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Ted (2012)
Ted SynopsisFamily Guy creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing brand of humor to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Ted. In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish...and has refused to leave his side ever since.
Ted Release Date
In Theaters June 29, 2012
Ted Credits
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Giovanni Ribisi, Patrick Warburton, Joel McHale and Jessica Stroup
Written by: Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild
Directed by: Seth MacFarlane
Produced by: John Jacobs, Seth MacFarlane, Scott Stuber, and Jason Clark
Distributor: Universal Pictures
External Info: Ted Official Website
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Mark Wahlberg Apologizes To The Pope For Ted
Seth MacFarlane's Ted is most definitely a raunchy movie. It's titular character is a foul-mouthed, drug-loving, perverted teddy bear, and his best friend, played by Mark Wahlberg, has plenty of shared interests. Being a Catholic, it seems that Wahlberg carries a bit of guilt for the project, and found himself actually apologizing to Pope Francis for it (albeit jokingly).
by Eric Eisenberg September 27, 2015 comments
The Best Boston Movies Of All Time, Ranked
With Black Mass arriving in theaters this weekend, and telling the story of Bostons most notorious criminal, we decided to look back at the history of movies set in the great Massachusetts city and do a straight-up ranking. Which film is number one? Read on to find out!
by Eric Eisenberg September 18, 2015 comments
Ted 2 Did Not Wind Up Being The Movie Amanda Seyfried Signed Up For
Amanda Seyfried revealed thatTed 2 changed drastically while it was being written, after it was originally sold to her as a road-trip movie.
by Gregory Wakeman June 22, 2015 comments
See Ted 2's Awesome Flash Gordon-Inspired Poster
Ted 2 hits theaters on Friday, but that doesnt mean theyre done having fun in the pre-release media campaign yet. Theres a new poster for the upcoming comedy which will strike a chord with anybody who was a sci-fi fan in the 1980s, especially if youve seen the first film.
by Dirk Libbey June 21, 2015 comments
Ted Mocks Kim Kardashian On His Cute And Clever EW Cover
Back in November, Kim Kardashian broke the internet when she posed nude on the cover of Paper Magazine. Well now, upon the upcoming release of Ted 2 a certain loud-mouth teddy bear decided its about his time to share that Kardashian-styled spotlight
by Catarina Cowden June 4, 2015 comments
Ted 2's Restricted Trailer Packs In Drugs, Sex And Tom Brady
If you've been patiently waiting for Ted 2, this new restricted trailer should satisfy fans of the first film, as well as all of you crude humor enthusiasts out there.
by Brent McKnight April 27, 2015 comments
Mark Wahlberg And Ted Lay Down The Law In Hilarious Ted 2 Clip
Watch Mark Wahlberg and Ted display their intimate knowledge of the American legal system in this hilarious Ted 2 clip.
by Brent McKnight April 11, 2015 comments
Seth McFarlane's Ted Lawsuit Dismissed, Get The Details
It appears that Seth McFarlane has been vindicated in the eyes of a Los Angeles court after the dismissal of a lawsuit against him alleging that his comedic vulgar taking teddy bear film, Ted was too similar to a series of video sketches focusing on a character called Charlie The Abusive Teddy Bear. Its certainly a huge relief for McFarlane as Ted 2 readies an imminent summer release.
by Joseph Baxter March 24, 2015 comments
Ted 2's Super Bowl Commercial Sounds Hilarious, Will Feature Tom Brady
With a brand new poster and its first trailer on the way, Ted 2 is ready to shoot its advertising load into the public's eyes. But just when you've thought you know what's headed your way, a surprise hits you in the face.
by Mike Reyes January 27, 2015 comments
This Leaked Channing Tatum Email Is Epic, Could Have Been Sent By Your Little Brother
Im legitimately comforted by the fact that the ultra-serious dude from Foxcatcher -- the guy who appears like he could snap my neck like a twig sends hilariously pompous emails to his friends and colleagues when hes experiencing a true upbeat moment in his professional life.
by Sean O'Connell December 15, 2014 comments
Ted 2 Is Bringing Back A Key Supporting Player
Ted 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on June 26th, 2015, joining what could go down as the most stacked summer in the entire history of cinema
by Mack Rawden August 22, 2014 comments
Seth MacFarlane Accused Of Stealing The Idea For Ted
Just when you thought intellectual property was safe in Hollywood, another lawsuit against a popular film is claiming that someone stole their idea. This time, an internet production company is alleging that Seth MacFarlane stole the idea for Ted from their similarly foul tempered teddy bear.
by Mike Reyes July 16, 2014 comments
Django Unchained And Ted Earn The Most Nominations For The 2013 MTV Movie Awards
Voting is officially open for the 2013 MTV Movie Awards. The nominations for the past year's crop of movies were announced tonight, with Django Unchained and Ted tied for the most nominations, with seven each. Coming in just behind those two are Silver Linings Playbook with six nominations and The Dark Knight Rises with 5. The Avengers, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Pitch Perfect and Skyfall received four nominations a piece.
by Kelly West March 5, 2013 comments
Seth MacFarlane Should Leave TV Behind
Seth MacFarlane has always been a TV guy. Even before he became one of the biggest names in entertainment with shows like Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, he was part of the team over at Cartoon Network, writing for shows like Dexters Laboratory, and Johnny Bravo. But then 2012 came and completely reshaped his entire career.
by Eric Eisenberg February 22, 2013 comments
Norah Jones Will Perform Ted's Nominated Song At The Oscars
With music by Walter Murphy and lyrics by MacFarlane, the song is up against the aforementioned "Skyfall," Les Miserables's "Suddenly," Chasing Ice's "Before My Time," and Life of Pi's "Pi's Lullaby." Should Everybody Needs a Best Friend win the award for Best Original Song, the statues would go to Murphy and MacFarlane.
by Kristy Puchko January 28, 2013 comments
Ted And Mark Wahlberg To Reunite At The Oscars
Up until last year Seth MacFarlane was almost exclusively a television guy...but then came Ted. After years working on shows like Family Guy and American Dad, MacFarlane took the leap into features and made his directorial debut with the story of a middle-aged man child (played by Mark Wahlberg) and his anthropomorphic teddy bear. And the experiment was a smash success.
by Eric Eisenberg January 17, 2013 comments
The 10 Best Movie Music Moments Of 2012
For the last two weeks we have been applauding the best work of the year, from our individual critical top 10s to lists of our favorite action scenes, on-screen couples, facial hair statements, lines of dialogue, breakthrough performances and much more. And now its time to celebrate those very special moments of 2012 when cinema and music fell into perfect harmony.
by Eric Eisenberg December 31, 2012 comments
The 10 Best On-Screen Couples Of 2012
As we put a cap on the cinematic year, we wanted to go back and single out the duos who turned our heads with combustible on-screen chemistry. We admit to cheating in at least one selection, and we admit an over-reliance on the Hollywood bromance. But we think its a great list.
by Sean O'Connell December 31, 2012 comments
The Dark Knight Rises Had The Most Watched Movie Trailer On YouTube In 2012
While the system has its problems and flaws, YouTube is a pretty great thing. In addition to being an outlet that allows people to post all kinds of original content for all of the internet to see, it's also a great haven for movie trailers, a place where you can type in the name of your favorite movie and instantaneously get any of its preview. But of all the movies that were released in 2012, which feature's trailer received the most hits on YouTube?
by Eric Eisenberg December 20, 2012 comments
Arnold Schwarzenegger Poses In New Image From Ten, Film Gets A Release Date
Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be a king of the summer blockbuster, but now it looks like he's picking up his game and moving it to January. The Last Stand, the first movie he's done as a starring role since Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003, will be out on January 18th of next year and now another one of his upcoming projects has landed in the first month of the year.
by Eric Eisenberg December 19, 2012 comments
Giveaway: Win A Ted Blu-ray And Thunder Buddy Prize Pack
Ted crushed at the box office, bringing in over $218 million domestically and, on December 11, it will begin crushing on Blu-ray. To celebrate, Universal Studios Home Entertainment is giving away two Ted Thunder Buddy prize packs, which will come with a Blu-ray copy of the film and much, much more. So, if you have your own Thunder Buddy, make sure you pass the word along.
by Jessica Rawden December 7, 2012 comments
Paul Thomas Anderson Wants To Make A Broad Comedy, Believe It Or Not
Rudolph left her comfy comedy terrain behind in 2009, offering a somber and moving portrayal of an anxious expecting mother in the quirky drama Away We Go. And it seems Anderson is mulling over a similarly risky leap of his own, considering crafting his own comedy. While doing press for The Master, the five-time Academy Award-nominated director was asked if there is any chance he might helm a comedy.
by Kristy Puchko November 7, 2012 comments
Summer's Surprise Hit Ted Will Be Even More Raunchy On Blu-ray In December
Im sure it helped that Family Guys Seth MacFarlane was on board to direct and co-write the script, but the film's huge box office success--earning $218 million in the States alone--was a surprise. If you happened to miss the movie, or thought it was really fucking funny, Ted will be hitting Blu-ray and DVD on December 11.
by Jessica Rawden October 10, 2012 comments
Universal Is Having Its Best Domestic Box Office Year Ever
This is a big year for Universal Pictures in many ways. As the studio was first founded in 1912, this year marks their 100th anniversary and they've been celebrating with hit after hit. While they've had their fair share of flops - namely titles like Battleship, Wanderlust and Five Year Engagement - they've had far more huge hits. In fact, 2012 has actually been the most successful year in the studio's history.
by Eric Eisenberg September 25, 2012 comments
Seth MacFarlane's Ted Getting A Doll And Maybe A Sequel
When news first broke that Seth MacFarlane was making a movie, many doubted the writer's short attention span style of comedy would translate to the big screen. But the blow of taking on the longer format of film was softened by MacFarlane favoring his strengths. Ted centered on an overgrown goofball and his similarly stunted and unlikely best friend and blended elements of nostalgia with crude humor...
by Kristy Puchko August 1, 2012 comments
Weekend Box Office: Ted and Magic Mike Top Summer Weekend for Adults
If raunch-coms are your thing you were living the dream this weekend. Pervy teddy bears and a chorus of male strippers dominated the box office, snagging the top two spots and almost $100 million between them.
by Scott Gwin July 1, 2012 comments
Ted And Magic Mike Open Huge On Friday, Will Overtake Brave At Box Office
As promised by the strong box office at their midnight screenings, both of this weekend's new releases have a lot to brag about-- and neither will have trouble knocking out last weekend's box office champion Brave
by Katey Rich June 30, 2012 comments
Magic Mike And Ted Surprise At Midnight Box Office
Though Magic Mike is getting a lot of the attention and the hottest advance ticket sales, it's looking like a real horse race between two R-rated movies at the box office this weekend. Both Magic Mike and the Seth MacFarlane-Mark Wahlberg comedy Ted debuted to surprisingly strong midnight screenings last night
by Katey Rich June 29, 2012 comments
Great Debate: Is Mark Wahlberg Funny?
Back in 2010, during the run-up to the release of Adam McKays The Other Guys, our own Katey Rich wrote an editorial titled "Rant: Mark Wahlberg Is Not That Funny, And We Need To Stop Telling Him He Is. In the article she argued that while the actor has his moments, his particular style suffers from diminishing returns and that he would be better off sticking to the dramas and action flicks that made him a star. Lets now fast forward to the present...
by Eric Eisenberg & Sean O'Connell June 27, 2012 comments
The Stars Of Ted Talk R-Ratings, Boundaries, And Teddy Bear Fights
As you may have already heard, Ted is one seriously funny movie. Due out this weekend, the film is completely irreverent and filled with belly laughs, but it also features a great amount of heart and does a surprisingly good job avoiding many of the problems that plague other raunchy comedies. Its an interesting mix to say the least, and it was just as interesting to hear what the director and actors had to say about the making of it.
by Eric Eisenberg June 27, 2012 comments
This Rotten Week: Predicting Ted, Magic Mike, People Like Us And Madea Reviews
Its a jam-packed week for the Rotten Watch with four movies hitting the big screen. So lets not dilly-dally around when weve got strippers, teddy bears, estranged families and unfortunately more Madea
by Doug Norrie June 24, 2012 comments
Red-Band Ted Featurette Is NSFW Even Behind The Scenes
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane certainly has loads of fans who have been eagerly awaiting the release of his directorial feature debut Ted. But it was upon the release of the R-rated comedy's red-band trailer that this twisted bromance about a manchild and his bloated teddy bear
by Kristy Puchko June 21, 2012 comments
This Is 40, Les Miserables And More Teased By Universal At CinemaCon
A few hours ago I published my recap of the Bourne Legacy footage shown today during the Universal Pictures presentation at CinemaCon, but that was far from the only movie that the studio had on display at the convention. Over the course of two hours they showed off footage from every single film that remains on their 2012 calendar and beyond, including outrageous comedies and Oscar-hopeful dramas. And Im here to tell you about them.
by Eric Eisenberg April 26, 2012 comments
First Posters For This Is 40, Les Miserables, Hope Springs And Many More
Greetings from Las Vegas, Cinema Blend fans! I have arrived in the legendary city of sin for this year's CinemaCon, the annual event where the biggest names and studios in Hollywood travel out to the desert to present footage from their biggest upcoming films. I'll be here all week to report on all of the insanely cool stuff that I get to see, and while the convention doesn't actually start until tomorrow, I already have a lot of awesome things to show you
by Eric Eisenberg April 22, 2012 comments
The Origins Of Ted Explained In New Green Band Trailer
The feature directorial debut of Seth MacFarlane, who is best known for television programs like Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show, Ted centers on a man named John (Mark Wahlberg )and his childhood best friend, Ted, a walking-talking stuffed bear (MacFarlane). While the pair love to just hang out and smoke some weed, things get heated when John's girlfriend (Mila Kunis) tells him to kick Ted out.
by Eric Eisenberg April 4, 2012 comments
First Red Band Trailer For Seth MacFarlane's Ted
Seth MacFarlane has had incredible success on television. While his career started off bumpy - due to the early cancellation of Family Guy - it took off like a rocket once his show was resurrected. Since then he's launched multiple different programs on multiple mediums, but one area he has yet to really tackle is the world of film. That changes this summer with the arrival of Ted.
by Eric Eisenberg April 1, 2012 comments
Jessica Stroup Joins Seth MacFarlane's Ted
This script has Seth MacFarlane's name written all over it. Between the talking animals, sexual deviants and manboy main character, there are few working directors who would think up such a notion, let alone make it their live-action debuts
by Mack Rawden April 23, 2011 comments
Patrick Warburton Cast In Seth MacFarlane's Ted
Patrick Warburton is one of those actors that you just can't get sick of. Though he does tend to play the same kind of character time and time again - the big dude with an IQ smaller than his shoe size - he has always been able to make people laugh, be it as Puddy on Seinfeld, The Tick on the short-lived Fox live-action series, Brock Samson on Venture Bros. or Joe on Family Guy. But while most of his iconic work has been on television, now he's coming back to the big screen.
by Eric Eisenberg April 19, 2011 comments
Joel McHale Will Play The Sleazy Boss In Seth MacFarlane's Ted
Though McHale is famous as the host of E!'s The Soup and now as Jeff Winger on Community, he's been doing a good amount of film work lately; in 2011 he'll appear in both the Anna Faris-led comedy What's Your Number and the ensemble birdwatching comedy The Big Year
by Katey Rich February 25, 2011 comments
Giovanni Ribisi Signs On For Seth MacFarlane's Talking Bear Movie Ted
The main question I have now is whether Ribisi has signed on the role for which Adam Scott was apparently in talks back in December. Wahlberg plays the grown man who's attached to his teddy bear, with Kunis as the girlfriend who's sick of dealing with his nonsense.
by Katey Rich February 23, 2011 comments
Mila Kunis And Adam Scott In Talks For Seth MacFarlane's Ted
If you haven't figured it out by now, Mila Kunis is awesome. Sure, she started her career off as the ever-annoying Jackie on That 70s Show, but since that series ended she's really found her groove.
by Eric Eisenberg December 13, 2010 comments
Mark Wahlberg Confirmed For Seth MacFarlane's R-Rated Ted
Wahlberg's character is an average Boston guy who's life is completely ordinary except for the fact that his best friend is a cursing, talking teddy bear-- you know, just a minor roadblock. The film is
by Katey Rich October 26, 2010 comments
Seth MacFarlane To Direct His First Feature
Can anyone honestly say that they didn't see this coming? The man essentially owns television, so it comes as no surprise that the movie world would be the next step. What is kind of strange is that Fox didn't want to make the movie
by Eric Eisenberg April 12, 2010 comments
Hot Topics


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Roc Nation currently handles the careers of Jay-Z, Rihanna, Timbaland and Santigold. Now, Jay-Z's label and management company is expanding into sports representation. ESPN reports that today (April 2), New York Yankees star Second Baseman Robinson Cano has joined Roc Nation to manage his business affairs. The Roc has reportedly partnered with Creative Artist Affairs (CAA) in this venture.
Cano, who is in the final season of a $57 million contract, publicly left longtime agent Scott Boras.
"At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors on and off the field," Cano, now 30, said in a statement. "I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals. I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates."
ESPN's story also states that Jay-Z is planning to become a certified sports agent.
"Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years," said Jay-Z in a statement.
In 1999, another Rap mogul of the day, Master P, launched No Limit Sports. The New Orleans, Louisiana native and CEO of No Limit Records who represented Running Back Ricky Williams in the 1999 NFL Draft. No Limit Sports was later fired after Williams' first contract.
RELATED: Jay-Z: The End Or The Beginning? [2008 INTERVIEW]

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Rear Axle Install - Hot Rod HaulerWritten by on January 23, 2012 Gettin' The Drop On Our Ford
One of our goals for the Hot Rod Hauler was to get it a little closer to the ground and still maintain its load carrying capacity. We weren't looking for an "in the grass" stance, but two or three inches would do it; we just had to find a way to deal with the twin I-beams up front.
In 1965, Ford introduced the twin I-beam front suspension in trucks. The advertising of the day that announced the revolutionary front suspension proclaimed these vehicles rode like a car and worked like a truck. Twin I-beam suspension offered improved wheel alignment and reduced tire wear the ads went on to say. Some of the illustrations that went along with a few of the early ads showed how when a wheel encountered a bump the other was unaffected. Interestingly, these drawings seemed to indicate that a wheel going over a bump moved straight up and down, however that must have been some ad agency's version of the engineering involved because in the real world they behaved differently.
Ford's twin I-beams were roughly 36 inches long and were attached to the frame on one side of the truck with a coil spring, shock, and the wheel at the other—forged steel radius arms located the axles front to rear. And while it was true that one front wheel could hit a bump and not impact the other, the suspension was tough and didn't ride bad, but it didn't take long for owners of Fords to find out that reduced tire wear was not one of the advantages. In fact, tire wear was an issue as was the tendency for the trucks to wander and follow seams in the roadway, particularly when the shocks were worn.
Over the years, we've had a love/hate relationship with the front end under our F-350. On the plus side, not much maintenance has been required. Other than regular lubrication, all that's been done was a set of kingpins and a complete set of tie-rod ends at the 160K mark. On the other hand, it has had a tendency to knock the corners off a set of tires in short order, particularly when the shocks were shot, which happened with alarming regularity. Over the years, we've learned that the secrets to preventing premature tire wear were regular alignments and fresh dampers.
While the twin I-beam suspension is a mixed bag of good and not so hot for Ford aficionados, it really leaves a lot to be desired when altitude alterations are part of the plan. Raise or lower a truck with stock axles much past factory ride height, and the camber becomes such that you'll be saying goodbye to the edges of your tire's treads in no time. With Ford's single solid axle predecessors, there have always been a number of options to get the front end down, such as modified stock or aftermarket dropped axles or getting rid of the stock front suspension entirely and replacing it with a custom-made independent or a clip. For many of the twin I-beam trucks, most of the same options exist (although we're not aware of anyone dropping stock axles) as dropped replacement twin I-beams are available and there are a number of custom independents and clips that are suitable for F-150s. But in the case of an F-250, and certainly our '73 F-350, load capacity becomes an issue with aftermarket IFS and passenger car clips, so, as far as we were concerned, the only option was to install dropped axles—and that decision led us to Airbagit.com.
Like many other aftermarket companies, Joe Morrow started his in a garage over 22 years ago. Ratical Tops was formed in 1987 and began manufacturing convertible tops for most every truck of the period, which they still sell today. In 1992, to better reflect their full line of products, the company was incorporated under the name AIM Industries, which they still go by today. In 1992 Chassis Tech was formed as the operation expanded and in 1994, AIM was the first company ever to put all four wheels on air with their Dodge Ram that was the feature truck on SEMA advertising in 1995. In 2002, the company was granted a patent for engineering the first AirStrut to replace a MacPherson strut. They also offer a variety of replacement dropped axles for just about any twin I-beam Ford from full-size trucks and vans to Rangers and two wheel drive Broncos. Airbagit's dropped axles are a combination of fabricated I-beams with solid steel ends. Lengths vary depending on application as do the diameters of the kingpin and radius arm holes—our F-350 has 1-1/16-inch kingpins and 1-inch bolts securing the radius arms.
Installing the dropped axles is for the most part a remove and replace operation. However, there are some changes that are necessary. The tie-rod ends must be moved to clear the radius arms or the arms must be modified. In some kits, tie-rod end relocators are provided, in others, plates to modify the arms are included.
One Change Leads To Another
As we have said all along, our goal for the Hot Rod Hauler is to make it look cool but maintain its functionality. Now that we decided to install dropped axles we had another decision to make. Previously, we had removed a number of leafs from the rear springs to soften the ride and added air bags to maintain load capacity. So, while we installed the dropped axles, we decided to add air bags up front as well.
Airbagit.com offers universal air ride systems and parts as well as complete specific fit kits for everything from Alfa Romeos to Volkswagens, as well as foreign and domestic trucks. In most cases the kits are a 100-percent direct fit, but for some applications minor modifications are required. As our truck is a '73 and a one-ton, we found that changes to the lower bag mounts were required, but in most cases it won't be necessary.
With the dropped axles installed, the front bags at ride height, the nose of our F-350 is down about 3 inches from stock—just what we were after. The problem is, even after reducing the spring pack in the back, the rear of the truck is just too high. So we're going to fix it, which means moving the spring mounts up on the frame and notching the 'rails for clearance. We'll show all that next month along with everything you need to know about installing and plumbing the air management system. CCT
Shock Therapy
Shock absorbers fulfill a vital function, and if you've ever driven a truck with worn out shocks you know what it is—they dampen, or control both the compression and rebound of the springs. With the coils on twin I-beams, the shocks are particularly critical to control suspension travel and minimize the camber change that takes place as the tires move up and down.
To understand how a shock absorber works, picture a piston with holes in it pushing against oil in a cylinder. As a liquid won't compress, the oil will be forced through the holes slowing down the movement of the piston, the number and size of the holes will dictate how much oil can flow and how fast the piston can move. In a shock absorber this happens on both compression and extension, or rebound. The holes, or orifices, in the piston are directional, which allow them to be sized differently so there may be more resistance in one direction than the other. In addition, modern shock absorbers are velocity sensitive, which means the faster the suspension moves, the more resistance the shock absorber provides.
Got Gas?
Because there is some air inside a shock absorber, rapid movement of the piston can cause foam to form, which results in considerably reduced damping on compression and rebound. To combat this many shocks use pressurized gas, which stops foam from forming and results in a shock absorber with consistent performance. There are two basic types of gas shocks, the mono-tube high-pressure style and twin-tube low-pressure shocks.
As its name implies, twin-tube shocks have two chambers: an inner and an outer tube. In this style shock, the piston moves up and down in the inner tube in the main supply of oil, the outer chamber contains additional oil and a low-pressure nitrogen gas charge of 100–150 psi.
Twin-tube shocks are an improvement over totally hydraulic style, but they are still vulnerable to foaming and fade as the oil and gas mixes in extreme conditions. In our opinion, shocks on a twin I-beam Ford are operating in extreme conditions, which is why we opted to install Bilstein monotube gas shocks on the Hot Rod Hauler.
Bilstein's monotube construction has a number of advantages over the twin-tube style. In a conventional twin-tube design, the majority of the oil is trapped inside the inner tube where the considerable amount of heat generated during operation is trapped, which leads to fade and markedly reduced effectiveness. With Bilstein's monotube construction, the heat from the oil is transferred to the exterior of the shock body where it can be dissipated.
The monotube design has other advantages. Compared to the average twin-tube design, the Bilstein piston is a staggering 228-percent bigger, which allows more sensitive valving. Inside the tube is a "floating" dividing piston between the high-pressure nitrogen and the oil that eliminates any possibility of foaming and the resultant performance loss.
In some cases, such as our '73 F-350, there may not be a listing for a replacement shock, but that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of Bilstein technology. All you'll need to know are the top and bottom mounting styles along with the compressed, extended and installed lengths, then contact a Bilstein dealer. For a listing check www.bilstein.com.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
The axles are positioned by radius arms attached to the frame with rubber biscuits. Note the tire rod passes between the legs of the arms.We were impressed with the construction of the axles. Machined from solid steel the ends for our F-350 had additional support at the tops and bottoms of the kingpin holes for increased strength.With the stock axles removed the next to go were the spring towers. The tops of the towers were cut off with a torch so we could get to the welds that secured them to framerails with a cutoff wheel.The original right side axle bracket (that attaches to the left frame rail) required some minor trimming to fit inside the new bag bracket. The pre-punched holes lined up perfectly with the holes in the frame so we knew the axle bracket was in the right spot.To fit flush against the frame, the new left side air bag bracket required a small notch to clear the steering gear. It was filled in with a small patch.Here, the new right side air bag bracket and the axle mount have been welded and bolted in place. The holes in the bag brackets were used to make plug welds to the frame.
We used the Denominator II airbags, and with the suspension at ride height the bags were slightly below the optimum installed distance between the mounts. We could have left everything alone, but chose to modify the mounts.The top plates were cut off the axle mounts then threaded rods were used to position them at the proper installed bag height. Next, the lower parts of the mounts were trimmed to fit and welded back together.Our modified mounts position the bags perfectly. In most cases, modifications aren't necessary but we're working with a unique application.To enclose the top of the radius arm reinforcements, we fabricated these "caps" and welded them in place.Here, the modified left side arm is in place. The bolts were removed during welding and haven't been replaced in this photo.Good shocks are vital with twin I-beam suspension. We opted for a pair of Bilstien monotube gas shocks.With the modifications made to mount the air bags, new front shock mounts had to be fabricated. These were made from sections of tubing.
The upper mounts, also made from sections of tubing drilled to accept the bushings on the Bilstien shocks.Important additions to any air bag installation are bump stops and travel limiters. We relocated the stock Ford brackets and bump stops to prevent bottoming out, the shocks limit extension when the truck is jacked up to prevent damaging the bags.


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Looking East between the two bridges, the pink sky is a reflection from the sunset.
Kennebec River Bridges
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Brooklyn, NY (Sports Network) - Joe Johnson netted 21 points, while Deron
Williams tallied 15 points and 12 assists in the Brooklyn Nets' 98-85 win over
the Portland Trail Blazers.
Brook Lopez added 15 points and eight rebounds, and Kris Humphries chipped in
14 points and 10 boards for Brooklyn, which has won two straight on the heels
of a two-game skid.
Wesley Matthews recorded 20 points and J.J. Hickson had 19 points and 10
rebounds for the Blazers, who opened a lengthy seven-game road trip.
The Sports Network


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To make your downtown better, shop there
(Page 2 of 2)
When businesses operate with comfortable profit margins and have the breathing room to look beyond simply making ends meet, they can give back to the community by sponsoring Little League teams, joining chambers of commerce, taking part in fairs and festivals and donating time and services to local schools.
The last thing we want on Long Island's main streets and as symbols of our downtowns are abandoned storefronts and vacant offices — but that threat is all too real if we don't support the businesses that are in place now. Your hard-earned money can and should be directed to the businesses that can help bolster the economy and livelihood of the community you live in.
If you plan on doing some shopping this weekend, stop for a moment and picture being elbow to elbow at a noisy big-box store, wading through crowds of people who are short on holiday spirit, trying to find a sales person to answer a question or help you find something in your size, and then waiting in an endless line to pay for it. Then make a smart decision, walk down the street, walk into a local shop and do the kind of friendly, stress-free shopping that will benefit both you and the hardworking businesses owners in your communities.
On Saturday, shop local, and then eat out at a local restaurant. The money you spend in your downtown will pay dividends for you and all of your fellow residents.
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Republic of Cyprus
Area: 9,251 sq. km. (3,572 sq. mi.); about the size of Connecticut.
Cities: Capital--Nicosia (pop. 197,800, 2000 fig.). Other cities--Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta, Paphos, Kyrenia, Morphou.
Terrain: Central plain with mountain ranges to the north and south.
Climate: Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Cypriot(s).
Population (2001 census): 793,000.
Annual growth rate: 1%.
Ethnic groups: Greek (77%), Turkish (18%), Armenian and other (4%).
Religions: Greek Orthodox, Muslim, Maronite, Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox.
Languages: Greek, Turkish, English.
Education: Years compulsory--6 in elementary; 3 in high school. Attendance--almost 100%. Literacy--about 99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--9/1,000. Life expectancy--73 yrs. males; 78 yrs. females.
Work force (2002): Government-controlled area, 311,000: agriculture and mining--8.0%; manufacturing and utilities--12.5%; construction--8.8%; trade, hotels, and restaurants--28.42%; transport--7.0%; finance, real estate, and business--9.9%; government, education, and health--17.2%; community and other services--8.2%. Turkish Cypriot-administered area: agriculture and mining--16.5%; manufacturing and utilities--9.6%; construction--15.6%; trade, hotels, and restaurants--10.7%; transport--9.0%; finance, real estate, and business--2.7%; government, education, and health--20.0%; community and other services--15.9%.
Type: Republic.
Independence: August 16, 1960.
Constitution: August 16, 1960.
Branches: Executive--President elected to 5-yr. term. Legislative--unicameral House of Representatives, members elected to 5-yr. terms. Judicial--Supreme Court; six district courts.
Administrative subdivisions: Six.
Political parties: Greek Cypriot Community--Democratic Rally (right); Democratic Party (center-right); AKEL (communist); KISOS (socialist); United Democrats (center-left). Turkish Cypriot Community--National Unity (right); Democratic party (center-right); Republican Turkish (left); Communal Liberation (center-left); National Revival (center-right); Patriotic Unity Movement (left); National Justice Party (ultra-nationalist).
Suffrage: Universal at age 18.
GDP (2002): $9.9 billion.
Annual real growth rate (2002): 2.2%.
Per capita GDP income (2002): Greek Cypriots--$14,499; Turkish Cypriots--about $4,610.
Agriculture and natural resources (4.6% of GDP): Products--potatoes and other vegetables, citrus fruits, olives, grapes, wheat, carob seeds. Resources--pyrites, copper, asbestos, gypsum, lumber, salt, marble, clay, earth pigment.
Industry and construction (19.3% of GDP): Types--mining, cement, construction, utilities, manufacturing, chemicals, non-electric machinery, textiles, footwear, food, beverages, tobacco. Services and tourism (76.1% of GDP): Trade, restaurants, and hotels 23.3%; transport 11.2%; finance, real estate, and business 20.6%; government, education, and health 16.3%; and community and other services 4.8%.
Trade (2002): Exports--$926 million: citrus, grapes, wine, potatoes, clothing, footwear. Major markets--EU (especially the U.K. and Greece), Middle East, Russia. Imports--$3.8 billion: consumer goods, raw materials for industry, petroleum and lubricants, food and feed grains. Major suppliers--Greece, Italy, Germany, U.K. (U.S. trade surplus--projected for 2002: $237 million.)
Greek and Turkish Cypriots share many customs but maintain distinct identities based on religion, language, and close ties with their respective "motherlands." Greek is predominantly spoken in the south, Turkish in the north. English is widely used. Cyprus has a well-developed system of primary and secondary education. The majority of Cypriots earn their higher education at Greek, Turkish, British, or American universities. Both the Turkish and Greek communities have developed private colleges and state-supported universities.
Cypriot culture is among the oldest in the Mediterranean. By 3700 BC, the island was well inhabited, a crossroads between East and West. The island fell successively under Assyrian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Roman domination. For 800 years, beginning in 364 AD, Cyprus was ruled by Byzantium. After brief possession by King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) of England during the Crusades, the island came under Frankish control in the late 12th century. It was ceded to the Venetian Republic in 1489 and conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1571. The Ottomans applied the millet system to Cyprus, which allowed religious authorities to govern their own non-Muslim minorities. This system reinforced the position of the Orthodox Church and the cohesion of the ethnic Greek population. Most of the Turks who settled on the island during the 3 centuries of Ottoman rule remained when control of Cyprus--although not sovereignty--was ceded to Great Britain in 1878. Many left for Turkey during the 1920s, however. The island was annexed formally by the United Kingdom in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I and became a crown colony in 1925.
Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom and established a constitutional republic in 1960, after an anti-British campaign by the Greek Cypriot EOKA (National Organization of Cypriot Fighters), a guerrilla group that desired political union, or enosis, with Greece. Archbishop Makarios, a charismatic religious and political leader, was elected president.
Shortly after the founding of the republic, serious differences arose between the two communities about the implementation and interpretation of the constitution. The Greek Cypriots argued that the complex mechanisms introduced to protect Turkish Cypriot interests were obstacles to efficient government. In November 1963, President Makarios advanced a series of constitutional amendments designed to eliminate some of these special provisions. The Turkish Cypriots opposed such changes. The confrontation prompted widespread intercommunal fighting in December 1963, after which Turkish Cypriots ceased to participate in the government. Following the outbreak of intercommunal violence, many Turkish Cypriots (and some Greek Cypriots) living in mixed villages began to move into enclaved villages or elsewhere. UN peacekeepers were deployed on the island in 1964. Following another outbreak of intercommunal violence in 1967-68, a Turkish Cypriot provisional administration was formed.
In July 1974, the military junta in Athens sponsored a coup led by extremist Greek Cypriots against the government of President Makarios, citing his alleged pro-communist leanings and his perceived abandonment of enosis. Turkey, citing the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, intervened militarily to protect Turkish Cypriots.
In a two-stage offensive, Turkish troops took control of 38% of the island. Almost all Greek Cypriots fled south while almost all Turkish Cypriots fled north. Since the events of 1974 UN peacekeeping forces have maintained a buffer zone between the two sides. Except for occasional demonstrations or infrequent incidents between soldiers in the buffer zone, the island was free of violent conflict from 1974 until August 1996, when violent clashes led to the death of two demonstrators and escalated tension. The situation has been quiet since 1996. Under the auspices of the United Nations efforts to reunite the island under a federal structure are ongoing.
Since 1974, Cyprus has been divided de facto into the government-controlled two-thirds of the island and the Turkish Cypriot one-third. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus has continued as the internationally recognized authority; in practice, its authority extends only to the government-controlled areas.
The 1960 Cypriot Constitution provided for a presidential system of government with independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as a complex system of checks and balances, including a weighted powersharing ratio designed to protect the interests of the Turkish Cypriots. The executive, for example, was headed by a Greek Cypriot president and a Turkish Cypriot vice president, elected by their respective communities for 5-year terms and each possessing a right of veto over certain types of legislation and executive decisions.
Following the 1974 hostilities, the Turkish Cypriots set up their own institutions with an elected president and a prime minister responsible to the National Assembly exercising joint executive powers. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots declared an independent Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ("TRNC"). Only Turkey recognizes the TRNC.
In February 2003, Greek Cypriots elected Tassos Papadopoulos, leader of the center right Democratic Party, as president of the Republic of Cyprus. President Papadopoulos was supported by a broad coalition of parties ranging from his own Democratic Party to communist AKEL. None of the Greek Cypriot parties has been able to elect a president by itself or dominate the 56-seat House of Representatives. The 165,000 Greek Cypriot refugees also are a potent political force, along with the independent Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which has some influence in temporal as well as ecclesiastical matters.
"TRNC President" Rauf Denktash won re-election in 2000 to a 5-year term in office. Turkish Cypriot "parliamentary" elections were held on December 14, 2003. Because the question of whether Turkish Cypriots desired a settlement on the basis of UN Secretary-General Annan's peace plan in time to join the EU on May 1, 2004 alongside Greek Cypriots was central to the elections, they elections received considerable international attention. Two pro-solution parties -- Mehmet Ali Talat's Republican Turkish Party (CTP), and Mustafa Akinci's Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH), captured over 48% of the popular vote. They evenly split the 50 seats in the "TRNC assembly", 25-25, with two conservative status quo parties -- "Prime Minister" Eroglu's National Unity Party (UBP), and the Democrat Party (DP), led by "DPM" Serdar Denktash, which together captured over 45% of the vote.
According to the "TRNC" "constitution," "President" Denktash is tasked with entrusting the duty to form a new administration to the party or group most likely to obtain a vote of confidence. This party or group must obtain a vote of confidence within 15 days. If it is unable to do so, the "President" may ask another party or group to form an administration.
The first UN-sponsored negotiations to develop institutional arrangements acceptable to both communities began in 1968; several sets of negotiations and other initiatives followed. Turkish Cypriots focus on bizonality, security guarantees, and political equality between the two communities. Greek Cypriots emphasize the rights of movement, property, settlement, and the return of territory. Turkish Cypriots favor a loose grouping of two nearly autonomous societies living side by side with limited contact. Greek Cypriots envision a more integrated structure.
The most recent round of direct talks began in January 2002 between President Clerides and Mr. Denktash under the auspices of the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The two leaders set as a target date the end of June 2002 for reaching an overall solution. Three rounds of talks under the auspices of the UN were held from January to April, and a fourth round began in May. Secretary General Annan visited the island May 14-15, met with each of the two leaders, and had a joint dinner with both. The Secretary General expressed concern over the slow progress at the talks and urged the two leaders to step up the process in order to resolve the core issues by the end of June.
The June "deadline" passed without significant result, however. Both leaders were invited to New York in early October 2002 for meetings with UN officials, including the Secretary General. Agreement was reached to establish two ad hoc committees to discuss technical aspects of possible solution and for the leaders to resume direct talks in November, after Mr. Denktash recuperated from a heart operation. Annan said that he hoped to see substantive progress on the core issues of the Cyprus problem by year's end.
In November 2002, Secretary General Annan released a comprehensive plan for the resolution of the Cyprus issue. It was revised in early December. In the lead up to the December 2002 EU Copenhagen Summit, intensive efforts were made to gain both sides' signatures to the document prior to a decision on the island's EU membership. Neither side agreed to sign. The EU invited the Republic of Cyprus to join on December 16.
Following the Copenhagen Summit, the UN continued dialogue with the two sides with the goal of reaching a settlement prior to Cyprus' signature of the EU accession treaty on April 16, 2003. A third version of the Annan plan was put to the parties in February 2003. That same month the Secretary General again visited the island and asked that both leaders agree to put the plan to referendum in their respective communities. Also in February 2003, Tassos Papadopoulos was elected as the fifth president of the Republic of Cyprus. On March 10, 2003, this most recent phase of talks collapsed in The Hague when Mr. Denktash told the Secretary General he would not put the Annan plan to referendum. (President Papadopoulos did agree to hold a referendum if certain conditions were met.)
On April 23, 2003, Mr. Denktash relaxed many restrictions on individuals crossing between the two communities, including abolishing all crossing fees. Since April, the relaxed crossing procedures have led to relatively unimpeded bicommunal contact for the first time since 1974. Between April 23 and August 31, 2003, there were over 1,470,000 crossings of the buffer zone in both directions. Greek Cypriots are currently required to present their passports at the checkpoints along the buffer zone, something many are reluctant to do. Greek Cypriots are permitted to drive their personal vehicles in the Turkish Cypriot community, provided they first obtain a policy from an insurance provider in the north. Turkish Cypriots are permitted to cross into the government-controlled area upon presentation of their Turkish Cypriot ID card. Turkish Cypriots must obtain car insurance from an insurer in the south to drive their personal vehicles in the government-controlled area. Individuals with Turkish citizenship and all third country nationals are not permitted to enter the government-controlled area from the TRNC. Third country nationals in the Republic of Cyprus are permitted to cross into the TRNC upon presentation of their passports at the checkpoints along the buffer zone.
Principal Government Officials
President of the Republic--Tassos Papadopoulos
Foreign Minister--George Iacovou
Minister of Finance--Marcos Kyprianou
Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism--George Lillikas
Minister of Communications and Works--Kikis Kazamias
Minister of Justice and Public Order--Doros Theodorou
Ambassador to the United States--Erato Kozakou-Marcoulli
Ambassador to the United Nations--Sotos Zackheos
Cyprus maintains an embassy in the United States at 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-462-5772) and a Consulate General in New York City. Cyprus also maintains a trade center at 13 East 40th Street, New York, NY 10016 (tel. 212-686-6016). Turkish Cypriots maintain offices in Washington (tel. 202-887-6198) and at the Republic of Turkey's Mission to the United Nations.
Cyprus has an open, free-market, serviced-based economy with some light manufacturing. The Cypriots are among the most prosperous people in the Mediterranean region. Internationally, Cyprus promotes its geographical location as a "bridge" between West and East, along with its educated English-speaking population, moderate local costs, good airline connections, and telecommunications.
In the past 20 years, the economy has shifted from agriculture to light manufacturing and services. The service sector, including tourism, contributes 75.7% to the GDP and employs 70.7% of the labor force. Industry and construction contribute 19.3% and employ 21.3% of labor. Manufactured goods account for approximately 63.6% of domestic exports. Agriculture and mining is responsible for 4.9% of GDP and 8.0% of the labor force. Potatoes and citrus are the principal export crops.
The average rate of growth in the 1990s was 4.4%, compared with 6.1% in the 1980s. In 2002, economic growth dropped to 2.2%, compared with 4.0% in 2001 and 5.1% in 2000. In 2002, unemployment accelerated to 3.4% of GDP, from 3.0% the year before. Inflation also recorded an increase to 3.0% from 2.0% in 2001. As in recent years, the services sectors, and tourism in particular, provided the main impetus for growth. Economic activity in manufacturing remained about the same in 2002,while agricultural activity recorded a small increase.
Trade is vital to the Cypriot economy--the island is not self-sufficient in food and has few natural resources. The trade deficit increased by 4.0% in 2002, reaching $3.1 billion.
Cyprus must import fuels, most raw materials, heavy machinery, and transportation equipment. More than 50% of its trade is with the European Union, particularly with the United Kingdom.
Growth in 2003 is expected to remain around 2.0%-2.5%, largely due to the unstable environment prevailing internationally. Unemployment is expected to edge up to 3.5% in 2003, while inflation is forecast to reach 5.0%. Despite efforts to cut government spending and enhance revenue, the fiscal deficit is forecast to reach 4.0% of GDP in 2003, compared with 3.5% in 2002, remaining above Maastricht targets.
Investment Climate
Cyprus adopted a new copyright law in 1994 and a new patent law in 1998. In 1997, the government introduced a more liberal regime for foreign investments and portfolio investment, complementing a modern banking law passed in the same year. At the same time, the government liberalized regulations for foreign portfolio investment in the Cyprus Stock Exchange.
Additionally, it has abolished investment restrictions for EU investors as of January 7, 2000. This has resulted in a healthy increase in investment over the last 2 years, particularly from the EU. The inflow of approved foreign investment in 2001 reached $74.1 million, compared with $85.7 million in 2000 and $56.6 million in 1999. Cyprus has 15 bilateral agreements for the encouragement and reciprocal protection of investments with the following countries: Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, China, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Lebanon, Poland, Russia, Romania, and Seychelles. Another 40 bilateral investment agreements are currently under negotiation. Cyprus does not have a bilateral investment protection agreement with the United States.
Cyprus also has entered into bilateral double tax treaties with 40 countries, including one with the United States. The main purpose of these treaties is the avoidance of double taxation of income earned in any of these countries. Under these agreements, a credit is usually provided for tax levied by the country in which the taxpayer resides for taxes levied in the other treaty country. The effect of these arrangements is normally that the taxpayer pays no more than the higher of the two rates.
International Business Center
Cyprus has good business and financial services, modern telecommunications, an educated labor force, good airline connections, a sound legal system, and a low crime rate. Cyprus' geographical location, tax incentives, and modern infrastructure also make it a natural hub for companies looking to do business with the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and North Africa. As a result, Cyprus has developed into an important regional center for many International Business Companies (IBCs) conducting their offshore affairs from the island.
In 2001 the Central Bank issued 5,858 permits to nonresidents for new IBCs (compared with 5,713 permits in 2000). About 79% of new IBC registrations came from the EU, and another 11% from North America. IBCs in Cyprus, including shipping companies, generated foreign exchange earnings of U.S. $454 million in 2001, an increase of 9.3% over 2000. Cyprus first started developing its offshore business sector in 1976. Since then, nonresidents have established nearly 50,000 IBCs, only about one-third of which are currently active. The Central Bank systematically deletes companies that are inactive or fail to submit annual accounts. Of the active IBCs, a total of 1,098 maintain fully fledged offices on the island, at least 30 of which are from the United States, including two oil companies, two computer companies, and several accounting firms.
In June/July 2002 the House passed tax reform legislation abolishing tax discrimination afforded to offshore companies by the end of 2005, in line with Cyprus' commitments to the EU and OECD. Under the new regime, corporate tax on profits for IBCs will rise from 4.25% to 10.0%--the same as for local companies--which may compromise future growth prospects for the sector.
Ties with the European Union (EU)
Cyprus is scheduled to join the European Union on May 1, 2004. Cyprus signed an association agreement with the EU in 1972, which resulted in the establishment of a Customs Union between the two sides. Cyprus applied for full EU membership in 1990 and began formal accession negotiations with the EU on March 31, 1998. Preparations for EU membership mobilized both the government and private sectors in Cyprus to undertake extensive and far-reaching structural reforms to harmonize Cypriot laws, standards, and regulations with those of the EU. This effort has transformed the economic structure of Cyprus, resulting in a significantly more open economy, comparable to the economies of EU member states.
At the Copenhagen Summit in mid-December 2002, the leaders of EU member countries approved Cyprus's membership. Cyprus continues its preparations for accession on May 1, 2004, the planned accession date. The EU Commission issued a comprehensive monitoring report on November 5, 2003. Some of the challenges still around the corner for Cyprus include completing liberalization of utilities, including telecommunications and power generation, and redirecting the economy away from its heavy reliance on the tourism sector.
Export Opportunities
On January 1, 1996, Cyprus began full implementation of the Uruguay Round agreement. Under this agreement, the Government of Cyprus eliminated quantitative restrictions and other nontariff barriers to trade, allowing improved access to the Cypriot market. Cyprus is a full member of the World Trade Organization.
Additionally, completion of the first phase of the EU-Cyprus Customs Union agreement on January 1, 1998, liberalized the island's trade regime further, allowing most goods to be traded between Cyprus and the EU with a zero tariff rate. Under the same agreement, Cyprus also has adopted the EU's Common Customs Tariff (CCT) for most products from third (non-EU) countries.
Significantly, the preference now given to EU products under the CCT is less than the preference Cyprus gave to EU countries under its previous tariff regime. These developments have helped make U.S. exports to Cyprus more competitive in recent years.
Best prospects for U.S. products and services in Cyprus include government and semi-government tenders in telecommunications equipment, air traffic control systems, medical equipment for a major new hospital, computer services, and construction of airports and marinas. Local municipalities are working on long-term plans for sewerage projects and for new highways. By far the most recent visible U.S. commercial success story in Cyprus was the decision in 2001 of Cyprus Airways to lease four new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, valued at more than $200 million, for its subsidiary Eurocypria. The island's private sector also has a growing appetite for U.S.-made office machines, computer software, and data processing equipment. Recent changes in the tariff regime have opened up many other opportunities for exporters to Cyprus.
Trade Between Cyprus and the United States
The U.S. Embassy in Nicosia sponsors a popular pavilion for American products at the annual Cyprus International State Fair, and organizes other events to promote U.S. products throughout the year. Total U.S. exports to Cyprus are expected to decline to around $250 million in 2002, from $368.7 million in 2001. Principal U.S. exports to Cyprus include tobacco and cigarettes, office machines and data processing equipment, electrical equipment, passenger cars and wheat. Principal U.S. imports from Cyprus consist of portland cement, clothing, hunting rifle cartridges, canvas, dairy products, and fresh fish.
Turkish Cypriot Economy
The economic disparity between the two communities is pronounced. Although the Turkish Cypriot area operates on a free-market basis, the lack of private and governmental investment, shortages of skilled labor, plus inflation and the devaluation of the Turkish lira--which the Turkish Cypriots widely use as their currency--continue to plague the economy.
Since the April 23, 2003 relaxation of restrictions on travel across the buffer zone there have been more than 1.5 million crossings in both directions. Greek Cypriot spending in the north provided a short-term boost to the Turkish Cypriot economy. This initial influx has tapered off, however, as both the number of trips per month and the average spending per trip by Greek Cypriots has declined. Travel by Turkish Cypriots to the south continues, and Turkish Cypriot business are increasingly concerned that they are losing sales to purchases in the south by Turkish Cypriots. Despite initial expectations, the relaxation of travel restrictions has not yet resulted in measurable commercial trade between the two communities, largely due to barriers to trade resulting from the continued division of the island.
Turkey is, by far, the main trading partner of the TRNC, supplying 64% of imports and absorbing 57% of exports. In a landmark case, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on July 5, 1994 against the British practice of importing produce from northern Cyprus based on certificates of origin and phytosanitary certificates granted by TRNC authorities. The ECJ decision stated that only goods bearing certificates of origin from the Government of Cyprus could be recognized for trade by EU member countries.
That decision resulted in a considerable decrease of Turkish Cypriot exports to the EU--from $36.4 million (or 66.7% of total Turkish Cypriot exports) in 1993 to $21.8 million in 2001 (or 35% of total exports) in 2001. Even so, the EU continues to be the TRNC's second-largest trading partner, with a 23% share of total imports and 35% share of total exports. Additionally, the economic crisis in Turkey has had a negative impact on TRNC foreign trade in the last 2 years. Total imports increased to $293 million in 2002 (from $272 million in 2001), while total exports increased to $48 million (from $35 million in 2001).
Assistance from Turkey is the mainstay of the Turkish Cypriot economy. Under the latest economic protocol (signed January 2001), Turkey undertakes to provide Turkish Cypriots loans and financial assistance totaling $350 million for the purpose of implementing projects included in the protocol related to public finance, tourism, banking, and privatization. Turkey also has agreed to provide a supplementary amount of $160 million to entrepreneurs in the form of low-interest loans with the purpose of supporting export-oriented industrial production and tourism. Fluctuation in the Turkish lira continues to exert downward pressure on the Turkish Cypriot standard of living.
Turkish Cypriot authorities have instituted a free market in foreign exchange and authorize residents to hold foreign-currency denominated bank accounts. This encourages transfers from Turkish Cypriots living abroad.
The Government of Cyprus historically followed a nonaligned foreign policy, but it increasingly aligns itself with European positions within the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy as accession approaches. Cyprus has long identified with the West in its cultural affinities and trade patterns and maintains close relations with Greece. Since 1974, the foreign policy of the Government of Cyprus has sought the withdrawal of Turkish forces and the most favorable constitutional and territorial settlement possible. This campaign has been pursued primarily through international forums such as the United Nations. (See Political Conditions.) Turkey does not recognize the Government of Cyprus.
The Government of Cyprus enjoys close relations with Greece. Cyprus is expanding relations with Russia, Israel, Egypt, and Syria, from which it purchases most of its oil. Cyprus is a member of the United Nations and most of its agencies as well as the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Council of Europe, and the Commonwealth. In addition, the country has signed the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Agreement (MIGA).
The United States regards the status quo on Cyprus as unacceptable. Successive administrations have viewed UN-led intercommunal negotiations as the best means to achieve a fair and permanent settlement. The United States will continue actively to support and aid the UN Secretary General's Good Offices Mission. The United States is working closely with Cyprus in the war on terrorism. A Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, which has been in force since September 18, 2002, facilitates bilateral cooperation.
The United States has channeled $305 million in assistance to the two communities through the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Cyprus Red Cross since the mid-1970s. The United States now provides $15 million annually to promote bicommunal projects and finance U.S. scholarships for Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Michael Klosson
Deputy Chief of Mission--Edwin R. Nolan
Chief Political Officer--Matthew A. Palmer
Economic/Commercial Officer--David W. Renz
Defense Attach�--Col. Steve G. Boukedes
Public Affairs Officer--Craig Kuehl
Consular Officer--Mark A. Leoni
Management Officer--Jeffrey R. Cellars
The U.S. Embassy in Cyprus is located at the corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets in Engomi, Nicosia; mailing address: PO Box 24536, Nicosia, Cyprus. U.S. mailing address: PSC 815, FPO-AE 09836-0001. Tel. [357] 22 77 64 00; telex: 4160 AMEMY CY; fax: [357] 22 78 09 44; Consular fax: [357] 22 77 68 41.
For the most current version of this Note, see Background Notes A-Z.
Short URL: http://m.state.gov/md30958.htm


text:
Hello all,
I may have a new military position at the ROTC in Reno. I hunt as often as I can but I have not looked at Nevada as a prospective state.
I need a little help in understnading what you all have.
Are you able to hunt big game on a yearly basis, or is most of the state a draw system?
I am pretty much into any type of hunting from archery to BP to rifle. I do a lot of backpack hunting now and have great gear and optics.
I am just looking to see how the state runs their tags and what my chances would be of hunting this year should I move in August?
Thank you very much for any info you can provide


text:
Personalise your news, save articles to read later and customise settings
BSB, nice call on NAB yesterday. Of yesterday's options (ANZ, NAB, WBC) I went with ANZ and WBC, but you went with ANZ and NAB. Well done!
coupla old favs...but time will tell
ASX outperforming all Asian peers today, with Europe looking softer and US futures flat.
It looks to me like FY portfolio rebalancing, and I would be careful about tomorrow or look to fade these moves.
In regards the Financial Planner attentions, at ANZ Banking Group Ltd. some 20 or more years ago, employees were sent on a weekend course to qualify as Financial Planners, then returning to pester you for introduction to your client base to market their products (and you would receive commission for the introductions including beverages).
As a lending banker, I always responded that it was difficult enough to accrue wealth without someone else then telling you what you should do with that accrued wealth.
Did not go down too well!
But, obviously, nothing has changed in over 20 years - and now people are complaining and the government are responding that there is nothing to complain about!
There are 2 lessons I have learnt being that trickle down economics does not work and that the presentation that the most effective form of regulation is self regulation is fatally flawed.
Once again, cases proven!
The norf that doesn't have a big (and closing) Ford factory in it is probably doing OK
Woolworth appreciate 89cs 2.54% today may be good opportunity to offload given being called "Price creeping " which is really bad PR . With disclosure of the stunt shoppers may walk with the wallet to shop with ALDI... Bad Move, Bad publicity.
All supermarkets put prices up on different products from time to time to subsidise specials. I'm not sure why this is even a story - must have been a slow day......
DOW - Dow got to within 2 points of 17000 last night! New record for the S&P500 closing at 1973.32 which is close to the psychological level of 2000.
The DOW will probably break through 17000 tonight or soon. Once it does in my opinion it could rise to around 17200 before settling and setting new resistance levels.
We will lag as world investors want our shares cheap for the high yielding divs. Our market could get going if the currency keeps rising as we will then attract those wanting currency and share gains. Interesting times.
I wasn't feeling too good yesterday and after catching up on the old news I can safely say I feel like a relapse is coming on.
Whoever said the law is an ass must be going on the verdict of the Victorian court of appeal where they reversed the decision of the Supreme court against Tatts .
These learned fuddy dud dies came up with the ridiculous decision that Tatts were up up for a full year on the health levy when they were only up for a small portion for that year..
My lack of faith in the justice system has been vindicated.
Report at 2:25pm. Mesoblast (MSB) hasn't been as high as $4.70 for almost a month. How old is this information?
Tell me about it...but keeping the faith and ready for lift off....anytime soon.
Just on that, AHZ have a heart product in market =Cardiocell,which is a repair to heart conditions, so some of these rankers need to do a lil more homework, go the great aussie biotechs...minnows now and probably be swallowed by the american blue whales.
does anyone know what's happening with FMG, it started the day so well but seems going down the drain whereas other miners are doing well
Day traders cycle,sell in the morning,buy back in the slump...watch the pattern.
Anyone know why ALQ has shot up after brokers downgraded in late May 2014 ?
Because I sold it following their downgrades..... I work similarly to Mitch from ACT - when I sell others jump in and buy....
From previous discussion about REIT, RFF was another with yield still over 8%
Might have more to do with that part of Preston I bought and sold (2013) on Bell St the house went from 350K to 540K in 5 years
That part of Preston had 2 drive by shootings that i can remember in the pat couple of years.
Considering the price of a 4 bdrm sold in Reservoir on Sat >$900K i suspect that the norf is doing just fine
"Our reliance on China is now even greater than when Japanese industrialisation was at its peak"
And yet we're continuing to hang on to the US apron strings when it comes to defense. Hillary Clinton is dead right, it's two faced.
Exports to China should be capped at no more than 15-20% of total exports with the added benefit that we might still have some premium iron ore left for the next 1,000 years.
I wonder what Yellen will say tonight... and timed so perfectly with DOW 17000... tipping point?
whatever bs she spins, the result will be markets up again. i want boring ben b. back.
She'll probably say something along the lines of:
"You morons must probably be wondering how come the DOW is at 17,000 despite our economy being in recession, our debt is skyrocketing and our budget is 20% in deficit. Well, the answer is that we've money-printed our way to this stock bubble. And we intend to continue to do so - and send the bill to your kids and grandkids - for as long as we get away with it. Why? Because it's in our nature and it continues to create the illusion on stability. For now.
and another $10B p/m taken out of the market!
The rebate is available to those earning less than $37,000 a year. Lower-income earners are taxed more highly on super contributions than on their income.
System broke...rethink needed.
No they aren't. The income tax rate $18,200 to $37,000 is 19%. The super tax rate is 15%.
This is directed to Allan.
I have a daughter who works part time and she earns $15,600 pa plus 9.25 super. Super paid by employer is taxed @15% so she is penalised.
She would be better of if no SGC and she paid super from her wages.
Super is on top of her earnings and the raising of the limit to $18,200 offsets the super tax which for your daughter is only @ $220 for the year.
"Smartgroup slumps 7.5pc on ASX debut"
There is absolutely no reason for these companies to exist in a fair and equitable economy. Salary packaging is just a euphemism for exploiting perks of the tax system for company cars and no-for-profit tax exemptions. Both of which should be removed asap.
but what will it do for housing prices?
Well thank god we DON'T live in a fair and equitable society!
Long live tax perks!
Did we get a trade surplus last month?
"Gold's rally will reverse this half and investors should bet on a second annual drop"
Sure sure. Gold has beat shares and property (again) so far this year just like it has the last 5 years. Just like it has the last 10 years. Gold has one bad year in the last 13 and everyone (the type of people who were talking down gold when it was US$300 an ounce) start predicting sub US$1000 an ounce gold LOL
Some people just can't handle the truth.
What was the ASX trading at in 2006?
How much were investment properties and what were their rentals yields in 2006?
How much was an ounce of gold in 2006?
The forecast was only from the 2nd most accurate forecaster. There's a reason why they're not No. 1 and may not be.
The only people worth taking notice of are people who actually make a lot of money year after year decade after decade. People like Carl Icahn, Ray Dalio, David Tepper, Ken Griffin, John Paulson, Dan Loeb, Bill Ackman, Leon Cooperman etc.
All these "analyst calls" from small time guys who don't have the ability to start their own firms so just play little guessing games from within the safety of an income inside a big firm are just your run of the mill hit and miss guessing game players.
Equity Bug, you deserve the prize for best comment of the week! 100% agree.
Sorry Liberator, just re-read your comment. I misunderstood it the first time so we are saying the same thing.
Liberator, yes but the date they sell is still our local date, and the American FY doesn't end on June 30 like ours, so I wouldn't have thought there was any compulsion for anyone outside of locals to do any adjusting around June 30?
@11.27 - With all due respect to professor Stiglitz, but his "analysis" shows exactly why the big issues should not be left to economists. There is an ethnic component that trumps all other in the US's educational fiasco as well as its immoral financial sector. The ethnic component is also very strong in the work-force participation rate, as well as in the wage stagnation phenomenon. The professor had better get back to his study and start analysing at a deeper level and more basic facts of life.
This guy has zero credibility and I can't believe that people still take him seriously. The guy was unable to competently stress-test Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae but still thinks he has the authority to comment on the risks posed to the Australian economy. I wish the ALP would stop rolling this guy out to push their barrow because history shows it will not do anybody any favours.
Australia is starting to pay back her debt and that has international banksters worried. Balanced budgets is their kryptonite, and Stiglitz is nothing but a peddler for more borrowing.
No Dr No, no. The economics of George Bush has been a worldwide disaster. Stiggie has attempted to bring neo classical economics out of fairyland. Milton and the monetarists are firmly stuck in gnomeland pretending there is no problem. After all, as Cyprus showed, the 1% will simply raid your bank account to offset any losses they may make. So you can see there are no problems for the 1%.
Wally, what's the difference between the "economics of George Bush" and current policies? Nothing. The fiat currency debacle has been going since the 70s, oh, and created nothing but inequality and inflation in the process. And the irresponsible budget deficits in the last 15 years have been an absolute disaster for everybody except the bankers.
The majority of the Balinese own their own property, usually the family compound. They don't rent.
Totally agree. What a load of irresponsible sensationalist BS that is. Either that, or it indicates an alarming lack of market knowledge. And the accompanying chart is possibly even worse!
O/S FY year can be and are different to ours - country by country. No rush to sell if your an American owning Aussie shares!
SGN. The good thing is up 2.64%.
decent divd to come,poor mans Telstra but equal yield for under 1/3 the price.
No idea. All I know was that the same happened on 1 & 2 July last year so on a whim I decided to test it. It worked - bought yesterday, nicely up today. But, it also crashed again on 3 July, before starting a 4 week strong uninterrupted rise before leveling to a more modest continued rise into early Nov.
Preston is not exactly a sought after suburb. I think your sister paid too much. I bought a 3 bedroom house in 1999 for $200K in Box Hill. I sold 18 months later for $280K (moved interstate for work). That house would now be worth $600 to $700K at a guess. In the 4 years i spent in Sydney my house also made 40% gain. Since 2006 my Melbourne house has doubled in value. Sold my parents' house in northern suburbs...prices woeful. Luck and location are all important
Could anyone tell, why ANZ, NAB and WBC shares were DOWN by 50 cents yesterday, but UP by the same amount today?
Big UP and DOWN at the new financial year! Do the big cats play the game?Thanks.
No idea. All I know was that the same happened on 1 & 2 July last year so on a whim I decided to test it. It worked - bought yesterday, nicely up today. But, it also crashed again on 3 July, before starting a 4 week strong uninterrupted rise before leveling to a more modest continued rise into early Nov.
O/S FY year can be and are different to ours - country by country. No rush to sell if your an American owning Aussie shares!
Liberator, yes but the date they sell is still our local date, and the American FY doesn't end on June 30 like ours, so I wouldn't have thought there was any compulsion for anyone outside of locals to do any adjusting around June 30?
Sorry Liberator, just re-read your comment. I misunderstood it the first time so we are saying the same thing.
Ed, wouldn't categorised AUD's drop from 94.85c to 94.67USCents as "SLUMP".. It is just downward drifted by 0.18C 18 points only.
Totally agree. What a load of irresponsible sensationalist BS that is. Either that, or it indicates an alarming lack of market knowledge. And the accompanying chart is possibly even worse!
next stop 5370 .... again!
Record Household DEBT
A stock market trading around 2006 levels
- $1.91 Billion balance of trade for May
Over 1.3 million loss making littlelandlords
This is what we are left with after Australia's best terms of trade in 150 years.
Just buy 10 or 15 houses and rent them out. No need to be innovative, clever or enterprising, just rent seeking.
The swarm seemed to have ascended from ACR and NXT but landed smack on top of the newbie Asaleo [AHY] no welcome mat on the ASX just straight for the throat.5.3million shorts just yesterday.
BDR beebearding the rest for a short squeeze......tighten the vice.
"If you have an economy that doesn't lead to rising levels standards of living for large fractions of the population for half a century, that's a long time," Professor Stiglitz told the Crawford Leadership Forum in Canberra on Tuesday."
And that's exactly what Australia has to look forward to after it has squandered and off-shored the benefits of the biggest resource boom in history.
Australia should have built the NBN ten years ago and kept education free.
And more importantly, not had taken on debt but instead created a sovereign fund for investing the surplus abroad and built up a gold reserve at home.
We should also have lowered welfare entitlements, not raised them.
China's current real growth closer to 5.5%, not 7.5%.
Oh dear, who's brilliant idea was it to put all our eggs in that basket?
Just like we had all our eggs in one basket in the 50s with USSR then 60s with Japan, then the 70s with Korea, Then the 80s with whoever. Its the Lucky Country dont forget.
Sooner or later we will all be Serfs.
Surely the market is not gonna fool everyone again?
Today up tomorrow down ? Just shorted 3K NAB @32.80
"Successive governments have failed to effectively tax Australia's mining boom as measures such as the controversial minerals resource rent tax have provided little revenue, says an analysis by ANZ economists."
yes. all we got were hiluxes and jet skis. everything else went off-shore.
That is about the gist of it. A few jacked up trucks, the odd boat or jet ski, 75" LCD TVs and more than half of the average persons wage paying off interest only on their jacked up mortgage for a house built in the swamps which is now cracking as it was built on the cheap!!!
So the question must be asked, yet again, what dramatic change occurred to the Australian economy overnight that justifies today's big rise. Granted the falls of the last few days were a little overdone but I don't see the strength in the economic data that would support today's prices. Volumes so far look pretty light so perhaps it's mug punters piling in FOMO.
@mitch us mugpunters brought in yesterday.....
this is just to give us that warm fuzzy feeling for a day or so before they pull the rug out once again.......gotcha.
The question mustn't be asked yet again. As you say the market has probably been sold off a bit aggressively, markets were up overseas and we are trading on light volumes. Given that, I'm not sure how a 1.15% rally is baffling. Nothing to do with Aus economic data. But then again we both know that. You are just trolling again trying to make a political point and state that the only justifiable effect of the budget will be a downward movement in domestic markets.
Woolworths has been lifting grocery prices....
... to tackle fast-growing discounter Aldi."
LOL you're doing it wrong Woolies!
Was that not to pay for Jamie Oliver's special bonus ,oooohh I forgot the Aussie farmers will do that, well done WW, I will continue to purchase my groceries at ALDI.
Agree. Back home I have a Woolies and an Aldi in close proximity. Every time I leave Woolies, after buying the few things that I need that Aldi doesn't stock, I have that horrible "ripped-off" feeling. In general Aldi's prices are 20-30% below Colesworth for the same quality, or better, products.
Bananas: Woolworths $3.50, Aldi $1.50. Same bananas.
you get the feeling they've existed for so long in a low competitive, duopoly market, that their bloated complacency and poor decision making now rules over effective strategy and clever marketing.
blood pressure tests at the register. must have been a Gen Y masterstroke
market seems to like it, up 2.3% on that news...shareholders as greedy as the company they hold...figures.
Short 5443. Hello FY 2015!
My sister bought a 2bedroom villa unit with a lock up garage in North Preston ( around the corner from Northland shopping centre for those of you who know Melbourne) back in 1999 for $175K. She sold it in May 2014 for the princely, life changing sum of $346K. 15 years and she still didn't double her money!. THERE IS NO PROPERTY BOOM OR BUBBLE IN MELBOURNE! There is only the normal outcome of a population increasing from 3 million to 4.3 million and this large increase al chasing desirable property within a 10 km ring of the CBD.
Oh, and I am currently in Bali for the school holidays and our annual two week break from the bleak Melbourne winter. Australians could learn a lot from the Balinese. If you want to see, 'doing it tough', come over here. Aussies you aren't doing it tough you've NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD! The only boom in Australia is the ENTITLEMENT BOOM! Gen Y, the world won't end because you can't afford a 4 bedder, 3 bathroom house in Hawthorn, I guarantee you!
Property doom!
Entitlement BUBBLE!
Patterns familiar...you moved suburbs Al??
Org Origin Energy could be a goody today
as well as other Technical stocks
For those that are shortening the US$ there's good news out there. The US banking system is still on track for a major crash. The banks' scam to improve their balance sheet every end of quarter by borrowing treasurys from the Federal Reserve over-night and hand them back the very next day is still very much in play. Keeping this scam going takes ever bigger sums every quarter, now up in almost $200 billion. Of course they expect the tax payer to rescue them when it all comes tumbling down, but the US tax payer is now bankrupt. Total wipe-out is now the only option left.
Why is there such a fall for G8 Education where market overall is progressing well?
Cuts to childcare benefits in the Budget, rising unemployment, increasing fees keeping clients away, went ex-div on 26th June, below recent SPP of $4.60. Take your pick or all of the above factors.
Those increasing fees stem directly from those crazy new regulations that were introduced forcing child care centres to take on silly numbers of staff.
"Gail Kelly also reaffirm the bank will aim to adopt a more aggressive "tilt to growth" in its lending book over the rest of the year."
Well considering that 95% of all lending is going into mortgages they better house prices keep going up.
Ms Kelly didn't indicate the bias for the tilt. With current lending heavily in property, the lending growth and tilt will need to swing back to business, for employment growth.
The 'tilt' should take the wind out of the sales for the property. (They just don't get the bubble analogy so I'm trying something different.)
I'm not saying the property market will become becalmed or drift backwards on the tide, but the best case scenario was always for it to slow down, within the speed limit in enclosed waters.
ADO i feel getting ready to launch,volumes up, SP strangled,patents in....gut feeling. YorY r u still holding?
"Representatives of realeastate.com.au appear to have used the threat of suspension from the website"
This sort of rent seeking behaviour is rife on the net. Once a catchy domain name is secured and hits reach a certain level this type of behaviour kicks in.
The ACCC should come down on this like a ton of brick. But will they?
PRY a virtually blank "appendix 3B" boosts the SP 2.5%.....or was it the shorters taking a beating for once.
PLEASE - No immature comments and baiting today. Keep it nice.
I'm happy with a 54% gain on approx 1000 WBC shares sold last week, bought 18-24 months ago. Just in time for the write off of previous tax losses.
"Successive governments have failed to effectively tax Australia's mining boom as measures such as the controversial minerals resource rent tax have provided little revenue"
That has been common knowledge for years. Rudd tried to address it but was howled down by the bogan billionaires.
The entire profit has been wasted on middle class welfare, hiluxes and bogan holidays. It should have been use to build the NBN and keep education free.
Agree entirely. Very informative comments today Allan - as most days for that matter.
Another record set on the DOW. Except that in real terms it 10% lower than the previous high set 14 years ago.
With state and local public departments continually off-shoring more and more jobs... not sure how the ASX will perform with a million more people added to the unemployed list over the coming 10 years.
OEL showing some prudent management skills and repaying their $35million debt facility 18months ahead of schedule,got to tip ya hat to that.
Good morning to our ed Vesna (is it Dobro Jutro? ), this blog can only benefit from a women's touch.
We should be getting some 45-day-rule buying in Telstra & CBA this week. Both going Ex around Aug 18. (no exact date yet)
@GS I agree. The sharemarket is very seasonal due to things like the 45 day rule, dex dividend dates, reporting dates, northern summers, interest rate decisions, Christmas, etc
warm weather...oh no that's an excuse for poor earnings huh
Is there any real benefit in timing it such that your 45 days falls on the ex-div date? You only need to own for 45 days in total, not 45 days before ex-div. So unless you expect prices to continue dropping for some time after ex-div, where is the benefit?
good move in Telstra so u picked it spot on @GS...crystal ball working well after a spit an polish.
That 45 day rule can be evil. If you still need to hold the shares after they go ex-div to comply with the 45-day rule you may be better off selling into the ex-div decline for any available profit and forgoing the franking credits. The drop in the ex-div share price can be far more than the franking credits. As I pointed out yesterday the availability of the franking credits can be many, many months away, 12 months or more for an individual or 20+ months for an SMSF. By the time you have qualified for the franking credits the share price may have fallen 10%+.
Yep Mitch pretty much summed it up...
If you look at "most" charts after ex div, you may not want to be holding afterwards. The drop in share price far outweighs any div you get.
Also a stock is more likely to rise prior to ex-div. (never guaranteed)
Thanks Mitch / GS. That's good information.
Incidentally, I expect a drop tomorrow roughly as much as today's rise, whereupon I'll double-up on yesterday's buys and hopefully watch it gradually grow from there until early Nov. Buying only half what I wanted yesterday was just to hedge my bets if today didn't go up as expected.
Be good to see a positive start, maybe my lagging RIO holding might tick over to +
Yesterday was a good day to buy the banks...for now.
Pretty confident we (you, me, Cyril) got it right yesterday. We'll all be positive today, and then probably have a slightly bumpy ride but trending upwards all the way to the early November ex-div dates on ANZ, WBC & NAB.
Eds, lets hope we manage this blog a bit better today please as yesterday was the most immature I have ever seen, particularly from the over zealous blogger @ Allan and his plethora of aliases
RIO up 3.02% and BHP also up 2.91% in London overnight. Obviously someone else agrees that the current iron ore price is more about fake financing than fundamentals. Not sure why Need2Know has reported iron ore as down, up a bit over 24 hours on my info and will be back above $120 for a tonne of the red dirt by end year, me thinks. Happy days.
Unlikely since the lower price has more to do with increased supply and lower demand. And supply is increasing rapidly while China is switching from uneconomic infrastructure spending to services as forecast by Ross Garnaut over three years ago.
There are 500M Chinese poor (they are not middle class as some try to say) who are increasingly aware that the princelings are syphoning billions out of the country and pumping it into real estate around the world.
The CPC are having to purge large numbers of corrupt officials and nationalise their wealth, including their overseas property.
"The party has arrested 463 senior to mid-levels officials including dozens of ministers, generals and CEOs of state firms since December 2012, according to the website of the party's anti-graft body. This does not include tens of thousands of more junior party cadres."
"For us developers, the impact of the anti-corruption campaign on the sales of high-end property is very serious. It does not only mean fewer corrupt officials are buying high-end apartments but also directly and indirectly related people and industries,"
Hope you're right, quite a few shorts that need reloading but doubtful.


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BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:1.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20130205T000000 DTEND:20130205T010000 LOCATION;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:Manifest Creative Research Gallery (2727 Woodburn Ave. , Cincinnati, Ohio) DESCRIPTION;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:
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Experts Guide
|Date Posted
Ralph T. Muehleisen
Ralph T. Muehleisen is the Principal Building Scientist and the technical lead of the Building Energy Decision and Technology Research (BEDTR) program.
|March 20, 2014
Jason Harper
Jason Harper's research is focused on the development and validation of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging and smart grid communication codes and standards.
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Jianhui Wang
Jianhui Wang is a computational engineer – Energy Systems.
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Krishna Shenai is a Principal Electrical Engineer within the Energy Systems Division at Argonne.
|March 25, 2013
Vladimir Koritarov
Vladimir Koritarov has 30 years of experience in the analysis and modeling of electric and energy systems in domestic and international applications.
|February 19, 2013


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My client is interested in setting up email archival in such a way that user mail older than a certain date (say, 30 days) is stored locally on the mail server and viewable/accessible via the Zimbra web GUI, but is NOT viewable/accessible via an IMAP account on a desktop mail client.
I originally suggested HSM, but they don't like the idea that mail is still viewable from the desktop client even when it's stored on the HSM drive.
We're running ZCS Version 6.0.14_GA_2928.NETWORK.