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About Us » Parent Teacher Association
Parent Teacher Association
Membership in this organization is open to all parents of children enrolled at Blessed Sacrament School and the Faculty. The goals of the Parent Teacher Association are:
- To increase communication between the home and school for the betterment of the child.
- To support and maintain the parish and school of Blessed Sacrament
- To assist the parents educationally as the primary educators of their children
View the following for more information:
- Elected Officers
- 2016-2017 Meeting Schedule
- Faculty and Parent Goals
- PTA Events (description, duties and fundraisers)
Elected Officers
Officers are elected at the end of each school year for the following year. The 2017-2018 school year are listed below:
Kristin Oessirillo
Patti Fitzgibbons
Sandy Craner
Melinda Calangelo
2017-2018 Meeting Schedule
There are five Executive Board meetings and five Parent Teacher Association meetings per year. The Executive Board meetings are held one week prior to the PTA meetings. The following are dates for the 2016-2017 school year:
|Executive Board
|PTA Meeting Dates
|September 13
|September 20
|November 1
|November 8
|February 28
|January 17
|March 7
|May 7
|May 9
Executive Board meetings are attended by the elected officers, school pricncipal, a teacher representative and committee chairpersons. P.T.A. meetings are scheduled five times a year on various days of the months of September, November, January, March and May at 7:00 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Child care and refreshments are provided. Everytime a parent/guardian attends a P.T.A. meeting there name is put into the end of the year $500 tuition drawing at the May P.T.A. Meeting.
Faculty and Parent Goals
The short-term faculty goals are to obtain teacher supplies as indicated by each teacher and to fund student activities throughout the school year. The long-term goal is to upgrade and support the computer technology available for all students at Blessed Sacrament School.
PTA Events
The following are events, duties and fundraisers scheduled for the 2016-2017 school year. We welcome volunteer parents to assist in helping to ensure a successful even
Dance and Gymnastics (Weekly Program)
This is an extra-curricular activity that takes place after school hours. The program begins in October and ends in the Spring with a dance recital. Dance lessons are held once a week in the gym by a certified dance instructors. There is a cost for those that participate in the program. Registration is in the early Fall.
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Teacher Appreciation (Monthly Event)
Each month we honor our teachers for their hard work and dedication to our children. The teachers enjoy the special luncheons and treats provided by the Teacher Appreciation Committee.
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Kindergarten Friendship Dinner (October 14th)
This event is held at the beginning of the school year to help facilitate friendship between children and families as they begin their Blessed Sacrament journey. A dinner is provided along with entertainment for the children. The event is usually hosted by the first grade parents.
Halloween Haunted House (October 26th & 27th Party and Parade (October 31st)
The PTA sponsors an awesome Haunted House in the school gym that is known as the best "Haunted House in Syracuse". Volunteers are always needed for set-up and to be a character in the actual Haunted House. Fun Hallowwen activities are also available for younger children.
We celebrate Halloween with a parade at 12:30p.m. and classroom parties immediately following the parade. Parents are encouraged to attend this fun-filled event.
Please keep children from wearing costumes which may depict or represent violence. Absolutely NO weapons for props are allowed.
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Holiday Auction! (November 17th)
This event is always a huge success. Products and services provided by families and friends of Blessed Sacrament school and parish are auctioned off at this adult event. This year again a Trip to Disney Land for a family of four or $10,000 Cash will be given away to a lucky winner. Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and delectable desserts will be served. Advance sale tickets are $20 and $25 at the door.
Breakfast with Santa (December 2nd)
This fund raiser takes place following Sunday masses. Enjoy a delicious breakfast with family and friends and visit with Santa too! Photo opportunities with Santa will be available, so don't forget your camera.
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Book Fair (December 2nd through December 5th)
A fund raising event held annually in December. The Book Fair raises money for our library and media center. The scholastic Book Company provides us with a large selection of quality books. All students and families are welcome to purchase books at a low cost.
This highly successful event has raised over $20,000 for our school during the past five years. Gertrude Hawk will again provide us with their mouth-watering chocolates for our family and friends to enjoy! A special TAG Day and pizza party will be provided for the class that sells the most candy.
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Family Fun Night (February 1st)
Plan on having lots of fun in the Blessed Sacrament School cafeteria with interactive games for all ages. Stay tuned for more information.
Ice Skating Party (March 23rd)
This family event to celebrate the end of winter will take place in the spring. Blessed Sacrament will rent Sunnycrest Ice Skating rink for a private evening of ice skating, music, snacks and FUN! You won't want to miss this fun-filled event.
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Save Your Returnables for Blessed Sacrament School
In lieu of bottle drives throughout the school year, you can return your bottle and cans to the Bottle Return Center on Teall Ave. across from Shop City. We have a running account there to support our school.
PTA Meeting Hospitality Committee
The Hospitality Committee provides refreshments during each of the five PTA Meetings held each year...another great reason to attend the PTA meetings!
A keepsake to treasure for years to come. Blessed Sacrament's yearbook captures school activities and unforgettable moments for each student to cherish at a minimal cost.
The Nominating Committee shall consist of at least three members who are appointed annually by the PTA President. The job of the committee is to find interested candidates to run for the elected offices of the PTA. Nominating Committee members are not eligible to run for an elected office.
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About Us
Our Mission
Where kuleana shapes our actions, HEMIC's mission communicates our promise to Hawaii.
Our mission provides the blueprint to guide our actions and measure our success. It also does much more: HEMIC's mission defines us as a company with higher responsibilities than profitability and good corporate citizenship. It expands our measure of success to include stabilizing the workers' compensation system in Hawaii and, in doing so, aligns our goals with the goals and aspirations of the community. It gives voice to our kuleana.
Our mission compels us to deliver on five key promises:
- To stabilize the Hawaii workers' compensation marketplace
- To assure the availability of workers' compensation insurance for everyone
- To make workplaces safer
- To provide competitive rates and services
- To deter fraud
Because of these promises, we settle for nothing less than being the model provider of workers' compensation insurance in the State of Hawaii.
We are the leader in workplace safety. We educate, support, advocate and champion safe workplaces. Healthy and productive workers are the backbone of any company, and productive and successful companies are the backbone of a robust economy.
We were founded with a long-term vision to provide stability and security for the Hawaii marketplace. Our mission means that we can be counted on to remain here in Hawaii, to fulfill our future obligations.
As a local company, we appreciate that the people we insure are our neighbors, our friends, and our families. As our track record over the years shows, we take our professional responsibility personally.

subset: commoncrawl


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Health Care Fraud and Provider Billing Litigation Team
Fraudulent health care providers cost private benefit plans hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Seyfarth's Health Care Fraud and Provider Billing Litigation Team understands the stakes. We are focused on helping our clients detect and remediate health care fraud before it becomes a "bet the company" problem.
Our cross-departmental, multi-disciplinary team of trial lawyers, ERISA counseling and litigation lawyers, and health care lawyers draws upon years of experience in complex litigation, health care law, ERISA and employee benefits, insurance coverage, white collar crime, fraud detection, and internal investigations to provide a wide range of advice and litigation services to our clients.
Our team is uniquely qualified to represent health and welfare plans, corporate directors and officers, health care insurers and payors, risk managers, general counsels, health plan administrators, and trustees in all aspects of health care fraud allegations and litigation, provider billing litigation, and other reimbursement disputes. We have particular capabilities advising Taft-Hartley plans on health care fraud and abuse issues. We also represent providers falsely accused of fraud or falsely denied reimbursements.
With sophisticated knowledge of medical coding systems and claim form submissions, our attorneys help our clients prevent, detect, stop and remedy schemes by providers to overbill health plans and payors by submitting claim forms with false or incorrect information, such as:
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We advise ERISA plans, trustees and administrators on claims administration and on the application and enforcement of plan terms, including coverage exclusions for services that are experimental, violate established treatment protocols, or are not medically necessary. We also handle disputes with third-party administrators, plan consultants, and other vendors.
In litigation, we prosecute and defend cases involving claims of health care fraud, improper claims administration, non-allowable reimbursements, and provider billing. We litigate claims under ERISA (including provider claims based on patient benefits assignments), the Stark Law, the Knox-Keene Act, RICO, the False Claims Act, the Criminal Health Care Fraud Statute and the Anti-Kickback Statute. Our team also handles federal and state court litigation involving claims for breach of contract, intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, concealment, conspiracy, estoppel, unfair competition, false advertising, conversion, and tortious and contractual interference.
We advise our clients in connection with health care fraud investigations by state and federal prosecutors, including the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Labor (Employee Benefits Securities Administration and Office of Inspector General).
Our team members frequently speak and publish on current trends in the investigation and litigation of health care fraud claims.
Health care fraud, reimbursement disputes, and provider billing litigation are on the rise. The landscape is changing and providers are using new and inventive methods to bill ERISA plans, health insurers, and other payors. Implementation of the Affordable Care Act will increase incentives for providers to engage in such practices. We are out in front of the trends in billing practices and related legal developments.
Tier 1 Health Law Practice
Recognized as a Tier 1 national Health Law practice by U.S. News & World Report (2014-2019)


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Release date:March 14, 2014
Studio:The Weinstein Company
Director:Andrew Douglas
MPAA Rating:N/A
Screenwriter:Mike Walden
Starring:Jamie Blackley, Toby Regbo, Joanne Froggatt, Liz White, Jaime Winstone, Mark Womack, Louise Delamere, Amy Wren, James Burrows, Stephanie Leonidas
Official website:uwantme2killhim.com
Plot Summary:
16-year-old Mark (Jamie Blackley, "And While You Were Here"), a handsome and popular high school student, races home every day to chat with his online girlfriend Rachel. Besotted, he promises to do anything for her — even agreeing to befriend her loner brother John (Toby Regbo, "Reign"), the perpetual target of school bullies. But when Rachel is killed by her abusive boyfriend and Mark and John vow to avenge her death, their actions draw the attention of an MI5 agent (Joanne Froggatt, "Downton Abbey"). Soon, a devastating crime has been committed — and an unbelievable truth is revealed. Based on true events in the UK in 2003, "uwantme2killhim?" is the story of a friendship of opposites and the hidden evils that lurk deep within the Internet.


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According to this year's National Rabbinic Survey, declining involvement in Jewish activities was cited as the most pressing issue. Whereas Israel-related topics were at the forefront in previous years, a recent lull in the conflict has cleared the way for a focus on community concerns.
This survey also concluded that a great many Rabbis (92% of participants) found it necessary to reach out to previously under-included segments of the Jewish community such as gays, lesbians, interfaith couples, singles, and single parents.
STAR (Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal) is a project designed to help temples cope with changing trends in society, maintain professional growth among their leaders and Rabbis, and to help boost membership and attendance. According to their website, "STAR works with synagogues to bridge the chasm between the American Jewish Community and the synagogue".
Synaplex is STAR initiative that focuses on a three pronged approach to reestablishing the synagogue as the center for a Jewish community. According to their website: "While most Jews think of a synagogue as Beit Tefilah — a house of prayer, a synagogue is also Beit Midrash — a house of learning, and Beit Knesset — a house of gathering." By re-affirming these other roles that the synagogue is to play, it is believed that more people will be drawn to one of these aspects and thus further identify with it.
According to Rabbi Hayim Herring, it is essential to focus on the "synagogue as a communal center" as the main goal. While it is desirable that people become more religious, reinforcing the community is viewed as the crucial first step. Furthermore, Synaplex strives to include the groups mentioned above that have previously been overlooked.
The movement is multi-denominational, though most of its adherents are reform. A smaller portion of participants are conservative with a handful of participating congregations describing themselves as Orthodox.
Much of this community building is accomplished by "casting a wider net" to the diverse American Jewish population via offering an array of temple activities. These include but are not limited to expanded social events and study groups. Some alternatives include meditation workshops and yoga. One interesting development is "Rosh Chodesh: It's a Girl Thing". This was established as a way for mothers and adolescent daughters to have a forum to discuss contemporary family issues and to provide support in a Jewish setting during these difficult formative years.
In order to address the issue of lacking a sense of community among the congregants, some of the participating temples have initiated "a speed schmooze" in order to have members get to know each other better and thus feel more at home at the synagogue.
Temples participate by gaining access to resources that provide ideas and networking tools. The guidelines set forth by the program are by no means rigid and give the Rabbi suggestions, as opposed to a strict program, allowing the leader to act within the comfort level of the current congregants. Another important resource is the inter-congregational communication network established by STAR and Synaplex that helps Rabbis to work together on the ground level to address pressing issues.
The central pillar of Synaplex is the Shabbat Initiative, a project designed to re-establish the Sabbath as a gathering time for Jews. According to Rabbi Herring, it conveniently falls at a time when most secular Jews would have the time to participate in temple activities, contributing to the potential efficacy of the program.
Initially, there was some resistance to Synaplex as some viewed it as possibly detracting from traditional worship. According to Rabbi Herring, not only were these not the intentions of the program, but they were very carefully designed not to interfere with the traditional services utilized by the original active members. As a result, he contends that many of these initial fears have long since abated.
Other features of Synaplex include PEER (Professional Education for Excellence in Rabbis) to enrich professional practice and "Storahtelling" as an effort "to bring the Torah to life" for those who were not previously interested in bible study. In addition to these features, Synaplex and STAR include a great many other organizational partners that help to augment the experience. Rabbi Herring was also proud to announce that STAR and Synaplex have helped to nurture social action programs evolving from the synagogues.
One interesting aspect of their literature includes their use of the term "marketing". While many might find such a term distasteful in a religious context, the website is careful to explain that "marketing" does not need to take on a commercial connotation and that advocating participation in any organization is a form of marketing, whether or not we feel comfortable thinking of it in that way.
According to Rabbi Herring, it has been a phenomenal success as they have seen positive results (attendance-wise) for over 100 temples and are still growing. For more information or to find a participating synagogue, please refer to www.synaplex.org or www.starsynagogue.org


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Hello butterflies
I hope all is well in your world. Mine has been pretty busy of late but i just wanted to quickly let you all know i have just received my 'Moo' mini-business cards today and things are just a little too cute to handle right now!! Have a look at these little babies…..just gorgeous:)
Lots of love to you all, have a fab week! Koko xx


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Duncan Bannatyne, 61, is one of the entrepreneurs on BBC1âs hit investment show Dragonsâ Den. He initially became a successful businessman with his chain of nursing homes and nursery schools. Now worth about £320million, he is also president of No Smoking Day today.
Why are you supporting No Smoking Day?It makes my throat itch, I cough when I walk throughthe smell of smoke and my dad died from emphysema caused by smoking. I donât see the need for it in our society. Projections from tobacco companies show they can only survive by recruiting new smokers. We need to prevent young people from starting to smoke.How did you stop smoking?
I smoked about 30 a day and tried to stop three times. The last time I had a very sore throat, I was in bed ill for a couple of days and didnât smoke. I also had a new girlfriend who didnât smoke. I decided I didnât need to smoke so I stopped. It was just down to willpower.
What methods had you tried before?
The one where you wait 15 minutes longer to have your first cigarette than you usually would. You then gradually add to the time in 15-minute increments. I just found I was sitting with a cigarette in my mouth until the time came to light it. Once you get it into your mind that you donât need to smoke, itâs a lot easier to stop.
You protested at British American Tobaccoâs AGM a couple of years ago. What was that about?
It was part of a documentary about how the companies market cigarettes to some countries in Africa where people are so poor they canât afford to buy food. I went to Malawi and saw hospitals having to deal with smoking-related illnesses when they couldnât afford to do so.
What would you like to see happen in Britain?
I want children to stop being abused by smokers. We need a ban on adults smoking in cars when children are present and a ban on unattended cigarette machines to which children could have access.
Whatâs the most ridiculous pitch that youâve seen on Dragonsâ Den?
The glove to remind you which side of the road to drive on when youâre in Europe. He was going to market it as one glove in a bag. He thought heâd invented this new concept â which was just a pair of gloves with one missing.
What have been your best investments?
James Caan and I invested in a product called the Chocbox, which is the most lucrative product thatâs been on the show â itâs a little box you use to connect electrical wires.
Have the pitches got more professional as the years have gone on?
Yes, the professional ones have got better but the ridiculous one seem to have got worse, so itâs all balanced out. Thereâs still plenty of rubbish on the show.
Has the recession had an impact on the show?
In a bizarre way itâs had a good effect on the programme because people are struggling to get investment from banks and so go to venture capitalists such as us.
Is now a good time to start a business?
Every day in history has been a good day to start a business. Thereâs no such thing as a bad day to start. It depends what you want to do. I started my nursing home business during a recession, which made it easier to buy land and employ builders.
Are you and Peter Jones big rivals?
Weâre competing in the Sport Relief dancing competition but we donât need any encouragement to be competitive. Thereâs rivalry over anything that comes up. We go to a lot of events and compete in things such as charity auctions.
Whatâs been your biggest extravagance?
My villa in France. Itâs not huge but itâs beautiful with views over the bay of Cannes.


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Today, I am sitting and talking with my friend Andy Stewart, a guy who used to sell brain surgery equipment and was the connecting with Livestrong. From there, I meet with the counselor I've been meeting with for over a year. Then I go to my neurologist to sign off on these things and decide whether or not to apply. The guy who has always decided things a million years in advance still hasn't decided whether to let pride win or not. And as I've said a thousand time, the kid factor changes it a way that nothing else does.
I feel fine, I feel like I am fine but I also felt that way before waking up in ambulances. I felt that way while muscles trembled for me 24 hours and as I massaged them wouldn't stop. I felt fine as apparently I repeat myself in a conversation and am not aware of it. I feel fine when I get lost on places I should know and when I go into another room and forget why. And when I go back and read these blogs or emails, I realize that they don't always say exactly what I intended to, sometimes miles from it. My father is an alcoholic… well he's a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings and the very thing they have to say is to admit they have a problem… I'm not sure that almost 2 years later I have fully done so. Perhaps like a pregnancy or like a relationship there are progressive steps that happen that help you adjust to some changes. But the second part of the AA phrase is that we are powerless to stop it… I can't control cancer but I want to believe that the neuropsychological rehab, the exercise, staying connected to people, hugging that little girl matter, that they somehow have a truth, a force that the universe improves the odds.
I applied for a job yesterday helping people who are 1st generation immigrants to go to college. I also am smelling different when I sweat according to my cousin who lives with me and she wonders if it's because of the different medication. I've been running with Kiana and stole an idea from some running friends playbook that literally is telling people everytime I cross a mile marker. The Brainpower5k is this Sunday and I am going to taper (work out less), something I've never done for anything other than a marathon because I want to leave it all out there for the race that helped start me on this journey and keeps me on the journey that despite whatever losses come, I still have so damn much to be grateful for.
I am also trying to get some things legally in place of what happens if I am incapacitated either for a short or long time with Kiana… For a guy who theoretically inspires people, a friend sent me a kind message about how they trained for their first 5k, another for their first half, and another who got up from an injured back because I got up off the ground and ran 15 miles two days later… for a guy who inspires people, I sure feel lost. But maybe talking to each other is how to continue… a friend today asked for my contact info because his sister just got diagnosed with lymphoma. In my ever cheesy, listening to songs approach I've been listening to Go the Distance from the kids movie
I will find my way
I can go the distance
I'll be there some day
If I can be strong.
I know every mile
Will be worth my while
I would go most anywhere
To feel like I belong
I can go the distance
I'll be there some day
If I can be strong.
I know every mile
Will be worth my while
I would go most anywhere
To feel like I belong
Some places I'm not sure where I belong, on this disability decision, on employment on relationships but I do try to hang on to the places where I do. I just don't know where the finish line is… so I keep signing up for these races that have clear mile markers and finish lines, keep training with the group that helped so much, the one I insisted on wearing their shirt during the Livestrong shoot. I've walked Kiana to school now 7 times in her first 8 days of school and stay there till they get done with their daily announcements, daily pledges to the flags of the US and Texas and a moment of silence, which can be used for prayers or quiet times. Being a photographer, I originally did not sign up for her school pictures but did so today at the last moment, trusting and daring to dream that I still have them to embarrass her when the time proper comes ;). And I belong with family and friends and this year while I am not the leading fundraiser of the brainpower 5k (so far at more than I raised last year, somehow I am more proud of the fact that my team is the leading team and that I created a team which currently has 16 people!). Above all, 3 generations will cross that finish line, my mother, myself and me, the first event so far where all of us are active participants. So I can't control who will be there or if I get to repeat my title but the measures I hope to have some effect over, the fact that I've raised more money this year, the fact that my team is bigger and the fact that I hope this will be the first time I break 18 minutes… mean something, mean a lot.
We're putting together a relay team for a marathon relay from the Ship of Fools in a couple of weeks, then I am helping though not the director of an ultimate tournament, then running that half marathon with my mom, pushing my daughter and me, then back to Duke, then a 100 mile bike ride with Livestrong, this time with me borrowing a friend's bike and, then a 10 mile race raising money for charity.
Kiana's first school portraits are today and I let her pick out her outfit completely on her own (figured it might be even more embarrassing in a few years if she has to explain why she picked out the outfit). It becomes fairly obvious that the guy who is encouraging such independency in his daughter struggles with having any dependence on anyone else.
Matt Ellfson, the guy who created Hawktober, has been chosen as an ambassador for the Austin marathon and for Luke's locker, both organizations which I'm a big fan of. I begin to understand why he and Amy Dodson the girl who is missing a leg and still doing triathlons took some of this public display slowly and Amy hid the cancer for quite a while. The guy who breaks five minute miles and says what's on his mind blurted the spurts from the beginning to friends and in this blog because he was and is afraid that his memory will betray him like other things have in his life but still… but time, time gives perspective and Amy's and Matt's and my own have some when things are behind you that you don't have immediately.
Here's hoping I can go the distance.


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- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As made)
This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format. The electronic version of this UK Statutory Instrument has been contributed by Westlaw and is taken from the printed publication. Read more
1. These regulations shall apply to each of the superannuation schemes specified in the schedule to these regulations, being schemes or other arrangements for the provision of pensions, gratuities or other like benefits in favour of—
(a)persons to whom subsection (2) of section thirty-seven of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act, 1946, as amended by section four of the Coal Industry Act, 1949, applies; or
(b)persons, other than as aforesaid, taken into the employment of the Board before the commencement of the Coal Industry Act, 1949, being persons who had been in employment in, or in connection with, coal industry activities or transferred allied activities.
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Child actors, young and all grown up
On the large billboards plastered all over town promoting this weekend's release of "The Switch," A-listers Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman are touted as the film's main attraction.
But according to many critics, the real star of the romantic comedy is Thomas Robinson, an 8-year-old Valley Village resident who plays Jennifer Aniston's precocious and endearingly neurotic son.
In her review of the film this week, Times critic Betsy Sharkey praised the actor's "excellent job" in the movie, calling him "talented and adorably soulful."
After spending a night observing Thomas during his first big Hollywood movie premiere earlier this week, we can vouch for that. Thomas -- who was only 6 when he filmed "The Switch" -- is about as un-Hollywood as it gets. Too shy to speak to reporters on the red carpet, he timidly posed for pictures and attended the premiere's swanky after-party, where he sat with his family for about an hour before asking his mom if they could go home. (Check out this photo diary of his big night.) What struck us most about him is how much he truly seemed to embody the character he plays in the movie: honest and even a little sad.
Bateman echoed that sentiment: "I don't want to take anything away from his acting talent, but he was similar to that part in his sweetness and kindness and his accessibility," the actor told us in an interview earlier this year.
Of course, Thomas is only one of the young actors who has popped up on the big screen this summer, when it seems there have been a wave of strikingly naturalistic and evocative performances from kids in films like "Ramona and Beezus" and "Flipped."
But just how do casting directors track down the perfect child actor, who is not only cute and talented, but capable of handling the pressure? That's one of the questions we explore in our Sunday Calendar story, in which casting directors, filmmakers and former child stars weigh in on the challenges of working in Hollywood as a youngster. Douglas Aibel, the casting director who found Thomas for "The Switch," said he could sense early on that the young boy was overwhelmed by the audition process.


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When Roger Toussaint, President of Transit Workers Union Local 100 during the 2005 subway strike, left his duties in February to work for the international TWU, he handed them off to Curtis Tate, vice president for the Rapid Transit Operations Division.
Toussaint backed Tate for election to its presidency this year, but a dissident candidate, subway track inspector John Samuelsen (pictured), has beaten him in the local's presidential election. Samuelsen's been on the job 16 years and portrays himself as the son of "two working-class stiffs from Brooklyn." The votes were received by June 20, but the result was left unrevealed until Monday.
A Take Back Our Union movement, claiming the leadership had weakened the local, specifically by going to arbitration on wages and suppressing dissent, stood against Tate as more of the same. Sympathizers charged that the Toussaint regime had "eroded" the union's networks and turned the union into a personal fiefdom.
The campaign was described as bitter, with Samuelsen suing Tate, Toussaint and others for using the union bureaucracy to unfairly impede his robo-calling and email campaign efforts. Samuelsen also sued Tate and others for defamation for claiming he was "mentally ill," and that he had "engaged in unlawful brutality against Black and Hispanic inmates" while working as a Corrections Officer and was forced to resign for that reason.
Samuelsen, who unsuccessfully ran for secretary treasurer of the local in 2006 (again on a dissident ticket), will have the support of other TBOU candidates who won top posts in this election. He takes office on January 1. The union has about 38,000 members.


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With the holidays, and everything that comes with it, I have had a harder time, trying to find time to update you all on the 25 day countdown. I will get going on that this evening!
But lets at least pick a winner, shall we!
First for the doodlebug products .... drum roll please!
Pam said...
I have followed your blog for quite awhile. I would love to win this giveaway. My recipes are a disaster...scraps of paper thrown in a cookbook. Everything else is extremely organized in my life, but I really need help with this!
CONGRATULATIONS PAM!!! Please email me your address so I can get this stuff sent off to ya!
And for the Master Menu Cookbook ... another drum roll ... from the little drummer boy (I need a coke today, can you tell?)
Heather V said...
I would love to win either of these wonderful prizes! My future husband is an extremely picky eater, so any and all recipes that he will eat go in my recipe box - which is in total disarray. Thanks for the chance!
Congratulations on getting married Heather! That is so exciting!
Just so you know Heather, my husband Adam is a "particular" eater too. He likes what he likes ... but 5 years has really helped. He is much more willing to at least try new things. Hopefully this will help ya! Be sure to email me so I can get your address as well!
It snowed a foot today at my house ... we weren't expecting a white Christmas this year, so I am THRILLED!
Hope you're enjoying your day!


text: As I have mentioned before, I am quite annoyed with the spacing problems on this blog. Knowing that the appearance of my posts is going to wrong hardly encourages creativity. Also, while I love cooking, and I really really do, it's not my entire life (I am not a professional cook after all). I have other projects, interest, passions and hobbies. As a rather chatty individual, I want to be able to share these experiences with you, not just the ones that occur in the kitchen. I decided to take care of two birds with one stone and I've been working for a few months now on my new blog. I hope you will continue to follow my adventures there!


text: On Wed, 2005-10-26 at 22:01, Johnny Hughes wrote: > Just for the record, we are currently working with someone from SGI to > get a much better implementation of XFS working with the centosplus > kernel. > > I want to wait to push the centosplus unsupported kernel (2.6.9-22) > until we have this new and much more stable version of XFS code > implemented. Any chance of a really-really-unsupported kernel as in the latest fedora 2.6.13.x rebuilt for Centos? I'm beginning to think that fireware disk support might finally be reliable there. Or maybe a backport of whatever has been done to the ohci1394, ieee1394, and sbp2 modules? -- Les Mikesell lesmikesell at gmail.com


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Susan Sarandon peer pressured into Tammy role
- Bang Showbiz
- 30 June 2014
Susan Sarandon has confessed she was sceptical about starring as an alcoholic grandmother in 'Tammy' but was pressured by other actors into accepting the role
Susan Sarandon claims she was peer pressured into starring in 'Tammy'.
The 67-year-old actress plays the alcoholic grandmother of 'Bridesmaids' star Melissa McCarthy's character in the comedy, which marks Ben Falcone's directorial debut, and she's confessed she was sceptical about how she'd fit into the project.
She explained: "Ben and Melissa called me and prepared me for the script. I read the script and didn't understand what reality we would be in and so we had another call.
"Then Mark Duplass called me, I didn't even know he was going to be in the movie, it was a conspiracy. He said you have to do this, you have to do this, they're such great people.
"So peer pressure got to me and I thought, I'll jump."
'Tammy' tells the story of a woman - played by McCarthy - who, after losing her job, husband and car in one day, decides to escape from her small town existence, but with no form of transport is forced to take her hard partying grandmother Pearl along for the ride.
The 43-year-old comedienne admits Sarandon was worried she was expecting her to play a traditional grandmother, but insists once they'd clarified that wasn't the case, she was more than happy to join the cast.
McCarthy told Latino Review: "One of the first questions when we were talking on the phone was, 'Are you seeing a little old granny with glasses and a knitted sweater and an up do bun?'
"We were like oh God no she's a raging alcoholic and she sleeps around. Then Susan was like OK we'll be fine."


text: DDG knows the importance of coastal restoration and protection to protect the communities we call home. DDG professionals can work with you to preserve, protect, and enhance our ecosystems and improve our quality of life. DDG has been involved in the planning, design, funding, and construction administration of coastal projects throughout the southeast region.


text:
Alphabet Antics Worksheet
Students will reinforce their knowledge of the order of letters in the alphabet when they provide the letter that comes before and the letter that comes after those provided. They will also alphabetize words which in turn will provide an interesting historical fact. An answer key is provided.
Grade recommendation: 2-4 • Common Core State Standards Alignment: RF.2.3, RF.3.3, RF.4.3
Skills: order letters of the alphabet | alphabetizing | secret code | language arts | history
Item 3475 | 1 page | Publisher: T. Smith Publishing ©2008 | by Tracey Smith
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Back to School Fun Worksheet 1
Mini Mysteries: 20 Tricky Tales to Untangle (American Girl Library)
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Duracell 9V batteries are ideal as smoke alarm batterie. Duracell 9V batteries are made with the same quality you've come to expect from all Duracell products, so you can trust that they will last in the devices you need the most.
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text: The German media class is all for Hillary Clinton and demonizes Donald Trump not without good reason. Even a quick look at Clinton's political past makes one shiver. Clinton is a Neocon and Wall Street warmonger. She poses an existential threat to all of humanity. She always supported the US aggressions illegal wars abroad. She is as bad as her husband President Bill Clinton was. She admitted that the US created the Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan in the first place. She makes it very clear that Iran and Russia could be militarily targeted, and the nuclear options are always on the table. "Hillary Clinton is a Neocon, a war hawk, a liar, an unindicted criminal and a Wall Street puppet." It's a big shame that leftists fall in line with her and help her to get elected. Watch the whole video and oppose the election of Hillary Clinton.


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By some standards, I'm not a particularly aggressive consumer of technology. I buy a new PC every couple of years, and I have a bag full of USB sticks that I've picked up from different events, or bought out of desperation when I needed to transfer data without having access to WiFi or 3G. Until very recently, I've stored pretty much everything physically, either on a memory stick, an external HDD, or worse, on my laptop.
The problem with any kind of physical storage though is that things like this can happen:
In a world where pretty much every piece of valuable information that we have is stored digitally, from treasured photographs through to music, losing a lap top can be a fairly traumatic event, and one which can have a pretty devastating impact akin to a house burning down. You can replace the computer, but not the contents. With portable storage media such as USB sticks, the problem is similar, they are pretty fragile, but also eminently losable, leading you to run into problems – especially when you accidentally organise your pockets into the bin, and lose an SD card that had the holiday photos on it.
Moving to the Cloud
Not being online is now a pretty rare occurence for me these days. I have a 3G dongle, and access to WiFi hotspots, and if it wasn't for the signal combination of iPhone 4 and Orange being a bit rubbish, my ability to check the web on the go would be pretty much ubiquitous. When you think about it, aside from a small amount of local storage in between connections, you simply don't need to be tied to physical storage.
In addition to my time being increasingly spent with a connection to the web, it is also spent accessing the web from different devices. at work I have one laptop that I use throughout the day. In addition to this, I have an iPhone, and then at home we have two laptops and a netbook along with a Wii for internet access via the TV.
Although I have a network enabled hard drive and wireless sharing between my home laptops – one is on Vista, on on Windows 7, I'm also increasingly finding that using cloud services is more convenient to me. It means I can use whichever machine suits me at any particular time – in most cases this is the one that hasn't been borrowed – and access all of my files without inconvenience.
The selling point of netbooks – particularly the ones running ChromeOS is that they can be lighter on tech, and have minimal storage – making them much lower cost. This is because all of the storage and software they need is online rather than off.
ChromeOS will be integrated very tightly into Google products – Docs, Picassa, GMail etc, and these are open to all users, but it's also worth considering the Microsoft Office Live Suite, which is free to use, and at least as functional as Microsoft Works ever was.
Online Storage is so cheap as to be free – you get 2GB free with Drop Box, and Google Docs has 1GB, but the what appears to be the best deal for most of my needs is Windows Live SkyDrive: 25GB of free storage for images and docs. That's more than I currently have on my hard drive.
One Response to Moving to the Cloud
Malcolm Slade says:
It important to note that the cloud still comes with some risk such as Amazon outages and companies going under.
Generally though if you stick with strong brands your precious photos etc are safe and with storage at such low prices you can always have an additional cloud backup.
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VIENNA, 9 October 2015 - The International Press Institute (IPI) and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) today urged authorities in Georgia to ensure that a legal process addressing a dispute over ownership of influential independent broadcaster Rustavi 2 TV is fair, impartial and transparent.
In early August, a court presiding over a lawsuit filed by former Rustavi 2 TV owner Kibar Khalvashi issued an order seizing all property owned by the channel. Khalvashi filed the suit seeking to reclaim shares in the company that he claims he was forced to surrender.
The August order was followed by another order on Oct. 1 for the seizure of shares in the television company Sakartvelo, which owns 51 percent of shares in Rustavi 2 TV.
"Given the need for free and independent media coverage in advance of parliamentary elections set for 2016, IPI is concerned that these court decisions could hinder Rustavi 2 TV's ability to provide the electorate with vital coverage of news and political developments," IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis said. "We are also concerned by the accusations of government involvement. The ability to freely share and receive information is a fundamental component of fair elections, and we urge the government to take all steps to ensure that this principle is respected."
According to news reports, the dispute is further complicated by the alleged involvement of the Georgian National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR), which is connected to the country's Justice Ministry.
Lawyers for Rustavi 2 TV are claiming that NAPR has deliberately delayed approval of an investment contract that would have provided the station with a $6 million lifeline. The delay, the lawyers say, allowed Khalvashi time to request a court order freezing the assets of TV Company Georgia, which was to have provided the investment.
NAPR has rejected the allegations.
"Do not be deceived by what you see now on TV screen," Nika Gvaramia, general director of Rustavi 2, said at a news conference on Oct. 1, where he was accompanied by a group of the station's journalists. "The fact that we are now broadcasting does not mean that the government is not doing everything in order to cease our broadcasts."
He added: "Today we are as close to ceasing broadcasts as never before"
Akaki Minashvili, a member of Georgia's largest opposition party, United National Movement, slammed the developments surrounding Rustavi 2, calling them "proof of [governing party] Georgian Dream's and [former Prime Minister Bidzina] Ivanishvili's choice". He accused the part of wanting "to suppress freedom of expression, freedom of speech and suck blood from the country".
A group of Georgian media development and transparency NGOs last week expressed "well-founded" concern that the ownership dispute was part of an effort to silence Rustavi 2 TV due to the channel's critical reporting.
Since 1994, Rustavi 2 TV has enjoyed a reputation as the country's most-watched critical broadcaster. It was closed down in 1996 for about a year and was the target of government harassment in 2001 after broadcasting investigations into official corruption.
The first regular hearing in the ownership proceedings is scheduled for Oct. 19. Gvaramia, in the meantime, appealed to viewers to donate money to Rustavi 2 TV, asserting: "I promise to the government that before Rustavi 2 TV is closed down, it will be you [the government] who will be shut down."


text:
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text:
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
My Trip to Istanbul
Posted by Bryce Digdug at 10:40 PM
2 comments:
- Gregg said...
Hatari! ! Did you stay at the Van Gogh Arms? That's my favorite hotel there.
- July 30, 2008 at 9:33 AM
- Bryce Digdug said...
Yes, we stayed at the Van Gogh. It's always good to buy a painting to match your couch, so if you have a yellow couch you might have to buy a Van Gogh.
- July 30, 2008 at 10:01 PM
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text:
[A-Blaze: Introducing My 5 Closet Staples]
In honor of school and NYFW being just around the corner, I thought I'd share my 5 closet staples that keep my fashion game ablaze. Number 1: the original Ray Ban Wayfayers. The perfect cover-up for a non-makeup day and a great statement piece to spruce up an overall mundane outfit. Plus, this shape is flattering for most face shapes.
Number 2: sexy red lips. It's so strange how wearing lipstick immediately changes my mood. A bright ruby lip for a bright, happy Ruby. Right now, I'm in love with the shade and texture of NARS Heat Wave, a newbie but a definite goodie and current beauty staple of the moment.
Number 3: oversized blazers. This particular blazer is a blazer dress by Monica Rose for Lovers + Friends. I was lucky enough to get it for a fraction of the price at their warehouse sale this summer! I believe I got this number for only $20! If you ever have a chance to go to warehouse sales, I would highly recommend going! You'll always find the best deals! What I love the most about oversized blazers is that not only can you wear it as a dress, but also as a boyfriend style cover-up. I love oversized everything so to find this blazer dress that is perfectly fitted at the shoulders and waist but long enough to get away with wearing it as a coat was incredible. The perfect transitional piece from summer to fall.
Number 4: my Daniel Wellington watch. No accessories? No problem. All you need is this watch to completely chic-ify your outfit. I normally wasn't a watch wearer until a few years ago but now you wouldn't catch me without one. I think watches give the perfect sophisticated touch to any outfit. For 15% off your Daniel Wellington watch, use discount code, "therubyelement" at checkout. This discount will be available until September 15th! Enjoy!
Last but not least: white strappy sandals. Take a break from black! The white will create a much more lady-like and in my opinion, chic appearance. I am an avid-platform wearer so to transition into these thin strappy heels was not the most pleasant. However, on special occasions, it is the perfect sandal that goes with pretty much everything. As you can see, I've been wearing them quite consistently in these last couple of posts and I don't plan on stopping!
I hope you enjoyed my 5 closet staples to help prepare you for school, work, NYFW, or any occasion you take on this fall! I know it's still summer but I am too excited about fall. Let's talk about it.
xx Ruby
The Elements:
[sunnies | Ray Ban, lipstick | NARS Heat Wave, choker | Ebay, bra | c/o Triangl, watch | c/o Daniel Wellington (USE DISCOUNT CODE: "therubyelement" for 15% off your purchase), blazer | Monica Rose for Lovers + Friends, heels | c/o Missguided]
Shot by Teban S.


text:
"You wanna know what living life to the fullest actually is? It's waking up on a Monday morning with no complaints. It's knowing you always deserve to laugh. It's doing what feels right no matter what. It's doing what you want to, no matter how stupid you look. It's about being yourself, 'cause no one can tell you you're doing it wrong."
I just saw this on Tumblr and thought it was spot on.
We all worry way too much about living up to other people's expectations and we forget about who and what we truely are.
This year you should make it your goal to fully embrace yourself and not say sorry for who you are.


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Friday, July 10, 2009
History Lesson #1 - Mr. Mint
Let me clarify that I do admire his entrepreneurial spirit (it is the American way), but people like him with large capital are the ones who made collating a 1950s Topps set today near impossible. Unlike Mr. Mint, most of us don't have $100,000 to drop sight unseen on a lost hoard of 52 Topps.
I'll let the story tell the rest. If you happened to have read my "Essay", try to look at the story from the mid-80s perspective when the hobby began to boom, and look from the viewpoint of today's collector.
The story is long, so bear with it, however, if you want to read the actual article, here is the link and you can view the actual issue: http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067495/7/index.htm.
Also, Mr. Mint is still in business at: http://www.mrmint.com/
July 04, 1988
Mr. Mint
Alan Rosen is the King of Cards, the Duke of Dough, in the high-stakes baseball card game
Dan Geringer
A guy named Don in Greenwich, Conn., calls Mr. Mint in Montvale, N.J., and says he's got 3,000 to 5,000 baseball cards from 1949 to '52, mostly mint. Mr. Mint purrs, "Hmmm...."
"Mostly mint" is music to Mr. Mint's ears, which is why they call him Mr. Mint instead of Alan Rosen. But his past eight years of dealing mint '52 Mantles at up to $9,000 per Mickey have taught him to channel that first surge of excitement directly from his brain to his feet, which he does now, pacing back and forth at an aerobically beneficial tempo while keeping his voice as calm as that of a dentist preparing a skittish patient for root canal. "That's a lotta cards from the '50s," he tells Don, friendly, not too anxious. "Your mother didn't throw yours away, huh? So you're, like, an obsessive collector, huh? I understand."
Enough small talk. "Here's my story, Don," Mr. Mint says. "I spend $4 million a year buying baseball cards. I am the leading dealer in the world—for mint condition. I pay 100% of the current retail price for pre-1968 sets and 70% for sets after 1968."
Mr. Mint pauses discreetly to let Don ponder the thrill of dealing with the King of Cards, the Duke of Dough, the Sultan of Scratch, the Baron of Big Bucks, the Crowned Head of Lettuce, the Marquis de Wad—Mr. Mint. The Mint Man has emerged as a figure of near mythic proportions in a world suddenly gone mad over soaring baseball card prices. While shares of IBM have more or less sulked on the Big Board since the Oct. 19 stock market crash, august journals like The New York Times have reported the birth of a new blue-collar, blue-jeaned Wall Street, complete with its own Dow Jones-style industrial average, in '52 Topps Mickey Mantles (currently holding at $8,500) and '63 Pete Roses ($550), and its own volatile rookie card futures market in '83 Topps Darryl Strawberrys ($21-$28), '84 Fleer Dwight Goodens ($30-$60) and '87 Donruss Mark McGwires ($5-$8).
An estimated 100,000 serious investors and millions of child arbitrageurs are pouring more than $200 million annually into baseball cards, autographs and assorted collectibles. In an ad in the May Baseball Cards magazine, Dave's Sportscards of Providence, R.I., advises the risk-tolerant investor to take a substantial position in $11.50 minor league 1980 Syracuse Chiefs card sets—"vastly underpriced and a great long term investment." Say what?
Literally dozens of baseball card and autograph shows are now held every weekend throughout the country. Corporal punishment in the form of hand slapping has lately succeeded in eradicating the innocent childhood practice of flipping baseball cards to beat the other guy out of his stash. A damaged corner is fatal to the card's market value. Kills your growth portfolio like that. Any eight-year-old knows this.
Guys in their 40's are suddenly rushing to their attics, digging out their old Jackie Robinsons and wondering how best to cash them in. Enter Mr. Mint, the nation's premier card maven. If this guy were any smoother, he'd be a lube job.
Having given Don sufficient time to reflect, Mr. Mint tells him, "I would come to your place with a guidebook and a briefcase full of cash, Don. No credit. No checks. Cash. Remember, I need your cards more than you need my money. Prices are going wild right now. They're the highest they've ever been. Now is not the time to buy. Now is the time to sell."
He pauses again. Somewhere inside Mr. Mint's head is the fastest pocket calculator in the world. "If your cards are near-mint to mint, Don, you're sitting on more than $25,000. I'll come up there with $35,000 in a briefcase. Hundred-dollar bills. You're laughing. You think I'm kidding you. I'm not kidding you. Give me 24 hours to get the money together. No one gets cheated. Everything is done in a businesslike manner."
At the other end of the phone line Don stops laughing and suddenly talks sentiment with Mr. Mint. He talks baseball cards as his link to childhood, stuff like that. Something changes in Mr. Mint's face. He is no longer dealing. He's giving up on the guy. He's protecting himself against the heartfelt pain of a wimp-out, a deal gone south due to sentiment. "They're your cards," he says paternally, "and I understand you're attached to them." He stops pacing. He sits. He looks weary.
Don asks if the raging bull market in baseball cards will continue. "I don't know, Don," Mr. Mint replies. "If I knew it would, I'd keep everything I buy. But I just don't know, Don."
After he hangs up, Mr. Mint says, "He's got a major find, but he's very shaky. Says he'll call back in a while. We'll see." He won't, and Mr. Mint knows it. No deal. Time to move on.
Deals are Mr. Mint's lifeblood. Sentiment is Mr. Mint's blood poisoning. He flashes back a couple of years to Gaithersburg, Md. He's leaving a baseball card shop, carrying his trademark briefcase full of C-notes, when someone named Frank, tall guy with a little goatee, walks up to him and says he's got complete mint sets from the '50s. Mr. Mint's meat.
They drive to Frank's house, walk into his special card room. Mr. Mint likes what he sees, offers $15,700. Frank wants $16,500, agrees to take $16,100, asks when Mr. Mint wants to do the deal. Mr. Mint opens his briefcase, sees he's got $40,000 left, and says, "Now."
Frank is clearly startled by this. He says, "Well, O.K., but I'd like to ask you for a special favor. Can I have five minutes alone with my cards?" Mr. Mint thinks this is a little unusual, but he leaves the guy alone in his card room.
Five minutes later Frank emerges, sobbing gently. His wife comforts him, but he's crying uncontrollably now. He's bawling. "I can't do it," he says between sobs. "I've had them since I was a kid. I need the money, but I just can't do it." Mr. Mint closes his briefcase and leaves quietly.
Mr. Mint has a love-hate relationship with sentiment.
He opens a drawer now and removes a tiny, yellowed newspaper clipping describing the 11-1 Little League win over Ramsey, N.J., he pitched in July 1958. "Rosen went the distance," he reads, savoring the phrase, smiling, shaking his balding, darkly bearded, 42-year-old head. In those days, he says, the only thing he wanted to be in life was a pitcher. "I can't even move my arm anymore," he says sadly, demonstrating his damaged left wing. "Bad bone chips. I'm, like, orthopedic. My arm is curved."
Once he lived for baseball. Now he lives for baseball card deals, because before deals there was no Mr. Mint. There was only Alan Rosen selling insurance, clothes, jewelry, typewriters, coins, antiques, whatever. Always hustling, trying to make a buck. Living in a small apartment in Hackensack, N.J., making 30, 40 thousand a year, spending 50, worrying about car payments, always behind the 8 ball, one step ahead of the bill collector.
Then in 1979 he happened to stumble into a baseball card show, bought a '53 Topps Mickey Mantle for $100 (current price: $1,400) and, hey, call it fate, luck, the stars, whatever, his coin dealer's nose sniffed the future, and it smelled a whole lot like old baseball cards.
By 1981 he was making $1,000 a week dealing mint cards from the '50s and '60s, which had just begun to explode in value. He found a Pennsylvania backer willing to put up 30 to 40 thousand in cash to buy out big collections at a significant discount. Then Rosen would break up the collections into smaller lots, tack on 20% and sell the lots to dealers. He became the merchant banker of baseball cards. A friend dubbed him Mr. Mint, and it stuck. No one else had his liquidity. No one else had his chutzpah.
By 1982 he was placing ads in Sports Collectors Digest featuring photos of himself with his latest client, who was always holding up fistfuls of the C-notes that Mr. Mint had just paid him for his collection. The ads also featured Mr. Mint's poetry:
Have you found your old shoebox?/ Hidden for all these years?/ The one that held your treasures?/ That brought your eyes to tears?/ Did you ever think of selling these memories from your past?/ If you do, just remember: I always pay in cash.
Those ads, Rosen says, made him. "I was loud. I was a braggart. This is abrasive advertising. This ad says I have money and I have the guts to go to a guy's house with $100,000 in a briefcase and walk out with a briefcase full of baseball cards.
"Some people think I'm a schmuck. Let 'em. I'm no schmuck. I'm a buying machine. I'm negotiating for three major collections today. I did four million in sales last year. Spent three, took in four. At the rate I'm going, I'll do five million this year. I'm a multimillionaire and I flaunt it. Why? To impress people that I am for real."
He is for real. Take the '52 Topps find valued at $400,000, for which Mr. Mint is famous. Truck driver calls from Boston in 1986, says he's just gone into his late father's attic and found a case of mint 1952 Topps cards. Mr. Mint says, "Yeah. Right. And I'm the tooth fairy."
Guy says he's got a couple hundred cards plus two '52 Topps Mickey Mantles. Now he's got Mr. Mint's attention. The Mantles alone are worth $3,000 each. Guy calls back later, says he checked again and he's got six or seven of everything, including the Mantles. "I do some quick figuring and I know we're talking $100,000 worth of cards," Mr. Mint says rapidly. "I tell him I'm on my way."
Mr. Mint puts $100,000 cash in his briefcase, flies to Boston and finds 50 to 60 of every card, numbers 193-407, including 57 of the $3,000 Mantles. Mr. Mint can't believe his eyes. Because the cards have been sealed for 35 years, their borders are blazing white and the Mick's teeth look like a toothpaste ad. "I'd never even seen one '52 Mantle in that condition," Mr. Mint says dramatically. "Here I had 50 of 'em in my hand. I couldn't control my emotions. I had, like, hot flashes. Of course, with that many cards, I couldn't pay him 70% of book. We had to discount more deeply. I paid him $80,000 for the case."
On the way home, he remembers, he was ravaged by self-doubt: "I was torn. I had buyer's remorse, which is the feeling that you did the wrong thing. Did I buy too many? Would I get stuck for the money? What happens if the cards get wet? Or somebody steals 'em all? What if nobody gives a crap? I'm out $80,000. So do I sit on 'em and just sell a few at a time? Or do I blow 'em out?"
He blew 'em out for $310,000, netting $230,000 clear, before taxes. Today, he says, those cards are worth more than a million. If he had held on to them, he could have made at least half a million. He sold the Mantles for $2,500 apiece. He recently bought one of them back for $7,000 and resold it for $9,000—quickly—always keeping his eye on the sure thing: cash. Why?
"That cleaning lady you hear vacuuming up there," he says, "won't take a '69 Reggie Jackson [current value: $200] for cleaning the house. She wants cash."
Listen, he says, he once had 12,000 of every 1984 card, including the Don Mattingly rookie card. Turned around and sold some of his Mattinglys for 59¢ each, then sold the rest for 99¢. Now, the card is worth $35. No regrets. Why? "I never had money before in my life," he says. "You know what it's like to make the money I'm making now on a lark? A card is not gold. It's not a coin. It's not legal tender. It's only paper. It's a lark. In my heart, I can't see sitting on 'em. I gotta blow 'em out."
His 16-month-old son toddles in and is immediately introduced by Mr. Mint as Mr. Mint Jr. "We're going to Hawaii for a vacation," Mr. Mint says, "and I'm taking the baby-sitter along. It's gonna cost me $10,000. I can do that because of baseball cards.
"New Year's Eve. I'm throwing a party for 50 of my friends. I'm hiring a hall, a caterer and Freddie Parris and the Satins. Another $10,000. I feel I'm giving something back to the hobby that got me where I am today."
Which is sitting in Montvale in his $700,000 house. He drives three new cars, including a 'Vette. "I haven't read a book in 20 years," he admits. "I'm not smart. I'm not well-spoken. I'm a hustler. Where else is a guy like me gonna make $400,000 a year?"
And what if it ends? "I can't see it falling to nothing," Mr. Mint says. "You can't create an old baseball card. Mickey Mantle cards went up and up and up. Now the market for them is a little soft. Your Musials, your Yastrzemskis, your Sniders, your Mayses, your Aarons are now catching up. Complete sets are going wild.
"If this whole thing ended tomorrow, what else am I qualified to do? Maybe I'd be shining your shoes. Maybe you'd be telling me, 'Rosen, get me a cup of coffee.' I don't ever want to have to go back that way."
Weekdays, he gives great phone and does buyouts. Weekends, he travels to card shows all over the country. Judging from the amount of money changing hands at a recent show he attended in Manhattan's huge St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, Mr. Mint will not be shining shoes anytime soon.
The cathedral is jumping with 2,300 card and autograph hunters doing business at 120 dealers' tables and lining up by the hundreds to get the autographs of Willie Mays and Stan Musial ($8 per signature), Duke Snider ($7), Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal ($6).
One of the show's three coproducers, Stephen Hisler, an autograph expert, says that the Really Big Three—Mickey Mantle. Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams—now command $15 per signature. At a show Hisler and his partners produced in late June at the Penta Hotel in New York City, Mantle autographs cost $15 per photo, $20 per ball and $30 per bat. Is there a ceiling to all this? Ts there a roof over Mount Everest?
Hall of Famer Bill Dickey, a special project of Hisler's, is now up to the $12-per-autograph level. "When I started thinking about getting Bill Dickey for a show last year," Hisler says, "he had been ill for quite some time. He suffered blackouts. He was 80 years old. From a collector's point of view, he was a deceased autograph."
Through the intercession of Barry Hal-per, a part owner of the New York Yankees, whose museum-sized baseball collection occupies an entire wing of his New Jersey home, Hisler was able to meet with Dickey at the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Hisler walked in. Dickey said hello, and Hisler almost lost it. "My knees were buckling," Hisler remembers. "I was shaking. I stuttered. 'M-M-Mister D-D-Dickey?' Now, you have to remember that we're talking about Lou Gehrig's roommate here. He was deceased, in my mind. I was thinking, This is a dead man talking to me. I felt like I was resurrecting somebody from the grave."
At the Armenian cathedral show, some of the superstars look as if they are signing from the grave. Styles range from the coldly efficient Mays to the irrepressible Spahn, who flirts with the women ("God, you smell good!"), poses for photos with the kids ("Smile! Lemme see those teeth!") and comments from time to time on the nasal dimensions and Polish background of Stan Musial. who is listening at the next table.
"Y' know," Spahn says philosophically, "I threw 50,000 balls in my career, and I bet I've signed 100,000. I'm making more this way. Collecting these things may be more lucrative than putting money in the bank. I've been fooling around with the stock market for maybe 25 years. If I broke even, I'm lucky. These things may be a better hedge against inflation."
The scene at the Mays table is very different. Mays doesn't gossip with the fans. His accountant. Carl Kiesler, sits on his left. His accountant's wife. Iris, sits on his right. Mays signs quietly and quickly, rarely looking up. He is a volume guy, an autograph machine, a promoter's joy. He does not say hey or anything else. Signs right, holds left. Keep those baseballs coming. Roll 'em, roll 'em! Head 'em up! Move 'em out! Cowhide!
Kiesler, who has represented Mays for the past 10 years, explains the economics of Willie's silence: "Our fee structure is such that we're not for everyone. Willie is in an elite category. In other words, expensive."
Mays gets paid several thousand dollars per hour, and the promoters collect the $8-per-signature fees. The more Mays signs, the more the promoters make. He has no time to schmooze. "He'll sign 300 to 400 items per hour for three hours," Kiesler says. "After a while, his hand swells up and a knot forms in it. Fortunately, his name is not Ted Kluszewski.
"Willie is sensitive to criticism. Fans stand in line for an hour, meet their idol for two seconds, then they're gone. Some just don't understand. This is business."
Suddenly, Kiesler stops talking, tenses up, stares hard at the fourth guy in the autograph line. Always alert to anything that might hinder Mays's prodigious output. Kiesler thinks he has spotted trouble. Somebody who wants Mays to look at him, perhaps. The dreaded eye contact. Or worse. Somebody who wants to chat.
"That guy's nervous," Kiesler says under his breath. "He's sweating. He's ready to fall apart. He's gonna be an aggressive schmuck when he gets up there. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he'll just fall apart quietly. But my guess is, he's a problem waiting to happen." A couple of minutes later the guy gets his stuff signed, says, "Thank you, Willie," and walks away quickly. Mays never even looks up. Kiesler takes a deep breath and eyeballs the rest of the line, ever-watchful, like a Doberman pinscher patrolling the grounds, nose to the wind.
Unlike the unprecedented feeding frenzy in baseball cards, which is clearly profit driven, the autograph craze is apparently driven by sentiment—a guy thing, linking a man to his own childhood ghosts. Steve Sidransky helps work the Mays autograph line all afternoon in return for $100. which he immediately spends on yet another item to add to his collection of autographed baseballs. Sidransky is 38 years old. He is an autograph junkie.
Ironically, Sidransky says he is not a hard-core baseball fan. "I'm not like 'Sorry, I can't go to the unveiling. The Mets are on.' I don't wear Yankee underwear. But this autograph thing is like a drug. It's out of control. Financially, it's a tremendous drain. It's never enough. It never ends."
It's the nightmare of autograph addiction. The Mets win the '86 World Series, for instance, and Lenny Dykstra is signing autographs a half a mile away from Sidransky's Forest Hills apartment. He gets Dykstra, then figures he'll go to a show in the city, get a Mantle to go along with it. "Meeting Mickey was the greatest thing since my bar mitzvah," he says today, a year later. "And it ended up costing more, too."
Sidransky, who sells rock memorabilia and concert shirts at flea markets to support himself and his autograph habit, has spent $10,000 on autographs in the past year and a half. "I live in a one-bedroom apartment. My building is going co-op and I need to come up with the money to buy a two-bedroom apartment because I need to make a baseball room. I want to get AstroTurf carpeting and a showcase for my 1,500 baseballs. But I'm stretched for cash.
"I'm a maniac. I can't play my stereo because I've got baseballs all over the turntable. My whole refrigerator is so heavily magneted with upcoming shows that to get to the freezer you have to open the door very carefully or they'll all fall down."
How did things get so out of hand so fast? "My father and I never went to a ball game together," Sidransky says sadly. "Not once. Mantle and the old Yankees should've been our father-and-son thing, our tradition. But we never went. We never played catch. We never even talked.
"So I invented a memory. I created a past for us. It's like I want Mantle's autograph because it reminds me of the times my father and I used to watch him play in the Stadium. That never happened, but it should have. So it feels right, it seems American. See?"
The long day at the card show slowly draws to a close. Sidransky drives his '79 Impala—the one with 90,000 miles on it—home to Forest Hills to figure out how he's going to afford that extra bedroom for his baseballs. Mays flies out of town on wings of silence. Mr. Mint returns to his home in Montvale, where, naturally, the phone rings in his inner sanctum.
Guy named Mark wants to buy a case of baseball statues from Mr. Mint but balks at the $4,750 price tag. Mr. Mint is pacing at a goodly clip. And while he paces, he sets Mark straight: "I don't discount, Mark. These statues are white. Cream statues cost you $3,500. Yellow cost $2,000, maybe $1,500. But white is $4,750. We don't play the discount game where I say $5,500 and you say can't you do better and then I say $4,750 and you say fine.
"These are near-mint to mint. No cracks, no dings, no chips, no broken arms, no broken noses. I'm talking quality. I don't sell junk, Mark. I hate junk. These are white. Not diaper white, but very nice white, very pleasing to the eye. Near-mint to mint. You think about it, O.K.?" He hangs up, still pacing. "In eight years I'll be 50," Mr. Mint says. "I can't believe it."
The phone rings again. A guy's calling about renting a table at a big card show that Mr. Mint is coproducing with rock promoter Richard Nader. Darryl Strawberry and 13 other superstars will be there, autographing. More than 200 dealers will be selling collectibles.
Mr. Mint wants to know what the guy's got to sell. Guy tells him 38 mint sets from the '50s. Mr. Mint does not hesitate. "Sure you don't want to sell them to me outright?" Mr. Mint asks. "Save you a trip? I hate to discourage the sale of a table at the show, but I could just come to your home with $100,000 in cash and buy them all. You're laughing. I'm serious. Here's my story...."
5 comments:
- MattR said...
Autograph prices sure have gone up since then.
- August 2, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Sold a collection to Mr. Mint and was foolish enough to answer him when asked.."How much do you want "...Instead of getting a price from him ..or even getting other offers..I felt he was a reputable guy.....Dont ever deal with anyone who wont give you a price...
- October 20, 2009 at 12:48 PM
- bh3443 said...
i always enjoyed doing shows with Al Rosen set up. He brought a special energy to each event. Thank you, Alan, for making the decades of shows extra special. your Friend, Bill hedin
- March 18, 2011 at 6:58 AM
Rosen was/is a piece of shit. Like the adults before him that ruined stamp collecting and other hobbies Rosen is all about money and probably could not tell you who Lou Brissie was. Mr. Mooch loves only money, not baseball.
- August 5, 2012 at 6:04 PM
Jealousy and envy will get you no where. Ya gotta respect this guy for having the vision and the foresight to anticipate cards booming the way they did. It's the way of the average American now a days. Hate the smart successful for being smart and successful
- January 28, 2013 at 11:41 PM