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NYC Parks Events Calendar
Get up, get out, and do something! Just about any day of the year, you can find something fun, informative, and healthy to enjoy at an area park. Feel free to browse the listings below, or use the search tools to find an event that matches your interests and location.
Viewing 1,481–1,490 out of 16,177 events
from November 15, 2013 (x) to April 25, 2026
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Syfy Movies with a View: Dazed and Confused
at Harbor View Lawn (in Brooklyn Bridge Park), Brooklyn
6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
This coming-of-age film follows the mayhem of a group of rowdy teenagers in Austin, Texas celebrating the last day of high school in 1976.
Category: Film, Free Summer Movies, Waterfront
Hudson Warehouse: Titus Andronicus
at Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (in Riverside Park), Manhattan
6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
This is Shakespeare's bloodiest and most violent work and traditionally was one of his least respected plays.
Category: Theater, Free Summer Theater, Shakespeare in the Parks
SummerSounds: British Dependency
at Elmhurst Park, Queens
7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the reggae sounds of British Dependency!
Category: Concerts, Free Summer Concerts
Bryant Park Reading Room: Write-In with Gotham Writers' Workshop
at Reading Room (in Bryant Park), Manhattan
7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Pen your own story, poem, or screenplay, at this writers workshop, guaranteed to improve and perfect.
Category: Education, Talks
Sunset Summer Concerts
at Willowbrook Park, Staten Island
7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Enjoy performances by blues/folk-rock artist Joan Caddell and The Midgnight Choir, as well as London Fogg, a rock-n-roll band from Staten Island.
Category: Concerts, Free Summer Concerts
Zumba Under the Stars with Lisa G aka RockaZumbaWay
at Seaside Playground, Queens
7:30 p.m.–8:45 p.m.
Get in shape with this popular form of exercise and dance, which combines Latin and African dance steps.
Category: Dance, Fitness, Outdoor Fitness
Concert in the Park: Just 60s
at Main Park House (in Cunningham Park), Queens
7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Enjoy a concert of 60s music. Get to the park early and enjoy a picnic.
Category: Concerts, Free Summer Concerts
Ghostbusters (1984)
at Smokey Oval Playground, Queens
8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Unemployed parapsychologists set themselves up as "Ghostbusters" to rid New York of evil monstrous apparitions that are taking over the city.
Category: Film, Free Summer Movies
Movies Under the Stars: Ghostbusters
at Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto Park, Queens
8:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Join NYC Parks and the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment for movies under the stars!
Category: Film, Best for Kids, Free Summer Movies, Movies Under the Stars
Movies Under the Stars: An American Tail
at 218th Street and Indian Road (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
8:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Join NYC Parks and the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment for movies under the stars!
Category: Film, Best for Kids, Free Summer Movies, Movies Under the Stars
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Traditionally, continuous improvement (CI) activities at Lonza were carried out and managed by staff who were also responsible for the delivery of product to internal and external customers. The CI projects usually competed for resources with product delivery. To address this issue, the potential benefit of having dedicated resources focused on improving working practices and procedures was often discussed. Separating direct accountability for product delivery from CI efforts alleviated this conflict.
In May 2003, Lonza restructured the manufacturing department and created two full-time, dedicated positions focused on CI activities in manufacturing. The new roles provided a resource for CI projects designed to achieve specific business goals. To highlight the importance of the projects, the CI leads reported directly to the head of operations.
The CI lead role was envisaged as a long-term secondment, allowing the skills and knowledge obtained from executing CI projects to ultimately be transferred back to the product delivery teams. This was done to ensure that CI did not become just the job of the CI leads, although the CI leads were responsible for driving and ensuring successful project execution. To allow the CI leads to be successful in their roles, training and coaching on CI techniques was provided by an in-house Six Sigma Master Black Belt. As well as executing projects, part of the CI lead's role was promoting the CI philosophy and encouraging the use of various CI techniques throughout the organization. By exposing as many staff as possible to the philosophy, Lonza hoped that CI would become part of the staffs' everyday work to ensure that the company continues to deliver value to its customers.Lonza's CI philosophy is based on five main principles.

subset: commoncrawl


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SMU film grad, Innocence Project work to free convicted man accused of 1983 murder on Devils Lake Sioux Reservation
The levers of justice are proving less and less resistant for Texas prisoners waging credible innocence bids.
Faulty eyewitness testimony. Lack of physical evidence. Witness coercion. In case after case in state courts, lawyers continue to expose how such problems spawned wrongful convictions, freeing scores of prisoners. The Legislature's tribute this week to exoneree Michael Morton, as well as lawmakers' pledges to pursue more legal safeguards for the innocent, are the latest reminders that the state system is evolving.
The fate of Texas prisoner Richard LaFuente, on the other hand, rests in a tougher arena – the federal system. So far, it has barely budged for the 55-year-old inmate serving out a life sentence in the Fort Worth Federal Correctional Institution – despite the classic hallmarks of a questionable conviction, according to LaFuente's growing advocacy team.
Todd Trotter, a graduate of Southern Methodist University's film school and a Los Angeles television writer, has been collecting evidence for a documentary he hopes will finally persuade federal officials to free LaFuente. And LaFuente's lawyer, Julie Ann Jonas, managing attorney of the Innocence Project of Minnesota, told me she is preparing a last-ditch petition for executive clemency in the next month. A federal court has twice ruled that LaFuente of Plainview didn't receive a fair trial and should be granted a new one; those decisions were later overruled.
The U.S. attorney's office in North Dakota, where the crime was committed, hasn't responded to my requests for comment about the clemency effort.
Like Morton, the 55-year-old LaFuente has not wavered in declaring his innocence. LaFuente also has spent roughly 25 years behind bars. He was convicted in connection with the 1983 death of a former police officer, Eddie Peltier, whose body was found on a rural road on the Devils Lake Sioux Reservation. Initially it was believed to be a hit-and-run.
LaFuente and his brother-in-law had visited the reservation that summer. Two years after the crime, he and his brother were arrested back in Texas. Witnesses claimed the pair and nine other American Indians were part of a group that beat up the officer at a party. The group was convicted in 1986 despite the lack of physical evidence placing them at the scene.
The case unraveled over the next few years. Two eyewitnesses recanted and said they had been threatened by a law-enforcement officer. Accounts of the party and beating appeared to be fictitious. Later nine of LaFuente's 10 co-defendants were freed based on insufficient evidence. His brother-in-law was released on parole. Prosecutors, however, refused to clear LaFuente because a witness maintained that he had run over Peltier with his car.
Throughout multiple parole and post-conviction hearings, LaFuente refused to confess or show remorse, even though such statements would have given him a shot at release years ago – an argument Jonas plans to use in the clemency application. Even Peltier's mother has supported LaFuente's release, writing to parole officials saying, "Richard LaFuente has been in jail too long for something he did not do."
These events have been chronicled in depth by journalist Michael Hall for Texas Monthly magazine, and most recently for The New York Times. In the Times piece, Hall credits Trotter with unearthing new information that could cast further doubt on LaFuente's conviction and life sentence.
Trotter told me that the more he plunged into government case files and got to know LaFuente in regular Saturday morning phone calls, the more his belief intensified that he was a victim of a legal miscarriage.
"I don't want him to die in prison," Trotter said. "I intend to do everything I can to help him."


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Injury: #nhljets Dustin Byfuglien will not be in the lineup tonight... dailyfaceoff.com 4 years ago
There's no word on what Byfuglien injured other than "he aggravated something". He missed yesterday's game and will be out again today. This is a big loss for the Jets as Byfuglien is one of their most important pieces.


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Top Definition
To give someone an ego boost, to swell up their head with compliments.
Stop telling that girl she's fine, your gassing her head.
by sycotik June 10, 2003
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
Someone that is chatting absolute rubbish.
Will you please Stop Gassing!
by Angel15 June 04, 2007
To blow something out of proportion. to over hype a subject or speak on it with a level that is greater than it actually is.
"Yo!!! you should've been at that party! It was crazy, like some Project X meets Hangover type of shit!!!"
"Don't listen to him. That party was cool but he's just gassing it."
"Don't listen to him. That party was cool but he's just gassing it."
by d-bol December 08, 2012
Gassing is a term used in prison, it is when a prisoner stores faeces, urine, and sometimes blood in a bag; which is used to assault a guard usually during head counts. Usually from a convicts which have a life sentence because they're not going enywhere.
I was a victim of a gassing I my have been exposed to HIV hepatitis A, B, and C now i have to be tested and on anti-viral drugs. and it could take up to three to six months of being on medical leave then i find out if I'm infected.
by beast 1/2 November 01, 2006
When you are roasting or makimg fun of someone
Dwayne:Jhon you got a bigg ass forhead
Lebron:jhon dwayn is gassing on you
Lebron:jhon dwayn is gassing on you
by Bnotes March 11, 2015
Excessively consume.
My Irish friend was gassing back Bud Lights at the card game this weekend.
by decept025 June 29, 2011
When a guy wearing a polo shirt throws his collar up. Can be double-gassed when wearing two polo shirt, one on top of the other, and both collar are up.
Did you just see that guy? He was gassing.
by Nash November 02, 2004


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Community and forum dedicated to the books and films of the J.R.R. Tolkien series
I don't think so, Glorfindel. They seem to run on a technology that is quite different to electrics or electronics. Something more akin to power that is 'deep down where I can't ge my hands on it'.
The new start of The Fall of Gondolin describes these lamps as capable of sending forth a blue light 'from a flame imprisoned in white crystal.'
I suppose one could interpret 'flame' in a sense other than fire, or I guess you mean the lamp wasn't lit by traditional fire, but in any case, for myself, emphasis on for myself, this is an example of where I would rather not look beyond the explanation of Elvish magia.
Wow, i never noticed these lamps. So Feanor made them? And i believe that they run on mineral power almost akin to a copper wire or like flame that can alight fire. That is my opinion.
I believe the Feanorian lamps were originally conceived at a time (1917-1921) when light was a much more tangible substance, which collected like dew in pots. In this conception the Noldor made gems, and they glowed a bit of their own fire. Perhaps the Feanorian lamps used particularly bright gems and magnified this brightness even more with elven magic? While the idea of light as a water-like substance did not survive the Feanorian lamps did, so in my opinion it is a combination of elvish magic and glowing gems (also made by elvish magic).
Well, maybe Cur has the best one, for it might be true, i never noticed anything about that subject until he came along with it. Well done Curufinwe! And maybe they run like he said, but what about The rock thing i said about, like a spark going to flame on a hunk of copper rock? Well, maybe we might get some clear answers like Cur's
Well to my mind Curufinwe's answer appears to essentially be: Elven magic, since he ultimately attributes the making of the jools to Elven magic as well as some measure of arguable enhancement of brightness.
I have no quibble with that of course; and yes in The Book of Lost Tales the Noldoli made many gems, for instance: crystals 'did they make of the waters of the springs shot with the light of Silpion', and amber and chrysoprase and topaz, garnets and rubies...
'... and to each they gave a heart of fire.'
Also in early writing, certain Noldoli had [noted in the early tale of Turin]: '... lanterns of strange fashion, and they were of silver and of crystal and a flame of a pale blue burnt forever within, and this was a secret and the jewel-makers among them alone knew it nor would they reveal it to even Melko...'
Elven magia
The early description of gems made by the Gnomes goes on in even more detail, but compare to the much briefer, much later account, at least that given in QS anyway: 'In Valinor they first contrived the fashioning of gems, and they made them in countless myriads of many kinds and hues; and they filled all Elende with them, and the halls of the Gods in Valinor were enriched.'
Of course there is more description when it comes to Feanor's skill, where he could make gems 'greater and brighter than those of the Earth' and so on.
While the idea of light as a water-like substance did not survive the Feanorian lamps did,...
Can you reference the text behind this statement Curufinwe?
At the moment I don't recall Tolkien dropping the idea of light that could be gathered like water in vats or wells. For example in the constructed Silmarillion it's said: '... and the dews of Telperion and the rain that fell from Laurelin Varda hoarded in great vats like shining lakes, that were to all the land of the Valar as wells of water and of light.'
This still seems to hail from Tolkien's relatively later work on the Elder Days, at least.
Just like Galin! Great job, and also, this "Magic" may have been heavily, and i say heavily with the work of the Valar. So if Varda(for instance) could create magnificent Stard, and if the Vanyar, and Noldo could create much lesser on their own, then they could almost do something closer yet much smaller then a star of course. so the Silmarils, or little lamps of the Vanyar for instance, in my opinion, only electricity could be replicated by the light of Eru or the Valar, so therefore the history of the lamps
You're right Galin, Light as a water-like substance did survive. I just remember it being much more detailed and prevalent in the Lost Tales. Are there any references to water-like light that is not from the trees?
I don't think that the lamps used "real" fire, since they never went out. I think it is just a bit of magic the elves use.
Not that I recall at the moment Curufinwe, as far as later, specific references to a liquid light, any that aren't associated with the Two Trees anyway, but that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't anything...
... my memory isn't what it used to be
I did write a longer post [with citations] about the external evolution of the lamps. The description of the lamps from the early Book of Lost Tales is interesting, as well as the description of what happens upon their destruction [Melko had made the pillars out of ice]...
... however I was seemingly automatically 'logged out' when I posted, and so lost that post! Not the first time it's happened here but I don't always remember to copy and paste before hitting 'save post'.
Anyway, while descriptions from The Book of Lost Tales are interesting, as they don't necessarily reveal Tolkien's mind decades later [even if we have later brevity versus earlier, more in depth descriptions] I'm not going to look them up again today and type them again here...
... but I do recall that in The Annals of Aman -- thus a much later source than BLT [and which was used by Christopher Tolkien, in part, to construct the 1977 Silmarillion], it's said that Varda filled the lamps with 'hallowed fire'.
So not regular fire, as you say.
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FileCure Tackles Hard-to-Open Files on Windows 8
ParetoLogic's FileCure software provides users with the tools and help to open the files they need. Thanks to a new update, the program is now available for Windows 8 PCs.
ParetoLogic's FileCure software is now available for free download on Windows 8 PCs. The program provides users with an easy way to open any file on their PC and control file associations. With FileCure, unknown and unusual file types are automatically connected with the tools to open them.
"Rather than the number of file types decreasing, they are increasing, year by year," said Gary Theobald ParetoLogic Senior Director of Business Operations. "Program updates and new programs mean that new file extensions are continually being introduced – Windows 8 will likely exacerbate this growth. If a user does not have the right tools to open these files, they will be missing out. FileCure makes it easy to understand what you need, and puts the tools in your hands."
File types are typically known by their unique file extension – usually a three or four-letter suffix attached to the file name. These can include docx, mp3, dat, or csv. Although Windows 8 supports many popular file extensions by default, there still remain thousands of extensions that require their own unique program to open.
"Besides providing access to these required tools, FileCure also helps users manage their file associations," said Theobald. "In other words, users are not held hostage by what Windows 8 or a particular program thinks is best – they can quickly choose a new program to open a specific type of file. This kind of freedom lets users experiment with what works best for them."
Although advanced Windows 8 users are able to modify their system settings to manually control their file extension association preferences, source emphasized the ease and speed of FileCure software.
"Our users don't want to waste time with Windows settings and painstakingly searching for the right program for their file. They just want to open their files – FileCure offers this for all Windows users, including Windows 8."
About ParetoLogic Inc.
Built on the idea that computer safety and speed should not be the exclusive domain of the tech-savvy, ParetoLogic creates a wide-range of easy-to-use security and utility programs for the home PC user. By combining sophisticated technology with a user-friendly interface, ParetoLogic empowers all people, regardless of age, ability, or computing experience, to secure and optimize their own computers.Downloaded in over 196 countries, installed on millions of PCs, and solving countless computer problems, ParetoLogic is committed to providing truly world-class software. By engaging with users and guaranteeing exceptional service, ParetoLogic continues to exceed expectations.
Kai Davis
ParetoLogic Inc.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.


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According to TMZ, Drake is reportedly being sued for more than $300,000 for failing to properly attribute the opening monologue on his song "Pound Cak...
Read Whole Story
It's the boys' turn to impress on "American Idol," and with only five spots available, all 10 performers have to give it their all. Nicki is on their side and, by the end of the night, had declared her undying love for at least half of them.
"I wrote a song about my high school girlfriend who broke my heart and have been milking it ever since. The irony of it is, it's the very first song I ever wrote and it's the song that's pinned on my back, kind of like 'kick me.'"
Today we review music by Frank Sinatra, Keith Richards, Christina Aguilera, Harry Chapin, Annie Lennox and others.
Former Jacksonville Jaguar superstar Jimmy Smith was arrested at a Jacksonville gas station this afternoon for possession of narcotics....
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How's That for a Confidence Boost?
Wheeler and Sobotka score Boston's goals in the Black & Gold's 2-0 victory on Saturday.
Saturday, 10.31.2009 / 8:24 PM ET / Features
By Dyan LeBourdais - Intern | BostonBruins.com
|Boston Bruins' Blake Wheeler celebrates his goal during the third period as Edmonton Oilers' Denis Grebeshkov (37), of Russia, skates away in Boston's 2-0 win in an NHL hockey game in Boston, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
"We all have good speed as a team and all like to play the physical play," Daniel Paille had told bostonbruinsTV.com after Friday's practice at Ristuccia Memorial Arena in Wilmington. "I think that we're a good fourth line right now that can generate a little bit more than what we're doing.
"But hopefully it will come."
And Paille's prediction came true less than 24-hours later.
"We had a great shift at the end of the [second] period," said Wheeler. "[There was] about 25 seconds of nonstop pressure on the goalie and we were about a second short from getting a goal there."
"Sometimes it just takes hard work to get rewarded and the third period we were rewarded."
Wheeler and his linemates were rewarded in the best sense.
"When I saw Pies [Daniel Paille] he kind of looked like he was out of breath coming out of the corner there [and] I decided it was my turn to maybe get in on the action a bit," said Wheeler. "Vladdy [Vladimir Sobotka] made an outstanding pass right on my tape."
That perfect pass from behind the net spawned Wheeler's goal at only 2:47 into the third period. But Wheeler wasn't surprised that Sobotka found him.
"No, once I saw the lane there I was waiting for it," he said. "What surprised me more was that [Nikolai] Khabibulin looking over his right shoulder.
"I don't know if he thought Vladdy was going to go behind the net or what, but I was more surprised to see him leave his post.
"And when I saw that, then it was all about reacting and trying to just put it in the hole," said Wheeler.
Sobotka earned the B's second goal at 7:02 of the third thanks to assists from Wheeler and Paille.
It's no wonder why Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien had some positive things to say about the grouping.
"Vladdy [Vladimir Sobotka] is starting to find his game again with us that we saw a few years ago and liked," said Julien. "He is more in your face type of player…[and] In doing that, he is still capable of making some good plays, doing the right things, and scoring goals.
"He has been better in the last three games without a doubt.
"I think Blake Wheeler's confidence is growing," Julien continued. "He is starting to play much better, when he is confident.
"And with his skill level good things are going to happen."
The newest Bruin, Paille, rounds out the trio very nicely.
"Paille is one of those guys who is going to forecheck and put pressure on other teams," said Julien. "His skating is so good he is going to create some turnovers and create some chances for that line."
It sounds as if this group may stay together, at least in the short run.
"Right now those three have formed a pretty good threesome," said Julien. "They have formed a good line. Tonight was one of those nights that they came up big for us.
"You have heard me say it many times throughout the year; you need different people to come up big for you especially when you are fighting to score goals.
"You need more than just the obvious guys to score goals and that was the line that made us win this game," he said.


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Form for SA Flag Golf Shirt @ R249
SA Flag Golf Shirts are 100% South African made. Show your true colours
and national pride by wearing your flag. Shirts are made to order
and will take up to 2
weeks for delivery from receipt of payment.
R50 postage fee will be added to all orders of 5 shirts or less. FREE
Postage for 6 or more shirts. SA Only.
In order to
determine your correct size, measure the distance from the seam
under the arm pits of your favourite Golf Shirt.
will email and invoice to you once we receive your order. Your order will
only be processed on receipt of payment.


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It sounds like the plot of a movie or TV series. Actually, it was an Anderson Cooper story on CNN. It's still too soon to tell how the Denver-based company will respond to this crisis. But so far, it seems to be as up-front as it can be given the sensitive legalities.
DaVita is Italian for "giving life," and is English for a Fortune 500 company that is a "leading provider of kidney care in
CEO Kent Thiry makes an estimated $15 million a year, according to the Wall Street Journal, which makes him the highest paid CEO in Colorado. DaVita recently moved into a brand new $101 million office tower, complete with fountains, gardens, and a suspended ski gondola inside for private meetings. There's no knocking a company for being successful. But in this case, more than two-thirds of DaVita's revenue comes from Medicare and Medicaid payments -- in other words, from taxpayers. That in itself can lead to greater scrutiny.
Dr. Alon Vainer, a medical director at dialysis clinics in Georgia, and a nurse, Daniel Barbir, alleged they saw expensive medicine, and lots of it, being tossed into the trash. The two men say the clinic workers were being told to do it. The alleged waste was being carried out on a massive scale and, the nurse and the doctor said, they knew why almost immediately. They claim it was a way for their company to defraud the government, overbill Medicare and Medicaid, and make a fortune. "We're talking in the hundreds of millions, easily," Vainer said. (http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/30/health/medicare-fraud-case/index.html?hpt=hp_t3)
Vainer alleges that DaVita instructed its nurses to administer a 100-milligram dose of the iron drug Venofor. If a patient required this dose once a week, nurses would ordinarily administer the 100 milligrams, waste nothing, and charge Medicare for 100 milligrams.
"But what DaVita did, instead of charge (for) one vial, they give 50 milligrams of this vial (and) put the residual into the trash." he said. With another vial, he said, the company would give 25 milligrams to a patient and put the rest in the trash, then repeat it with yet another vial, when one vial could have been given without waste.
"The more vials DaVita used, the more the company was able to bill the government, the men say. Vainer and Barbir claim they tried to call attention to the massive waste and tried to get it stopped. But instead, they say, they were basically told to stop causing trouble and to continue following the company's protocols."
Barbir eventually quit his job and left the clinic rather than continue where he believed fraud was taking place. Vainer claims the company punished him for speaking up. "Of course, once they found out, they did not renew my medical directorship or my practice," Vainer claimed. "We are a three-physician practice, and it was a significant loss of revenue."
"Today, both men have filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the U.S. False Claims Act on behalf of the U.S. government, charging DaVita with massive Medicare fraud. They stand to make millions if DaVita is found guilty."
It would be easy for DaVita to hide behind "We can't comment on pending litigation," but through its attorney, DaVita seems transparent under the circumstances.
"DaVita's CEO wouldn't talk, but the company's attorney Kim Rivera did. When asked about the plaintiffs' allegation that DaVita had come up with so-called schemes to throw away drugs and maximize profits, Rivera said: 'Well that's just wrong. If you look at the facts of the case, first of all, the doctors make the dosing decisions.... When you look at what the practices were -- decisions being made by doctors, based on what was in the best interest of their patients. And they took into account a variety of things.
"'You can't just look at one issue. You have to look at things like infection control, what the patient's going to do, how the patient's going to do with particular doses. And so, during that entire time what we did, what the doctors did, was appropriate."
On the other hand, claims CNN, other companies, including DaVita's main competitor, used smaller vials and smaller combinations at times, limiting what was thrown away. "DaVita reiterated its decisions to throw away medicine were for 'sound clinical reasons' and 'never to increase wastage.'"
Plaintiffs' attorneys Lin Wood and Marlan Wilbanks claim DaVita made as much as $800 million over-billing the government. They say DaVita's defense won't hold up in court, calling it "just dishonesty."
DaVita vows to fight the case, even though earlier this year, while denying it did anything wrong, DaVita settled a similar case in Texas for $55 million. One of DaVita's defenses to CNN was that the federal government itself declined to charge the company with wrongdoing, even after reviewing the fraud allegations.
Therein lies another problem, according to Pat Burns of Taxpayers Against Fraud. "The way it's set up right now, if the fraud is not caught, then taxpayers foot the bill," Burns said. "If the fraud is caught, stockholders foot the bill." He said executives aren't charged with wrongdoing and continue with business as usual.
Burns claimed the short-staffed U.S. Department of Justice often declines to join lawsuits, instead allowing private citizens like Vainer and Barbir to hire private lawyers and essentially prosecute for the government.
News releases from DaVita would seem to support Burns' viewpoint. On October 2, DaVita issued a release that said, "...the
United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for
St. Louis
recently informed the company that the USAO completed its investigation and is
not taking any action against the company. In March 2005, the St. Louis USAO initiated its inquiry with a
subpoena and subsequent document requests in connection with a joint civil and
criminal investigation.... The USAO closed its investigation without
filing any charges, without demanding any payments and without seeking any
changes in company policies." (http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1573781346072455735#editor/target=post;postID=5026537227450233373)
Another release on October 25 said DaVita "...has been advised that it will be receiving a request for documents, which could include an administrative subpoena from the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The request is in connection with an inquiry by the United States Attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York regarding payment for infusion drugs covered by the New York Medicaid composite payment system for dialysis....
"The Company has worked hard to create and sustain a culture of compliance at DaVita, as well as the policies and systems to support that culture.... We intend to work cooperatively in response to this inquiry and look forward to resolving the matter." (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=76556&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1620844&highlight=)
Vainer and Barbir's whistleblower lawsuit is scheduled to be tried late in 2013.
Innocent or guilty, DaVita gives the impression it has nothing to hide. Compared to many other companies accused of wrongdoing that I've blogged about, DaVita came across as open and cooperative in the CNN report.


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Yesterday we were on the road at 8:30 a.m., picking up the two Linda's in the city and heading out to the big Friday market day at Ocotlan, the village of artist Rudolfo Morales, about 45 minutes by car from Oaxaca along a busy two lane road. For a while, we followed a truck loaded with cattle bound for market. The hills we climbed were grassy and dry, the color of wheat, like southern California in the summertime. The prickly pear cactus, agave and mesquite dot the horizon. It is high desert country, warm now, nearly 80 degrees in the midday sun. Barbara spots the studio of ceramic artist Josefina Aguilar. We make a quick u-turn, park and go in. The family lives and works there. On one side of the patio is the living area, open kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, and on the other is the low fire kiln, display and sales area. There are stylized primitive figures of Frida in every variety and color of floral headdress imaginable, ample bosom and prominent brow accentuated. A happy couple stand side by side dressed in preparation for a wedding, never mind that they are skeletons to honor Dia del Muertos (Day of the Dead). I buy a lovely made by hand and glazed skeletal lady paddling a flower covered boat destined for the River Styx for 100 pesos (about $10 mas or menos). After all have made their purchases, we're off to park and head to the big market. Our first stop is inside the food stalls where we find the tamale vendor I remembered from the last visit. We sit down to a lunch of fresh tamales with chicken and mole, 4 for 10 pesos ($1), fresh squeezed orange and carrot juice @ 20 pesos ($2), and then split up to wander. At the edge of the Ocotlan zocalo is the government offices. In one room are the bold, colorful, moving murals created by Rudolfo Morales murals of farmers and villagers — much like those created by Diego Rivera, almost cubist in execution. To me, they represent the fortitude and creativity of the Mexican people who have worked the earth and made it bountiful. The murals are filled with images of flowers, vegetables, fruit, an homage to the men and women who labor to give us food. Across the zocalo is the Morales museum which is contiguous to the church whose restoration he supported. The market is is cacaphony of vendors, food, live animals, inanimate objects all for sale. Chili peppers, dried fish from the coast, gladiolas, Christmas decorations, cooking utensils, shoes, spices, cinnamon sticks so big they look like giant straws, embroidery thread, tea towels, baby clothes, shoes, copal incense, chapulines (spiced, dried grasshoppers) are piled on tables row after row. Canaries sing in their cages awaiting their next home. Ocotlan is famous for its woven "Panama" hats and an entire area of the market is devoted to their display. The latest pirated songs blare from the stall selling CDs for 15 pesos. In the center of the Zocalo, between the pairs of fountains are the vendors selling tapetes (rugs) from Teotitlan, alebrijes (carved animalitos) from Arrazola or San Martin Tilcajete, painted gourds from Guerrero, table cloths and dresses from Mitla, and woven baskets from Tlacalula (where the spectacular Sunday market is an easy competitor to Ocotlan). Milk goats are tied to the lamp posts. Across the street, basket vendors compete for space with the piles of cow hides waiting to be tanned. On the way back to the car, we pass 10 turkeys are tied together, bundled and waiting to be carried off for Christmas dinner, an organic food store, money changer, and feed store. The aroma of chocolate being ground for mole permeates the air.Next stop, San Martin Tilcajete. This is intended to be a quick stop! Yeah. San Martin is about 10 minutes from Ocotlan on the way back to Oaxaca City. Jacobo Angeles, the famous woodcarver, has just built a beautiful restaurant and gallery at the crucero (crossroads). Someone wants to stop at Ephraim Fuentes workshop, which is on the main street. There is not much on display and we leave disappointed, wondering, perhaps, if the drop in tourism has had an effect on production necessitating other types of work. Next, we stop at the workshop of Lucila Mendez Sosa and her husband. Eric remembers where she lives because of the turquoise door. The last time we saw her she was very pregnant; now she holds a babe in arms who is about 12 months of age. When we visited her last the display table was filled with about 30 carvings. Now there are three. She says her husband is working construction with his father and won't have time to carve until January. Our next stop is to the master carver Jacobo Angeles, who is on every "must see" list, and I believe, rightfully so. He remembers us, welcomes us, takes us through the educational process of carving the copal wood, mixing the natural dyes in the Zapotec tradition, introduces us to family members who sit around the workshop tables caring and painting, and then gives us an astrological explanation of personality type based on age, birthday, and birth year. There are few finished pieces on the gallery shelves. Prices range from 150 pesos for small painted hummingbirds to 12,000 pesos for a large carved and painted bear. A piece 18″ high and 12″ wide averages about $400-600 USD. Jacobo's pieces are very collectable. I recently saw them in the Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, and he goes to the U.S. at least once a year for a major exhibition at a museum or gallery. He and his family are warm, welcoming, engaging and his desire is to educate collectors about the process of carving, the use of natural pigments, and the meaning of the symbols and designs used to paint the animalitos. Whether one purchases anything or not, this is a great experience not to be missed, even though the tour buses and private guides beat a path to this door, too! Susanna Harp at the Zocalo. After dinner at La Olla (tlayudas, sopa de flor de calabasas, jugo de sandia) we walk to the Zocalo for a free Susanna Harp concert. It is packed and she is already singing as we arrive. In the last year, during what the locals call "the troubles," few people other than political activists and curious tourists (of which there were less than a handful) congregated in the zocalo. Tonight there was a feeling of exhuberance, life, energy, future. The Zocalo is the heartbeat of every Mexican village and city. In Oaxaca last night, I was aware that the purity and soul of Susanna's voice as she expressed the hopes and dreams of her people resonated throughout the crowd. Her personal warmth conveyed to me a sense of calm, peace and hope that Oaxaca is recovering and healing from the psychological and physical violence of the last year and that all responsible are ready to restore peace and find other ways to resolve differences. Here were were, the gringos from North Carolina, California, and Ohio, me, sister Barbara, the two Linda's, Sam and Tom, arm in arm with the Zapotec Chavez family from Teotitlan del Valle, Dolores, Federico, Eric, Janet and Omar, and Elsa Sanchez Diaz, the descendant of Porfirio Diaz, strolling Alacala Macedonia, content, filled with happiness, belonging together. Felicidades.
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View the original article at: http://www.countryweekly.com/news/willie-nelson-cancels-shows
Willie Nelson had to cancel four shows on his touring schedule recently, due to health problems.
Nelson was suffering from a "continuous nosebleed," prompting him to cancel shows in Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Minnesota.
However, Willie's people say it's nothing to worry about -- just a ruptured blood vessel.
After resting for a few days and packing his nose in gauze, Willie should be back on track. He is expected to resume his tour this week.
[1] http://www.countryweekly.com/news/baby-boy-byrd-needs-name


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With Instructables you can share what you make with the world, and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.
How would you like to take some amazingly easy and fun cupcakes to your next function? There look adorable and taste amazing! A huge hit with children and ...
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First you will need to bake your cupcakes.
Once your cupcakes are cooled you will need to frost the cupcakes. Depending on the color of your monkey you may have to mix a color. For a ...
Take a large vanilla wafer and put it on the bottom of the cup cake. This is the monkeys mouth area. Take two mini vanilla wafers and place ...
For the last step pipe on a smile, you can buy the little tubes of gel frosting in your baking ale if you are not skilled with a ...
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Patient Education
Why the Bio-Wellness Exam?
This test examines the function of organ systems through the testing of USB (Urine, Saliva, Blood). This test gives a physician a snapshot at how well the body is functioning or is malfunctioning (not functioning). The Bio-Wellness exam is a new approach at analyzing the human body. The Bio-Wellness exam analyzes the human body at the cellular level. Its value is in that it can be used as a stand alone exam to assess one's health or it can be utilized in conjunction with other traditional exams used today. The Bio-Wellness exam can be utilized by itself as a yearly check up to assess the body's organ systems and their function. By analyzing dysfunctions and uncovering patterns as to why they are there a person can correct potential inflammatory conditions before they root and become degenerative disease. The holistic approach is always talking about finding the root cause. Wouldn't you want to use a test that will find root cause to your patient's ailments? Find the root causes and potential inflammation will disappear before degeneration can ever get started.
The Bio-Wellness exam can also be utilized with other exams such as a CBC, ChemScreen, Thyroid panel, hair analysis, allergy testing, ultrasound, catscan, MRI etc. Using the traditional approach a physician can diagnose degenerative disease and conditions already set in. The Bio-Wellness exams can be utilized to uncover dysfunctions that will assist the medical approach through holistic supplementation. This way a chronic unhealthy patient has the best of both worlds. They receive the medical attention necessary to control a degenerative disease while they implement a holistic protocol to assist the body in a faster recovery. Utilizing this new approach in conjunction to the traditional one the Bio-Wellness exam becomes a powerful test that can answer some of the "why's" where traditional tests maybe can't.
Who needs a Bio-Wellness Exam?
Our test is tailored for both male and female patient's age 6 years old and older. It should be utilized by anyone who has health concerns whether chronic or acute. Our test can help both long standing health conditions and new sudden unexpected onset of symptoms. Finally, this test can be utilized by non-symptomatic "healthy" individuals as a yearly physical exam. Utilized this way the test can provide anti-aging results.
When does one need to be tested?
A Bio-Wellness Exam could be performed on anyone who has a health ailment that is not going away or can be utilized as a yearly check-up for those who are looking to achieve preventative maintenance.


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Say you're worth zillions and you've pretty much conquered the high-tech landscape here on Earth. Like Google co-founder Sergey Brin, for example. Where's a cybermogul like that supposed to find his next big challenge?
Why space, of course.
The 34-year-old has invested $5 million in Space Adventures, a Virginia outfit that books flights for the well-heeled on Russian Soyuz rockets, the company confirmed Wednesday. The money will entitle him to a seat on a flight to the International Space Station planned in the next few years.
"I am a big believer in the exploration and commercial development of the space frontier," Brin said in a prepared statement. Indeed, Google is helping sponsor a contest for privately financed teams to land a rocket on the moon by 2012.
But what would he do up there? While away the hours watching YouTube or playing weightless Twister? Brin isn't saying. Whatever he has in mind, anybody inspired to mimic his feat could run into a problem.
The Russians say they may limit flights by other individuals. With all the burned-out rocket engines and other junk orbiting earth, they apparently aren't eager to further clutter space with rich tourists.
-Steve Johnson, Mercury News


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- 10 little habits that steal your happiness:
1. Focusing on everyone's story except your own
2. Waiting for the perfect moment
3. Working for nothing more than a paycheck (Do work that defines you)
4. Harbouring feelings of hate
5. Holding tight to worries and fears
6. Dwelling on difficulties
7. Constantly seeking fleeting contentment
8. Trying to make a difference all at once
9. Holding on to someone who hurts you
10. Over-amplifying the importance of physical attractiveness (Marc and Angel)
Finance Stuff:
- Why time frames matter to you (Big Picture)
- Visualising Bob Farrell's 10 investing rules (Street Talk Live); and
Investing/ trading rules, alphorisms and books (Big Picture)
- 7 dirty words of trading (Trader Habits)
- How to fix America's wealth inequality: Teach Americans to be cheap:
Today, wealth equality is closely tied to income equality. But in the long run, it's all about thrift, frugality, and saving — in other words, teaching a consumer nation a lesson in cheapness. (Atlantic)
- Aspiring Africa: World's fastest-growing continent (Economist)
- Companies' moral compasses: Some ideas for restoring faith in firms (Economist)
- Private equity: Buy-0ut bosses fear a bubble may be forming. That won't stop it (Economist)
- Huge flight of rich after French tax hikes? Nope (Economist's View)
Career Stuff:
- Top 7 non-financial skills required in finance (Investopedia)
- Those grammar gaffes will get you (HBR)
- 25 creative CVs and resumes (CreativePro)
- Common sales mistakes startups make during their first year (Under30CEO)
- Harvard/ MIT lecturer Olivia Fox Cabane teaches you how to be more charismatic (Eric Barker)
- Business lessons from Richard Branson (Kissmetrics)
- Sexy vs non-sexy businesses: Which way to go (Under30CEO)
Science Stuff:
- How the 'the road not taken' may be undermining your choices (Wharton)
- What animals can teach us about health and the science of healing (Farnam Street)
Digital Stuff:
- Eying Apple (New Yorker)
- 7 technology trends that are transforming the business landscape (CIO Insight)
- 7 must-have (free) mobile apps to do your job better (LinkedIn)
- In case you didn't fully appreciate how mobile devices have taken over the world… (Business Insider)
- If you wear Google's new glasses you are an asshole (Gawker)
Interesting Stuff:
- Sci-Fi underground hit: Authors are snubbing publishers and insisting on keeping e-book rights. How one novelist made more than $1 million before his book hit stores. (WSJ) [The publishing game rules are being re-written.]
- The adverb is not your friend: Stephen King on simplicity of style (Brain Pickings)
- Portraits of kids around the world posing with their favourite toys (Peta Pixel)
Fun Stuff:
- How to pick the best seat at a restaurant or a dinner party (Farnam Street)
Cool Stuff:
- 17 things car salespeople don't want you to know (Wisebread)
- 50 perfectly timed photos (Twisted Sifter)
- Running water through a 24hz sine wave (This is Colossal)


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Where Are You Now?
I'm in Alaska with griz of course. It's fall which means on the road. Sharon and I left home two weeks ago and won't see it again until Thanksgiving. We are very fortunate to be able to see so much of our grand planet and share what we find with you! Currently, we're up in magnificent Alaska working with one of my favorite critters, grizzly bears. Since you're not able to be here with me, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on planning my 10 days here with you.
There are two very important factors in planning to photograph griz the way I do, one if photographing griz's story and the other is the Cessna 207. You have to have the right gear to make the photo but you can't bring the kitchen sink because of the 207. You need that lens and body but you've gotta think of useful load and CG (center of gravity). The 207 might take off from your basic runway, but it will be putting down on a dirt strip, commonly called a beach. So with those two very important factors in mind, this is the gear I have with me:
What's the logic in this selection? The 800mm, there is no logic, I just wanna to shoot with it more. Now it might afford me the opportunity to get the up close and personal shot that does come along at times, but it won't be my primary lens. My primary lens is the 80-400 that will be a on second body hanging from my shoulder (800mm always with me on a tripod). Using the Vulture Strap, I can easily have it with me all the time. The 18-35 is for landscapes and general shots and the 16Fish is for the flight to and from the lodge and perhaps the big landscape if it might present itself. The flash is for portraits of folks and interior lodge shots. And other than charger, cords and cleaning kit, that's all the gear I have along. For me, that is going real light but for this trip and for me, it's all I need. The last piece of must have equipment are hip boots! You walk a lot and often in mud, creeks and marsh and hip boots make that all possible. Often, I'll take a knee and shoot low, hip boots are great because they keep your pants from getting wet. So, that's the basics and where I'm at. There will be, as you imagine, a whole lot more coming but for now, you're up to day where I'm at.


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Game of Thrones is a site for the HBO-series based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.
New to the series? Read our spoiler-free review of A Game of Thrones.
Read our Privacy Policy.
Nicole LaPorte of The Daily Beast has an article on the buzz over Game of Thrones, saying it has the potential to be the next "nerd obsession". It includes brief remarks from GRRM, who was interviewed for the piece.
The Westeros network consists of several different sites, including a forum and a wiki, for all your A Song of Ice and Fire needs.


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Spectate offers multiple support options.
Knowledge Base – We have created and make available a comprehensive database of answers for you, accessible 24/7. Here you'll find answers to common questions, step-by-step how-tos, hints, strategies, and an idea board for features you would like to see added to Spectate.
Discussions – If you have a question, ask it! Support staff and other users actively assist where you might need any help. And if you're experiencing an issue, you can let us know that here too. We try our best to figure out a solution for you quickly.
Live Chat – You can chat with us there too! A support staffer is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST to help you with anything you may need.
Email – Go old school. Ask us your question via email at support(at)spectate.com or send us your thoughts and we'll get back to you this way as well!


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APR 23, 2013 - The Guardian
A Must Read - Share
In a tit-for-tat trade battle between the US and India over solar power, what is certain is that the environment will be the loserShould trade wars and protecting local jobs get in the way of clean energy? That's the dilemma before India – and the world – at the moment. Desperately short of power, but with an average of 300 sunny days a year, India is aggressively pursuing solar energy. Its national solar programme, the grandly named Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (named after India's first prime minister) plans to generate 20,000 megawatts of solar power by 2022. But an ugly trade
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© 2011 Comunitee, Inc.


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Weather Alerts
Upcoming event to honor beacons of light in communityUPDATED 5:17 PM CST Mar 08, 2014
Gospel Extravaganza will be held March 15 at Regency, which is located at 7300 Downman Road.Video Transcript
ORLEANS' MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE AS BEACONS OF LIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY... AND THEY RANGE FROM PASTORS TO KATRINA RELIEF MEMBERS TO A SPORTS PUBLICIST. WE'RE JOINED NOW LIVE THIS MORNING WITH ...PARIS HARRIS OWNER OF PARIS SOUL café AND WILD WAYNE OF Q 93 TO TELL US ABOUT THE "GOSPEL EXTRAVAGANZA". QUESTIONS: 1 FIRST...TELL US WHO THE HONOREES ARE. 2 ONE OF THE HONOREES IS GRAMMY WINNING VOCALIST IRMA THROUGH TOUGH TIMES. PLEASE BRIEFLY TELL US HER STORY. 3 UP GRAMMY WINNING VOCALIST IRMA THOMAS ...WHO HAS PERSERVERED THROUGH TOUGH TIMES. PLEASE BRIEFLY TELL US HER STORY. 3 UP AND COMING SINGER AND ACTOR KEVIN STYLEZ WILL BE PERFORMING... PLEASE TELL US WHY THE EVENT IS IMPORTANT TO HIM. THE GOSPEL EXTRAVAGANZA IS MARCH 15... AT PARIS SOUL CAFE' AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT EUNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT EUNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT AT 504-655-5605. COMING UP... A MISSING JET TOPS OUR LOOK AT WORLD NEWS...
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Twin CitiesChapterof ASA
Last Updated:August 16, 2006by Qi Li
Constitution of the Twin Cities ChapterThe American Statistical Association
This organization shall be known as the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Statistical Association.
The purpose of this organization shall be to foster in the broadest manner statistics and statistical applications, and to promote unity and effectiveness of effort among all groups in the Twin Cities area having an interest in or being concerned with statistics.
Membership in the Chapter will be by approval of the Chapter Executive Committee. This committee may delegate this function of approval. The membership of this organization shall consist of three categories:
The officers of the organization, who shall be Full Members of ASA, shall be a President, Past President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and Chapter Representative to the ASA Council of Chapters. The officers, with the exception of the Chapter Representative shall be duly elected by a majority vote of the Regular and Associate Members casting in person or mail ballots. The Chapter Representative shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may appoint a Full member of ASA to fill any vacancy which occurs in an office between elections.
A person elected as Vice President shall serve in succession a year each as Vice President, President, and Past President. The Secretary/Treasurer will serve a two-year term. The Chapter Representative shall serve a three-year term with the dates determined by the ASA Council of Chapters rotation pattern.
The Executive Committee shall annually solicit members interested in holding the office of Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer or any other position scheduled for election that year. The Secretary/Treasurer is eligible for renomination to the same position without limit. The Past President shall not be eligible for immediate renomination as Vice President. At least two candidates if possible should be presented for the Vice President position. However, since continuity is desirable in the Secretary/Treasurer, only one name may be presented for that position.
A list of candidates will be mailed to all regular and associate members along with the annual meeting announcement. Elections will be held at the annual meeting to be held in May. Absentee ballots will be mailed upon request to any member not able to attend the annual meeting.
The Executive Committee will consist of the offices described in Article IV and the members of the one standing committee, the Program Committee.
The committees of the Chapter shall consist of one committee described below and of such special committees as may be appointed by the President.
The Representative to the Council of Chapters shall be a full member of ASA. The Representative shall be appointed every third year by the Executive Committee, once the election results for that year are known. The name of the Representative shall be sent to the ASA office before August 1 of that year. The Representative shall serve the Chapter for a period of three years following the pattern prescribed by the Council of Chapters.
There shall be three or more regular meetings, including an Annual Meeting, each Chapter Year. The Chapter Year shall run from June of the given year through May of following year. The date of the Annual meeting shall be set by the Executive committee.
The amount of the annual Chapter dues, for regular and associate members, shall be recommended by the Executive Committee and approved by a majority of members voting at the annual meeting of this organization. The proposed dues changes shall have been sent to each Regular and Associate Member at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting. (A response by mail from a member will be considered the same as the vote of a member attending the meeting).
Each time a new Secretary/Treasurer takes office, the President shall appoint at least two Auditors who will audit the outgoing Secretary/Treasurer's books. In addition, an audit will be performed whenever a Secretary/Treasurer is reelected and three years or more have elapsed since the last audit. The Auditors shall submit a written report of their findings to the Executive Committee. The auditors do not have to be part of an official auditing firm.
Any and all applicable provisions of the Constitution of the American Statistical Association shall be considered a part of this Chapter constitution.
This Constitution may be amended by an affirmative two-thirds vote of the voting Chapter members at any meeting, provided notices of such a meeting and the proposed amendment shall have been sent to each Regular and Associate Member at least two weeks prior to the date of such a meeting. (In the event of a mail ballot, the votes of the members responding will be considered the same as the vote of a member voting at the meeting).
In the event of dissolution of the Twin Cities Chapter, the officers shall, after paying or making provision for payment and discharge of all of the liabilities of the Twin Cities Chapter, distribute all of the remaining net assets of said chapter to the American Statistical Association exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary, and educational purposes. The American Statistical Association is an exempt organization under Section 501©(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.


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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The College of Charleston placed four student-athletes on the Academic All-Southern Conference Team for the 2012-13 winter season, as announced by the league office Wednesday.
Junior Alyssa Frye represented the women's basketball team on the list and from the women's indoor track & field team, junior Christa Horrocks and sophomores Ali Beauregard and Lorna Doucette earned recognition.
"I'm proud of Alyssa for this honor," CofC women's basketball head coach Natasha Adair said. "Alyssa is very dedicated to academics and has done a great job on and off the court this year."
"We have a lot of younger kids on our team and it's great to have Christa, Ali and Lorna setting a positive example for them," CofC track & field head coach Amy Seago said. "They have done a great job in the classroom and are a strong part of our program."
To be eligible, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA entering the winter season and were required to compete in at least one-half of their teams' competitions during the recently concluded winter campaign. In addition, the student-athletes must have successfully completed at least 24 credit hours in the previous two semesters.


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Definition of bulldog bond in English:
bulldog bond
A sterling bond issued on the UK market by a foreign borrower.
Example sentences
- These sterling bonds are referred to as bulldog bonds as the bulldog is a national symbol of England.
- It can also invest a portion of its assets in interest-bearing securities of other governments and private issuers, such as sterling Eurobonds and bulldog bonds, where interest is generally paid gross.
- CFOs can also consider yen-denominated bonds (Samurai Bonds) and sterling-denominated bonds (Bulldog Bonds), depending on the perceptions of the interest rate and exchange rate movements.
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: bull|dog bond
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


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Octopus, curious and friendly, Maui Island
Toad Fish, Turtle and Ray
Shark and Eels
Dr. Nick Bykov
, Mathematics At Delta since 2000
Office: Cunningham 431, Tel. 209-954-5341
About N Bykov
Duplicate Bridge
Click on Fractals
Math and Science Suggested
Reading, Books, Educational Links
Unique Personalities
Mathworld for All Math Needs
Stonefish aka Rockfish - Synanceiida,
highly venomous!
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Interactive Mathematica CDF Player demonstrations
Travel with the bug
Vector Calculus »
How to find the angle between vectors, use scalar, vector, triple products for areas and volumes.
How to find parametric equations for curve of intersection of surfaces (cone, cylinder, quadrics).
How to graph position and derivatives vectors for vector functions and oriented curves in 3-space.
How to find arc length and arc length parameterization of curves, step by step interactive tutorial.
Unit tangent, normal, binormal vectors, osculating, rectifying, normal planes, Frenete (TNB) frame.
How curvature affect the shape of the curve, find radius of curvature, osculating circle and evolute.
How to find velocity, speed, acceleration, vector and scalar normal and tangential components.
How to find and compare directional and general limits for functions of 2 variables, Plucker cone.
How to find differential, linear approximation and tangent planes for multivariable functions.
How to find gradients and directional derivatives, phase plane for a heat seeking bug on a plate.
How to solve optimization problems for multivariable functions and use extreme value theorem.
How to use quadratic model of bifurcation from minimum to maximum and cylindrical surface.
How to graph parametric surfaces, find unit normals and surface area, library of surfaces: torus,
cylinders, cones, spheres, astroidal sphere, helicoid, pseudosphere, Klein bottle, Mobius strip.
How to set up limits of integration in double and triple integrals, volumes of 3-space regions.
How to find the centroid of a 2-space region using double integrals, demonstration for polygons.
How to apply change of variables in double integrals, graph transformations and find Jacobians.
Describes a differentiable or piecewise linear, one to one transformation of a square into triangle.
How to graph vector fields on the sphere in rectangular and spherical coordinates, tangent fields.
Six failed attempts in the Hairy Ball theorem, non vanishing tangent vector field with one cowlick.
How to graph vector fields on the torus, vector fields, phase flows and single trajectories for torus
wrap with closed and dense trajectories. Find the flux of a vector field, closed or capped surfaces.
How Divergence theorem fails for a non-simple, closed surface. Line integrals and Stokes' theorem.
Klein Bottle - closed, one sided, non-orientable
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Credit Suisse Cuts Novell to Neutral
Analyst Jason Maynard notes the window of opportunity for the company to realize its restructuring opportunity has passed
From Standard & Poor's Equity Research
Credit Suisse downgraded Novell (NOVL) to neutral from outperform, noting the company's quarterly results for the second quarter.
Novell posted 3 cents vs. 2 cents second quarter earnings per share (EPS.)
Analyst Jason Maynard says its total revenue and EPS are in line with his estimates, but license sales missed his estimates while Celerant business (which the company divested) picked up slack. He notes the window of opportunity for the company to realize its restructuring opportunity has passed. Despite the best efforts of industry partners like IBM, it seems that the turnaround task is much too daunting given structural problems with the company. He thinks the company has not materially changed focus or strategy to enable them to execute on Open Source market opportunity.


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text:
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson delivered an upbeat assessment of the slumping real estate market on Friday saying, "All the signs I look at" show "the housing market is at or near the bottom."
Paulson added that the meltdown in subprime mortgages was not a "serious problem. I think it's going to be largely contained."
Wrong again.
Paulson knows full well that the housing market is headed for a crash and probably won't bounce back for the next 4 or 5 years. That's why Congress is slapping together a bailout package that will keep struggling homeowners out of foreclosure. If defaults keep skyrocketing at the present rate they are liable to bring the whole economy down in a heap.
Last week, the Senate convened the Joint Economic Committee, chaired by Senator Charles Schumer. The committee's job is to develop a strategy to keep delinquent subprime mortgage holders in their homes. It may look like the congress is looking out for the little guy, but that's not the case. As Schumer noted, "The subprime mortgage meltdown has economic consequences that will ripple through our communities unless we act."
Schumer's right. The repercussions of millions of homeowners defaulting on their loans could be a major hit for Wall Street and the banking sector. That's what Schumer is worried about — not the plight of over-leveraged homeowners.
Every day now, another major lending institution unveils its plan for bailing out the housing market. Citigroup and Bank of America have joined forces to create the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America which will provide $1 billion for the rescue of subprime loans. This will allow homeowners to refinance their mortgages and keep them out of foreclosure. The new "30- year loans will carry a fixed interest rate one point below the prime rate, putting it currently at 5.5 percent. There are no fees, and the banks pay all the closing costs."
Known and very popular cialis coupon which gives all the chance to receive a discount for a preparation which has to be available and exactly cialis coupons has been found in the distant room of this big house about which wood-grouses in the houses tell.
But why are the banks being so generous if, as Paulson says, "the housing market is at or near the bottom." This proves that the Treasury Secretary is full of malarkey and that the problem is much bigger than he's letting on.
Last week, Washington Mutual announced a $2 billion program to slow foreclosures (Washington Mutual's subprime segment lost $164 million in the first quarter) while Freddie Mac committed a whopping $20 billion to the same goal. In fact, Freddie Mac announced that it "would stretch the loan term to a maximum of 40 years from the current 30-year limit."
40 years!?! How about a 60 or 80 year mortgage?
Can you sense the desperation? And yet, Paulson says he doesn't see the subprime meltdown as a "serious problem"?!?
Paulson's comments have had no effect on the Federal Reserve. The Fed has been frantically searching for a strategy that will deal with the rising foreclosures. On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that "Federal bank regulators called on lenders to work with distressed borrowers unable to meet payments on high-risk mortgages to help them keep their homes".
When was the last time the feds ordered the privately-owned banks to rewrite loans?
Never—that's when.
That gives us some idea of how bad things really are. The details of the meltdown are being downplayed in the media to prevent panic-selling among the public. But the Fed knows what's going on. They know that "U.S. mortgage default rates hit an all-time high in the first quarter of 2007" and that "the percentage of mortgages in default rose to a record 2.87%". In fact, the Federal Reserve and the five other federal agencies that regulate banks issued this statement just last week:
"Prudent workout arrangements that are consistent with safe and sound lending practices are generally in the long-term best interest of both the financial institution and the borrower…Institutions will not face regulatory penalties if they pursue reasonable workout arrangements with borrowers."
Translation: "Rewrite the loans! Promise them anything! Just make sure they remain shackled to their houses!"
Unfortunately, the problem won't be "fixed" with a $30 or $40 billion bailout scheme. The problem is much bigger than that. There is an estimated $2.5 trillion in subprimes and Alt-A loans — 20% of which are expected enter foreclosure in the next few years. Any up-tick in interest rates or unemployment will only aggravate the situation.
Kenneth Heebner, manager of CGM Realty Fund (Capital Growth Management), provided a realistic forecast of what we can expect in the near future as defaults increase.
Heebner: "The Greatest Price Decline in Housing since the Great Depression" (Bloomberg News interview)
"The real wave of pain and foreclosures is just beginning….subprimes and Alt-A are both in trouble. A lot of these will go into default. The reason is, that the people who took these out never really intended to fully service the mortgage — they were counting on rising home prices so they could sign on the dotted line without showing what their income was and then 2 years later flip into another junk mortgage and get a big profit out of the house with putting anything down…
"There's a $1.5 trillion in subprimes and $1 trillion in Alt-A the catalyst will be declining house prices which is already underway. But as we get a large amount of these $2.5 trillion mortgages go into default, we'll see foreclosed houses dumped on an already weak market where homebuilders are already struggling to sell there houses. The price declines which have started will continue and may even accelerate in some of the hotter markets. I would expect that housing prices in "2007 will decline 20% in a lot of markets".
"What you are going to see is the greatest price decline in housing since the Great Depression…..The one thing that people should not do, is go near a CDO or a residential mortgage backed security rated Triple A by Moody's and S&P because these are going to get down-graded by the hundreds of millions — because they are secured by subprime and Alt-A mortgages where there'll be massive defaults".
Question—Will the losses in the mortgage market exceed those in the S&L crisis?
Heebner: "They're going to dwarf those losses because the losses could easily approach $1 trillion — that dwarfs anything that has ever happened. Enron was $100 billion — this will be far greater than that…..The good news is that most of these loans are owned by Hedge Funds…You hedge funds buying these subprime and Alt-A loans and leveraging them at 10 to 1. They buy a pool of mortgages at 8% and they borrow against it in yen for 3% and then lever it at 10 to 1so you have a lucrative profit And the hedge fund you are running, the manager is going to get 20% of the gain — so even if it's a year before you go broke; you get rich until the fund is shut down".
Heebner added this instructive comment: "The brokerage firms created "securitization" they know the products are toxic. I don't think they are going to suffer losses; they simply passed them on to everyone else. The only impact this will have is the profits that flow from it will get less….But it is less than 3% of revenues in even the most exposed brokerage firm so THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET CAUGHT."
Although Heebner believes the brokerage houses will do fine; the same is not true for the small investor. Nearly 70% of subprimes have been securitized. That means that the vast number of shoddy "no down payment, no document, interest-only" loans (that are headed for default) have been transformed into securities and sold to hedge funds. As the housing market continues to falter, these funds will plummet at an inverse rate to the amount of leverage that has been applied. That may explain why, (according to Bloomberg Markets) the "wealthiest Americans have been bailing out" of hedge funds at an alarming rate. A report in last Thursday's New York Times stated:
"Americans with a net worth of at least $25 million, excluding the value of their primary homes, reduced their exposure to hedge funds in 2006" — The amount of money held by wealthy investors in hedge funds has dropped dramatically —
"The average balance, which was $2.8 million in 2005, was just $1.6 million last year, a 43 percent decline".
So, what do America's richest investors know that the rest of us don't?
Could it be that the over-leveraged hedge funds industry is about to get hammered by the subprime implosion?
If so, it won't be the brokerage houses or savvy insiders who get hurt. It'll be the little guys and the pension funds that take a drubbing.
In Henry C K Liu's "Why the Subprime Bust will Spread" (Asia Times) the author states that the bursting housing bubble will trigger a major pension crisis. After all, who are the "institutional investors? They are mostly pension funds that manage the money the US working public depends on for retirement. In other words, the aggregate retirement assets of the working public are exposed to the risk of the same working public defaulting on their house mortgages". (Liu)
The origins of the housing bubble are complex, but they are worth understanding if we want to know how things will progress. The housing bubble is not merely the result of low interest rates and shabby lending practices. As Liu says, "the bubble was caused by creative housing finance made possible by the emergence of a deregulated global credit market through finance liberalization. The low cost of mortgages lifted all US house prices beyond levels sustainable by household income in otherwise disaggregated markets"
The deregulated cross-border flow of funds (via the yen low interest "carry trade" or the $800 billion current account deficit) have played a major role in inflating the US real estate market.
Liu adds, "Since the money financing this housing bubble is sourced globally, a bursting of the US housing bubble will have dire consequences globally." Since nearly 50% of "securitized" mortgage debt is owned by foreign investors; the subprime meltdown is bound send tremors through the entire global financial system.
The housing decline is further complicated by Wall Street innovations in derivatives trading which has generated trillions of dollars in "virtual" wealth and is affecting the Feds ability to control inflation through interest rate manipulation. As Kenneth Heebner said, "You have hedge funds buying these subprime and Alt-A loans and leveraging them at 10 to 1. They buy a pool of mortgages at 8% and they borrow against it in yen for 3% and then lever it at 10 to 1so you have a lucrative profit."
In other words, low interest foreign capital has flooded US markets and contributed to distortions in housing prices.
In her recent article "War Drags the Dollar Down", Ann Berg refers to Wall Street's "swirling galaxy of exotic finance" which has "worked magic for the government and the elite", but has yet to weather a severe downturn in the economy.
But how will market deal with sudden downturn in the hedge fund industry? Will the dodgy subprimes and shaky collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) trigger a crash or has the risk been wisely dispersed through derivatives trading?
No one really knows.
As Berg says, "Derivatives numbers are staggering. The Bank for International Settlements estimates that the notional amount of derivatives traded on regulated exchanges topped a quadrillion dollars last year and that the outstanding unregulated off-exchange (called over-the-counter – OTC) amount stood at $370 trillion in June 2006. Because the OTC market is composed of endless strings of bilateral transactions – the systemic risk is unknown."
The comments of the President of the New York Fed, Timothy Geithner, help to clarify the abstruse activities of the modern market:
"Credit market innovations have transformed the financial system from one in which most credit risk is in the form of loans, held to maturity on the balance sheets of banks, to a system in which most credit risk now takes an incredibly diverse array of different forms, much of it held by nonbank financial institutions that mark to market and can take on substantial leverage.
Geither's right. The markets now operate as unregulated banks generating mountains of credit through massively leveraged debt instruments — a monster credit bubble larger than anything in the history of capitalism.
So, where is all this headed?
No one really knows. But when the housing bubble crashes into Wall Street's credit bubble, we can expect the "big bang". That may explain why America's wealthiest investors are running for cover before the whole thing blows. (A number of investors have already cashed out and put there holdings into foreign funds and currencies)
One thing is certain — time is running out. With $1 trillion in subprimes and Alt-A loans headed for default the system is facing its greatest challenge. US- GDP has been revised to a measly 1.8%, foreign investment is down, and the dollar is losing ground to the euro on an almost weekly basis.
Falling home prices have already precipitated a number of other problems. For example, Gene Sperling reports in "Housing Bust Meets the Equity Blues" that "The Fed data showed an amazing expansion (in Mortgage-Equity Withdrawal). In 1995, active MEW had been $37 billion. By the fourth quarter of 2005, it soared to $532 billion annualized, a 14-fold expansion". These equity withdrawals have translated into consumer spending which accounts for at least 1 full percentage point of GDP. Declining house prices means that extra boast for the economy will now disappear.
Foreclosures are soaring and expected to get worse for the next two years at least. In California foreclosure filings jumped 79% in March alone. Other "hot markets" are reporting similar figures.
The glut of houses on the market has slowed sales for the nation's major homebuilders — most are reporting that profits are down by 40% or more.
The collapse of the subprime mortgage market is also pushing many of the bigger builders toward Chapter 11. According to Bloomberg News, "Some builders are staying out of bankruptcy by relying on the profits they made when sales boomed" in 2004 and 2005. Starting next year they must begin to repay $3.6 billion in public debt in what will certainly be a falling market. The prospects don't look good.
But the biggest problem facing the industry is the steady erosion in the market itself. This was made painfully clear earlier this week when the National Association of Realtors issued its report of March sales. According to the Associated Press:
"Sales of existing homes plunged in March by the largest amount in nearly two decades…The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes fell by 8.4 percent in March…the biggest one-month decline since a 12.6 percent plunge in January 1989…The steep sales decline was accompanied by an eighth straight fall in median home prices, the longest such period of falling prices on record. ..The fall in sales in March was bigger than had been expected and it dashed hopes that housing was beginning to mount a recovery after last year's big slump. (A.P. "Existing Home Sales Plunge in March", 4-24-07)
The Grim Reaper Meets the Housing Bubble
Those who follow developments in real estate have heard many of the wacky anecdotes related to the housing bubble. Stories abound of young people buying homes just to pay off tens of thousands of dollars of collage loans with their "presto"-equity — or low paid construction laborers securing 105% loans without any proof of income and a poor credit history. One of the stories that got national attention was about Alberto and Rosa Ramirez, who worked as strawberry pickers in the fields around Watsonville each earning about $300 a week. They (somehow?) qualified for a loan of $720,000 which paid for a "new" four-bedroom, two-bath house in Hollister.
It's sheer madness!
Obviously, those days are over. The speculative frenzy that was generated by the Fed's low interest rates, the banks lax lending standards, and the deregulated global credit market is drawing to a close. The fallout from the collapse in subprime-loans will roil the stock market and hedge funds, but, as Heebner says, the investment banks and brokerage firms will escape without a bruise.
Where's the justice?
Despite Hank Paulson's cheery predictions, we are no where "near the bottom". In fact, a recent survey showed that only 1 in 7 Americans believe that house prices will go down. Even now, very few people grasp the underlying issues or the potential for disaster. We're on a treadmill to oblivion and they think it's a merry-go-round.
As housing prices tumble, more homeowners will experience "negative equity", that is, when the current value of their home is less than the sum of their mortgage. This is the very definition of modern serfdom.
We can expect to see an erosion of confidence in the market, a rise in inventory, and a steady increase in defaults. More and more people will walk away from their homes rather than be hand-cuffed to an asset that loses value every day. This could transform a "housing correction" into a nation-wide financial calamity.
Many peoples' futures are linked directly to the "anticipated" value of their homes. It is impossible to determine how shocked they'll be when prices retreat and equity shrivels. The housing flame-out has all the makings of a national trauma—another violent jolt to the fragile American psyche.
So far, we're still in the first phase of a process that will probably play out for 10 years or more. (Judging by Japan's decades-long decline) None of the bailout plans are large enough to make any quantifiable difference. The numbers are just too big.
Housing prices are coming down and the real estate market will return to fundamentals. That much is certain. The law of gravity can only be ignored for so long.
Just don't count on a "soft landing".
Special thanks to http://patrick.net/housing/crash.html (Housing Crash News)
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Comments (3)
a guest said:
Amt contributing to forclosure rate
As more and more people find out that their property taxes, mortage interest, charitiable contributions and state income tax is not deductable. Because of Alternate Minimum Tax because of wage inflation, and the exemption not raised or indexed for inflation, more and more people will not want to own a home.
This will contribute to the forclosure rate.
a guest said:
The Fuse is Lit
There is no other way out of this other than an all out crash. Schumer wants a bailout so those who would have otherwise dumped their properties will hold on to them instead; thus having SOME control over rising inventory. This will not help out those who are overleveraged; these people will default eventually. It's like someone carrying a huge bucket over their head that is full of heavy stones (debt); eventually that persons' back is arched and his knees are buckling and he can barely walk. Schumer wants to remove just enough of those stones to keep that person mobile; that persons' strength (equity) is still weakening. He knows this person is going to default, he is just trying to delay it until it is convenient for him. Is this what you call living? This is surfdom at its best. What incentive is there for this person to hold on? Just walk away!
Schumer is trying to duct tape a broken housing bubble with taxpayer funds, but we know anything we fix with duct tape doesn't last long.
a guest said:
Mortage interest and charitable contributions are treated the same way under AMT and under the regular tax code.
Write comment


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Forget Europe, Private Equity: Head to the Stadium for Distressed Buys
Buying financially strained assets is nothing new for private equity, but with more sports franchises struggling to stay afloat, the buyout industry's top executives may be adding "team owner" to their resumes.
Apollo Global Management co-founder Joshua Harris and Blackstone Group David Blitzer did just that when they bought the New Jersey Devils from Jeff Vanderbeek for $320 million in a deal ratified by the National Hockey League's board of governors.
Mr. Harris's task of turning around the financial fortunes of the Devils won't be an easy one, but the Apollo executive is no stranger to distressed buys-especially in the sports arena. He led a group in 2011 that included Blackstone Group 's David Blitzer to buy the Philadelphia 76ers from Comcast Spectacor LP .
When Mr. Harris took the reins of the 76ers , the team hadn't pushed past the first round of the National Basketball Association playoffs since 2003 and attendance at home games lagged. That changed in 2012, when the 76ers improved their play to beat Chicago in the first round before falling to Boston (also owned by a group of private-equity executives) in the Conference semifinals in seven games. And ticket sales have been up with average home-game attendance being up the past two years since 2011.
Speaking on a panel in New York regarding private equity's interest in sports teams last year, Bradley Rangell, a managing director of sports advisory at Citigroup .'s Citi Private Bank, said the financial stress experienced by some current team owners is helping put private equity professionals at the top of some teams.
"There are some buying opportunities now because there are some teams who have had individuals that had financial stress…[and] said, 'I think it's time for me to move on,' and that has led to a little buying opportunity in select situations," Mr. Rangell said at the panel discussion.
The Devils will need some of Mr. Harris's business mojo if they are to reverse their financial fortunes. While New Jersey doesn't have the same struggles on the ice as the 76ers did on the court (the team is a frequent playoff participant and won the Stanley Cup in 2003), the Devils don't draw nearly enough fans to fill its arena. Average attendance for the Devils has lagged for the last several years, according to the NHL 's attendance reports, putting them below most of the league, including their nearby rivals, the New York Rangers .
Before this deal, Mr. Vanderbeek had been struggling to keep the Devils afloat ever since the team moved to Newark's Prudential Center in 2007.
Besides Mr. Harris, Oaktree Capital Management Principal Stephen Kaplan was part of a consortium of investors led by tech entrepreneur Robert J. Pera that bought the Memphis Grizzlies in the fall. Platinum Equity founder Tom Gores bought a stake in the Detroit Pistons in 2011 alongside his firm. And Bain Capital Managing Partner Stephen Pagliuca was part of a group that bought the Boston Celtics in 2003.