arts, Music, Physical Education, Computer Science - Technology, Career and Technical Education, Health, Other (Specialty), Math Test Prep, Geography, Other (Social Studies - History), Other (ELA), Life Skills, Religion, Gifted and Talented, Critical Thinking, For All Subject Areas, Literature, Classroom Management, Professional Development, Statistics, Character Education, Family Consumer Sciences, Word Problems, Study Skills, Instructional Technology, General Science, Physical Science, Library Skills, Problem Solving, Short Stories, Writing


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Triple chocolate cookies
You've got all bases covered with white, milk and dark chocolate in these American-style cookies, best enjoyed warm with a cold glass of milk
Nutrition and extra info
- Both dough and baked cookies can be frozen
Nutrition: per cookie
- kcal167
- fat8g
- saturates5g
- carbs24g
- sugars17g
- fibre0g
- protein2g
- salt0.1g
- 100g soft brown sugar
Honey and syrups made from concentrated fruit juice were the earliest known sweeteners. Today,…
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 100g butter, softened
Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…
- 1 egg
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition packed with protein and a…
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 225g plain flour
- 140g milk chocolate, melted
Milk chocolatemill-k chok-lit
Milk chocolate is classically made from dark chocolate of low cocoa solid content and a higher…
- 85g white chocolate, chips or chopped into chunks
White chocolatewhy-t chok-lit
To purists, this is not chocolate because it is made only from the fat or butter of the cacao…
- 85g plain chocolate, chips or chopped into chunks
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 1-2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Mix the sugars and butter together with a wooden spoon, then add the egg, vanilla, flour and half the melted milk chocolate and mix together. Stir in the white and plain chocolate chips or chunks, then use an ice-cream scoop or round tablespoon (like a measuring spoon) to scoop out balls of cookie dough and drop them straight onto the trays.
Bake in batches for 8-9 mins until pale golden and still soft to touch – they will firm up as they cool. Carefully transfer to a wire rack as soon as they can be lifted up, then drizzle with the remaining melted chocolate.


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Public Company Information:
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to a study released today by Charles Schwab, many U.S. retail bond investors don't think their brokerage firm is sharing enough information about how individual bonds are priced and the way that they're sold.
"Investors are tired of being kept in the dark. It's time for this industry to take a fresh look at how to talk about bond prices and broker fees, and re-evaluate whether there is the right transparency and straightforward information available for investors," said Peter Crawford, senior vice president of Charles Schwab.
The study reveals that although three quarters (73 percent) of bond investors surveyed want these pricing details, 44 percent say they can't figure out how much their bonds are "marked up," and 24 percent simply don't know how their bond firm is compensated.
The Bond Investor Study by Charles Schwab was developed to explore the perceptions of individual investors about investing in the U.S. bond market. The online survey, conducted by Koski Research in September 2011, was completed by 510 individual investors in the U.S. with a minimum of $250,000 in total investable assets and at least $25,000 in bonds that were purchased within the past two years. These bond holders were fairly affluent, with an average of $486,000 invested in individual bonds, and an average of $1.8 million in household savings and investable assets.
What's This Bond Gonna Cost Me? Investors Really Don't Know
Two-thirds of respondents say it's extremely important that they receive competitive pricing, and half say it's extremely important to have a clear understanding of all mark-ups and fees. Sixty percent of bond investors appreciate that bond prices vary across firms, although once armed with this information, they seem resigned to the status quo:
- Only 35 percent believe they always get the best price from their bond broker.
- Forty percent say they do not know how to get the best price on bonds.
- Roughly 40 percent claim it is either too complicated or too time-consuming to shop for the best price.
Half of investors surveyed confirm that they pay some type of additional fee when they invest in bonds. But only 27 percent know what they pay – which they say, on average, is a $6.10 mark-up on the base price of a $1,000 bond.
"Investing in the bond market shouldn't be an act of faith," said Crawford. "It's clear that bond investors find the fixed income markets opaque and confusing, which is why we have worked to help demystify what they pay and how they can invest."
At Schwab, investors have access to a wide variety of U.S. bonds, screening tools and research, and guidance from bond professionals to help them make more informed bond investing decisions. Schwab's $1.00 mark-up per bond on domestic U.S. bonds is a fee structure that's simple to understand, among the lowest in the industry, and provided immediately with quoted prices.
Bond Investors Want to Know More about Bonds
Schwab study respondents have a strong appetite for being more knowledgeable about their bond investments – whether it's by relying on advice from financial professionals for bond buying decisions, doing their own research and analysis, or some combination of both of these. Two thirds (66 percent) say it is extremely important to know about issues or risks associated with specific bonds. Seventy-five percent use online resources when making bond investment decisions, using online research and ratings on specific bonds most frequently, followed by search and filter tools.
The Bond Investor Study also found that:
- Forty-six percent say access to a knowledgeable bond specialist is extremely important.
- Forty-six percent also say it is extremely important to know that their brokerage has no conflicts of interest because it does not underwrite any bonds.
"Is there any other marketplace where a consumer would purchase something without being clear on the costs or understanding what they are buying?" said Crawford. "We are committed to shining a bright light on the bond market so that individual investors can know more about what they are buying."
About Schwab BondSource®
Schwab's BondSource offers access to over 36,000 new issue and secondary bond offerings from more than 200 dealers1, connecting investors to multiple major bond trading platforms, not just one. Schwab's online platform offers clients access to professional research and user-friendly bond search and filter functionality. Bond investors are automatically presented with the lowest prices available through Schwab, although prices can be compared easily as well. In addition, all clients have access to Schwab's tenured, dedicated team of 100 fixed income specialists2 who can provide further guidance.
About The Bond Investor Study by Charles Schwab
The Bond Investor Study by Charles Schwab was an online survey of U.S. investors conducted by Koski Research in September 2011, and has a 4.4 percent margin of error. A total of 510 respondents completed interviews. Survey respondents had a minimum of $250,000 in total investable assets, ranged in age between 25 and 75, had $25,000 invested in bonds directly, and had purchased individual bonds within the past two years. Survey respondents were not asked to indicate whether they had accounts with Charles Schwab. All data is self-reported by study participants and is not verified or validated. Investors participated in the study between September 6 and September 16, 2011. Detailed findings can be found at www.aboutschwab.com/press/research/bond_investor_study.
About Charles Schwab
The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) is a leading provider of financial services, with more than 300 offices and 8.5 million active brokerage accounts, 1.46 million corporate retirement plan participants, 769,000 banking accounts, and $1.58 trillion in client assets. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company provides a full range of securities brokerage, banking, money management and financial advisory services to individual investors and independent investment advisors. Its broker-dealer subsidiary, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (member SIPC, www.sipc.org), and affiliates offer a complete range of investment services and products including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial planning and investment advice; retirement plan and equity compensation plan services; referrals to independent fee-based investment advisors; and custodial, operational and trading support for independent, fee-based investment advisors through Schwab Advisor Services. Its banking subsidiary, Charles Schwab Bank (member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender), provides banking and mortgage services and products. More information is available at www.schwab.com and www.aboutschwab.com. (1011-6960)
Follow us on Twitter: @charlesschwab
Fixed income securities are subject to increased loss of principal during periods of rising interest rates. Fixed income investments are subject to various other risks including changes in credit quality, market valuations, liquidity, prepayments, early redemption, corporate events, tax ramifications, and other factors.
Schwab reserves the right to act as principal on any Bond transaction. In secondary market principal transactions the price will be subject to our standard mark up in the case of purchases and a mark down in the case of sales, and also may include a profit or loss to Schwab. When trading as principal, Schwab may hold the security in its own account prior to selling it to you, or may resell it after buying from you and, therefore, may make (or lose) money separately from the markup on the transaction.
1As of September 29, 2011
2As of September 6, 2011
Charles Schwab
Alyson Nikulicz, 212-403-9240
The Neibart Group
David Neibart, 718-875-4198


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Feb '04
Oops I dropped by satellite.
New Jets create excitement in the air.
The audience is not listening.
Mar '04
Neat chemicals you don't want to mess with.
The Lack of Practise Effect
Apr '04
Scramjets take to the air
Doing dangerous things in the fire.
The Real Way to get a job
May '04
Checking out cool tools (with the kids)
A master geek (Ink Tank flashback)
How to play with your kids


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THE WANDERING TAX PRO Up-to-the-minute advice, information, resources, and, on occasion, commentary on federal and New Jersey state income taxes, and the various New Jersey property tax rebate programs, and insights and observations on tax policy and professional tax practice, by 45+-year veteran tax professional Robert D Flach.
Monday, December 10, 2012
2 comments:
- Tom said...
Won't happen because even though the tax message is screw-up it's the tax messengers fault for delivering it and in the governments infamous thinking, the tax messengers need correction not the tax message...
- December 11, 2012 at 10:33:00 AM EST
- Dave Fazio EA said...
You hit the nail squarely on the head: the Cash for Clunkers program was a success because it kept the IRS out of the process. Taxpayers got their government discount (the equivalent of an IRS tax credit) at the point of sale. They didn't have to wait up to a year to reap the benefit.
We have become a nation of deduction junkies. Congress has tweaked the code so much that we start to feel that every dollar we spend should be deductible. We have special deductions/credits for teachers, adoption, child care, income earned outside the US, education, student loan interest and so on. Does a teacher with out-of-pocket expenses deserve an above-the-line $250 deduction more than the school cafeteria worker who doesn't itemize and has $15 deducted out of her paycheck every week for her uniform? Does the college graduate deserve a special deduction for his student loan interest when a Hurricaine Sandy victim can't deduct interest on the credit card he's incurring while he's rebuilding his home and waiting for the insurance check?
Now no one said he tax code was fair. But too many perks are being handed out via the 1040 that (as you pointed out) are completely unnecessary.
- December 12, 2012 at 1:55:00 AM EST