text:
Cutting a Dash
by Digitalnun on March 15, 2014
If you have persevered this far, you are probably someone who notices punctuation and silently corrects or re-writes passages that are less than perfect (including, in my case, many of my own). Recently I have been struggling with an author who uses the dash to express everything from incomplete thought to a pause in the narrative, cheerfully employing dashes when a comma or parentheses would be better (and incidentally, would make the page look better, too). When Jane Austen uses the dash, she does so to great comic effect. Not so my author, whom I suspect of being lazy. His prose is, if you'll forgive the pun, quite clearly dashed off.
In such circumstances the attention strays. I began to think how the dash is named in other European languages. In German it is Gedankenstrich, thought-line, which dignifies it into something it often isn't. I like better Jan Tschichold's suggestion that it should be called a Denkpause, a thought-pause. Yes, the author is pausing to think; but, dear reader, we don't have to pause with him while his mind slowly revolves. Let us resolve, as far as in us lies, to do away with the dash and settle for plain and simple prose. Eh? —
14 comments
I am so guilty of this. I realise I use dashes a lot, especially when a colon would be better (though in my defence I am a great believer in the preservation of the semi-colon, which some say is under threat). I shall now try to give up dashes for Lent!
Thank you for the reminder to consider how the page looks (oh, I nearly put a dash there) and for the German words.
Love and blessings.
I too have to admit guilt in this matter 🙁
I will attempt to refrain in future.
I am fond of a row of dots now and again……any thoughts on this?
While sympathising with the general tenor of the post, I'd venture to suggest that the dash has its place too when used in moderation. Parentheses and especially commas can be overused and, in the process, work against the kind of plainness and simplicity of prose which, I agree, is devoutly to be wished. Phrases about babies and bathwater come to mind.
Although a frequent user of the dash myself, my source of distraction is the use of an exclamation mark, as though the reader is being directed to agree with the point being made! However, this tends to be counter productive, since I now start any new post by a certain blogger with an " ! count"; the current record is twelve.
My favourite punctuation mark is the exclamation mark! Which I liberally salt and pepper my sentences, to add that certain seasoning to whatever I am writing!However,since using twitter, I have discovered the smiley face: The colon followed by a closing parenthesis.The frowning face is also a delight which is a closing parenthesis followed by the colon. As a shorthand device these are excellent 🙂 Have these punctuation marks been given a name I wonder?
I'm afraid the exclamation mark is my big "overuse" too. it seems to express all I leave unsaid! – oops, sorry.
Have you read "Dashed off in haste"?
by Deborah Dowager Duchesse of Devonshire.
I'm afraid you've got me bang to rights.
I'mm Cotched bang to rights! Guilty of dashes, dots AND exclamation marks. 🙁 Oh, add faces to my list of – what's the word…. ?! 🙂
Another slightly shame-faced dasher here, and that despite being a stickler for grammar most of the time. A dasher and a hypocrite, then: I have my work cut out for me this Lent!
Nonetheless, I do think there is a place for the dash, especially in informal writing such as emails and even – dare I say it – blogs. There must be a middle way between Emily Dickinson's dash-ridden, squint-inducing style and the abolition of the poor old dash – don't you think?


text:
Why isn't Daryl Gross more concerned about Greg Robinson and SU football?
I filled in on Talkin' Smack Saturday morning and Bud Poliquin's column in that day's paper got me and my co-host talking.
Just because Gross is in a leadership position doesn't mean he shouldn't express some concern with all the problems that the football team is having.
And remember, this was Saturday morning before the Miami (OH) mess.
So what do you think? Should the AD stay strong, upbeat, and focus on getting better? Or should he just be real with everyone?
I vote that he should just be real.
Andrew Allegretta

subset: commoncrawl


text: iHome MP3 Organzier Lamp - Pink Flag this deal What's the matter? Choose a reason Dead deal Duplicate Bad link Spam Inaccurate No value Alive again Edit deal Jazmine_ilene Jan 29, 2013 This is a really cool lamp. I wish they had different colors though. Great find tho =) Reply nimase85 Jan 28, 2013 This seems good gift for a college student i will be sure to pass this on... Thanks for sharing Reply boricua1 Jan 28, 2013 this is a really cool lamp..nice find Reply newjerseychickxo Jan 28, 2013 There's a store not far from me. I love the color pink. I'm in need of a lamp for my pc. Good find:) Reply rockinnrolla Jan 28, 2013 Not free shipping only free pick up. :D Reply Mawhen Jan 28, 2013 This is a great price drop! Love the combo idea! My granddaughter will adore this!! Reply YesBoss Jan 28, 2013 In For 1, Its Very Good price. Thanks Reply deal Jan 28, 2013 Oh now that is cool. A lamp with a speaker to play music. Nice all in once device. Going to grab one of these for my niece. Thank you Nellysg. :) Reply Load More Comments


text:
health & education
I cried through multiple high school and college graduations as emotions flooded through me over the past seven years. But when my oldest was announced as Dr. Howard Eckert, at the most recent Gannon University graduation, the last thing I wanted to do was cry. I wanted to break into a cheer. After seven long years of hard work -- his, not mine -- he earned a title as a doctor in physical therapy. A science lover since he was a tot, he recently took his licensing exam, and now we wait for news of where he goes next.
Howie's seven-year path to a career will pay off, but many of us can have a career in health care with a few years of training. It's not for everyone, but education is expensive. The most important thing we can do to help our kids is guide them toward careers that will help pay off loans. For Howie -- that's six figures.
This issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle includes some of the great accomplishments of Erie area residents who graduated to careers they love.
Enjoy our look at a great combination of health and education.
Pam Parker
Managing Editor, Lake Erie LifeStyle


text:
Today, in fast and growing world our customers need a reliable and stable service which could provide express forwarding and delivery of documents or merchandise all over the world.
The Service EMS Belpost with its professionalism, long-term experience and excellent reputation that is what you need.
We'll accept your item and provide its express delivery to 190 countries of the world! Today your EMS item is accepted in all Post Offices of the country. We can also accept your mail at your office except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; you just need to phone and give us your address (please, note that the items with merchandise are accepted only at the Post Office counter.)
We'll deliver your item in person maintaining confidentiality and commercial secrets of your correspondence.
Today EMS in the Republic of Belarus is:
— part of the worldwide Express Mail Service network;
— ensured express delivery of postal items to 190 countries of the world;
— world standard service, guarantee of safety, strict confidence;
- track and trace of EMS items via Internet;
— reasonable prices.
Moreover, we can help you to regulate all customs formalities.
Telephone numbers of Express Mail Service EMS Belarus:
+375 17 3 27 58 39


text:
Last Price / Updated: / Add to My Watchlist
Price and VolumeDetailed Quote
Compare to:
Top NewsMore News
Five alternatives to gold
October 08, 2010
But while the 2010 gold rush is making a lot of headlines, it's important to not overlook other hard assets that are also surging, writes Jeff Reeves. Read More
category TCK , Mining and Metals , Financial Services , and 27 more.
Shanghai paces Asia stock gains, Tokyo shares drop
July 20, 2010
Asian markets end mostly higher as Chinese stocks march ahead on continued expectations Beijing will avoid further tightening measures as the nation's economic growth moderates. Read More
category Automobiles , IBM , AU:AQP , and 53 more.
Nasdaq quotes delayed at least 15 minutes, all others at least 20 minutes.
Markets are closed on certain holidays. Stock Market Holiday List
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.
Press Release Service provided by PRConnect.
Stock quotes supplied by Six Financial
Postage Rates Bots go here
About Us · Press Center · Resources · Advisory Services · Free Newsletter · Special Reports · Contact Us · Advertise With Us · Employment · Privacy · Terms and Conditions · Disclosures and Disclaimers · Media Sites
Financial Market Data powered by FinancialContent Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Nasdaq quotes delayed at least 15 minutes, all others at least 20 minutes.
Copyright © 2016 InvestorPlace Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 9201 Corporate Blvd, Rockville, MD 20850.
- Richard Band
- John Jagerson
- Hilary Kramer
- Jon Markman
- Louis Navellier
- Bryan Perry
- Ken Trester
- Dan Wiener
- Richard Young
- Blue Chip Growth
- Cash Machine
- GameChangers
- Independent Adviser for Vanguard Investors
- Intelligence Report
- Maximum Options
- Profitable Investing
- SlingShot Trader
- Trader's Advantage


text:
What helps me, more than anything else, is faith and art. Faith means belief in what we can't see right in front of our egocentric noses. Art is the same thing. The process of both brings immense peace.
And so, here is my second poem. Again, not curing cancer, but hopefully one more ditty my kids can remember their odd mother by.
(And no, this poem has nothing to do with my marriage. Rex and I never fight or disagree. We are the uber ideal couple. Come on, now!
Good Shouting
There's shouting going on upstairs
I can't say exactly why
But Mama's screaming something 'bout
"If I cook one more meal I'LL DIE."
When she finishes yelling about stepping on trucks
And M.I.A. lids from sippy cups
My daddy, well, then he starts right in...
Something about debt that we're living in
And then I hear words like "credit card"
And for some reason a slipper – it flies pretty hard
Right out of the bedroom
And onto the landing
(Which makes me think Mommy is not understanding_
And then there is silence… like that's all they got
Until Mom starts to cry, but dad adds "Nice shot!"
And then for no reason that I see at all
I hear giggling through their bedroom walls
It starts out all quiet like but then it gets louder
And soon laughter is raining like spilled baby powder
And then I hear "sorry's" and a few "I love you's"
And then the door shuts
So my guess is the two
Of them are likely chatting
About how good I can be
Maybe wrapping a present they don't want me to see
One thing for sure is that night over dinner
Papa is smiling – (And my dad – he's no grinner)
So whatever was wrong I guess now is right
It's crazy how good stuff can come from a fight


text:
Astell&Kern JH Audio Siren Series Layla
The siren series In-ear monitors are named after famous rock songs about women. Jerry Harvey Audio produced a special version of the Roxanne tuned for the Astell&Kern in 2014. The collaboration was so successful that the two companies will now release two more models. The first new model is the Layla. This all new flagship model is nothing short of stunning visually as well as sonically....
j-phonic K2
Developed and marketed by our independent sister company, Sensaphonics Japan, j-phonic K2 earphones are dual-driver, universal-fit earphones with a wide range of available options. These IEMs are available in two sound signatures, and with a wide range of options. The K2-s, for live stage monitoring, has the same flat response and reference-quality sound signature as our custom 2MAX and 2X-S...


text:
Handmade Craft Ideas from 2010: A Year of Free Crafts
Bonus: Get our newsletter & special offers for free. We will not share or sell your email address. View our Privacy Policy
How to Make Floral Earrings from Paper Towel Rolls
By: Tiffany Windsor
We are adding the craft to your Craft Projects.
The project was added to your Craft Projects.
Click here to view your Craft Projects.
Dip into your recycle bin and create a wearable craft that's super stylish, too. Learn how to make floral earrings from paper towel rolls and save money on supplies. Fun paper towel roll crafts like this one from Tiffany Windsor are perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Start with an empty paper towel roll and cut a line from top to bottom. Open up the roll and paint the flattened piece white. When the white side is dry, paint the other side black. Stamp the white side with black ink and the black side with white ink or paint. Cut shapes on your own or use a die cut machine - it's up to you. For dangly earrings, join a few small flowers together once they are decorated. Punch a hole in the top flower and insert a jump ring that can hang on fish hook earrings. Wear your earrings with any outfit - they look good no matter the occasion.
For a step-by-step photo tutorial of this project, check out Reversible Cardboard Roll Earrings.
Tags / Related Topics
Your Recently Viewed Projects
Images from other crafters
Love these projects? Get MORE delivered to your Inbox – FREE Click Here!
scottandstacy0203 9169615
Feb 13, 2013
Great Idea! Would have never thought of it.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Are you sure you would like to report this comment? It will be flagged for our moderators to take action.
Thank you for taking the time to improve the content on our site.
What's Hot
- Doily Angel
- How to Create a Magazine Purse
- Fancy Folded Flowers
- Aleene's Button Snowflake Ornaments
- How to Make a Bottlecap Birdcage Ornament
- How to Tie a Fabric Bow on Mason Jar
- How to Make a Soda Can Sunflower
- How to Make a Sunflower Collage Mixed Media Canvas
- Coffee Filter Flowers Video
- How to Make Iron On Glitter Lettering
Something worth saving?
- SAVE all your favorite crafts
- ADD personal notes
- QUICKLY reference your crafts
Free eBooks
- 13 Spring Crafts: Easter Craft Ideas, Spring DIY Home Dcor, and More
- 17 Flower Craft Ideas: How To Make Paper Flowers, Easy Fabric Flowers and More
- 18 Projects Every Crafter Wants
- 23 Fabulous Picnic Craft Ideas + Restaurant Copycat Recipes
- 25 Cool Things to Do with Wine Bottles
- 26 Spring Crafts for Kids
- Easter Craft eBook: Blogger Edition
- Garden Crafts
- Hop into Spring: Easter Crafting and Recipe
- Trash to Treasure: 28 Recycled Crafts
Our Newest Projects & Articles
- Paper Piece Diamond Quilt Pattern
- Preparing Your DIY Quilt for Quilting
- Purple Beginner Shawl
- Recycled T-Shirt Quilt Pattern
- Shawl Scarf Crochet Pattern
- Stunning Leather Trimmed Crochet Scarf Pattern
- Knit Look Cowl Crochet Pattern
- Bean Stitch Cowl Crochet Pattern
- Plush Basketweave Baby Blanket Pattern
- "18 Projects Every Crafter Wants" free eBook


text: I went from 240 to 212 in 90 days. For me, someone who has worked out for roughly 30+ years, the issue was the time commitment. 1 hour per day, 6 days per week in addition to being a husband and father of two while working long hours at work, the program is not sustainable over the long haul.


text:
Clashes present test for Lebanon's weak military
BEIRUT -- Lebanon's third-largest city of Sidon was turned into a battle zone Monday as the military fought heavily armed followers of an extremist Sunni Muslim cleric holed up in a mosque.
Residents of the southern port fled machine-gun fire and grenade explosions that shook the coastal area in one of the deadliest rounds of violence, seen as a test of the weak government's ability to contain the furies unleashed by the civil war in neighboring Syria.
Official reports said at least 16 soldiers were killed and 50 were wounded in two days of clashes with armed followers of Ahmad al-Assir, a maverick Sunni sheik whose rapid rise is a sign of the deep frustration among many Lebanese who resent the ascendancy of Shiites to power, led by the militant group Hezbollah. More than 20 of al-Assir's supporters were killed, according to a security official.
The fierce battle that al-Assir's fighters were putting up showed how aggressive Sunni extremists have grown in Lebanon, building on anger not only at Syria's regime but also its allies in Hezbollah.
"Sidon is a war zone," said Nabil Azzam, a resident who returned briefly Monday to check on his home after having fled with his family a day earlier. "This is the result of all the sectarian rhetoric."


text:
This article was guest-written by Zeke Lee, a Stanford graduate, former management consultant, and former derivatives trader on Wall Street. He founded the GMATPill.com, a video-based GMAT prep course for ambitious MBA candidates, and recently launched the Practice Pill Platform for interactive questions on the web, as well as an iPad app for GMAT practice (iPhone and Android versions coming soon!).
Imagine that a hedge fund approaches you with an enticing proposition: they've earned average annual returns in excess of 35% over a 30-year period that saw multiple recessions, stock market crashes and other calamities… and they want you to invest in their new fund.
To put that number in perspective, a 35% average annual return means that $1,000 invested 30 years ago would be worth $8.1 million today.
So how much would you pay in management fees and carry for the "privilege" of investing in such a great fund?
The answer: 5 and 44.
Yes, Renaissance Technologies is well-known for charging a management fee of 5% and carry of 44%, way above the industry average of 2% and 20%… because they're just that good.
And this scenario is not just in your imagination: their premier fund has actually delivered 35% average annual returns after fees over 30 years (good luck getting an invitation to invest, though).
It's no coincidence that Renaissance is also a quant hedge fund – the type that employs a small army of mathematicians, physicists, statisticians, and PhD's all with a singular purpose: make as much money as humanly possible.
Our interviewee today also works at a quant hedge fund, and while he can't detail his specific trading strategies due to the secrecy of the industry, he will share with you a bunch of insights on the space, including:
- How to make sense of the quant fund space and what types of positions may be available
- What an average day in your life will be like at a quant fund
- How much money you'll make at the entry-level, and as you move up the ladder
- What prerequisites you need to win interviews at a quant fund, and what kinds of questions you might get in a quant interview
Let's get started with "quantifying" all of this…
Quantifying Quant Funds & Predicting Positions
Q: I know you don't want to share too many details of your own story breaking into the industry, so let's start with an industry overview instead. What is a "quant hedge fund" and what are the different categories of quant funds?
A: Essentially, it's any fund that relies on statistical techniques and math modeling rather than fundamental analysis to make investments.
A value-oriented hedge fund might try to find companies that are undervalued based on qualitative and quantitative criteria, such as industry positioning, growth potential, and valuation multiples vs. peers in the industry.
A quant hedge fund, on the other hand, would say, "Here are 200 possible conditions that might result in the stock price of Company X rising. Let's test the statistical significance of all those conditions and use them to predict the direction that the stock is headed in."
You can divide the industry according to a few different criteria:
- Mathematically Complex Assets: Mortgage-backed securities and many other fixed income securities and variations.
- Less Mathematically Complex Assets: Equities and anything else where the effective yield can't be stated with a formula.
The quants spend a lot of time calculating metrics like cash flow and arbitrage-free valuation with the first one; the second asset class is less complex, but funds will still use statistical techniques to predict price movements.
Then you can divide the strategies into high-frequency and low-frequency; the former requires strong IT infrastructure, while the latter demands strong math modeling.
Q: OK, so what do you mean by "math modeling" there? I'm assuming this is completely different from the traditional 3-statement modeling and valuation that bankers do?
A: Good quant hedge funds typically treat trading questions as "scientific questions": for example, what is the probability that MSFT will increase tomorrow?
To answer this question, a fund would study the conditions that made MSFT rise vs. fall historically. They would quantify these conditions and test the statistical significance of their conclusions. Examples:
- Over the past 10 years, whenever Company X stock rose by 10%, MSFT declined by 5%; there's a 65% correlation between the two.
- Over the past 5 years, whenever trading volume of MSFT exceeded Y, it increased by X% on average; there's a 50% correlation between the two.
- In the past year, whenever oil exceeded $Z per barrel, MSFT declined by X% on average; there's a 70% correlation between the two.
So you think about conditions like these, determine the significance and correlations between all of them, and then come up with an overall model that tells you whether an asset such as a stock will increase or decrease in value.
Fundamental shops may go through similar procedures, but some of the conditions may not be quantifiable and they might not test for statistical significance.
Q: So it's definitely a different kind of modeling than what bankers do – almost like a series of predictive statistical experiments.
What exactly do high frequency funds trade on? And how are they structured?
A: Their strategy is typically a variant of the following: "I know that somebody else will buy X, so let's buy X first and sell it to them at a higher price."
Some high frequency funds build algorithms to detect large orders that are about to be executed and front-run them accordingly. So in contrast to low-frequency funds, the high-frequency ones focus more on predicting these types of orders in advance rather than testing for the statistical significance of conditions before trading.
In terms of structure, there are traditional high-frequency funds that work the same way as any other hedge fund or quant fund, but there are also firms that are like "hotels for hedge funds."
In other words, the company has a number of small teams that operate independently of each other. These teams may or may not be trading the same assets or strategies, and the company and the team members split the revenue. Examples of such firms are Tudor, Millennium, SAC, and Tower.
Each smaller fund has its own PM, team, and track record, but they will follow certain guidelines put together by the parent fund.
Q: I see – so what about the internal structure at those places? Do people specialize or is it more of an ad hoc structure?
A: It depends on the firm – I don't think you can generalize. At some places, each employee performs a specialized task and "plugs in" his output into a large, automated system. For example, some employees may forecast returns while others will model transaction costs.
Renaissance works a bit like that where the roles and responsibilities are very structured; Citadel is an example of a fund where it's more ad hoc and people do whatever is most useful at the moment.
Q: Speaking of these specific funds, any thoughts on the big names in the industry and how they all differ from each other?
A: Honestly, most of these places guard information so closely that no one outside really knows what goes on; my comments above are all I know about how some of these funds work.
Big names include Citadel, Renaissance, SAC, Tudor, and Millennium; there's a good thread on Quora that lists other top names here.
There are some notable spin-off firms such as Two Sigma as well.
Your Mission, If You Choose to Accept It…
Q: Can you tell us about the different roles at a quant hedge fund? For example, at a normal hedge fund you see the Portfolio Manager, Investment Analyst, and Trader roles. How does that structure differ at a quant fund?
A: Those roles still exist, but you see a few additional positions as well. At most quant funds, the 3 main categories of junior-level employees are:
- Traders: Similar to what traders anywhere else do: they execute trades by finding willing buyers and sellers and sometimes also come up with ideas on their own; relationships with brokers are critical here. You see mostly former traders from bulge bracket banks and occasionally from other hedge funds here.
- Quants: They build tools to help traders assess potential rewards and risks of trades, or they try to predict asset returns. This is where you see the small army of statisticians, physicists, and mathematicians.
- Programmers: They develop data access and analytical tools; they have to understand not only the markets and trading strategies, but also how all the software and hardware works, and they must write clean, extensible, and robust code because the software changes all the time.
So, essentially you have 5 roles at quant hedge funds: Portfolio Manager, Investment Analyst, Trader, Quant, and Programmer.
Q: Awesome, thanks for explaining that. With the trend toward quant / "black box" systems, is the role of the trader becoming less important? Do you think they'll still exist in the long-term?
A: The importance of a human trader increases as assets that people trade become more complex. It decreases as more information becomes quantifiable and people better understand how to price and predict these assets.
So far, the second trend is winning. But there is probably some fundamental lower bound on the importance of traders, because there will always be "un-quantifiable information."
I think the outlook is probably slightly better for you if you're interested in joining a quant fund in more of a quant or programmer role, but there will always be demand for top traders no matter how much certain funds switch over to "black box" systems.
A Day in the Life of a Quant
Q: Thanks for weighing in there. I know readers have asked a lot of questions on whether or not certain roles will still exist going forward.
So what's it like to work at a quant fund? How are the hours? What's a typical day like?
A: The hours vary; it's probably around 45-65 hours per week on average depending on what's going on in the market.
The total entry-level compensation is between $200K and $300K USD.
Compensation thereafter depends on the individual's and firm's performances. It could stay the same or potentially go up to the millions.
Q: I just want to pause for a minute so everyone can appreciate the sheer amount of cash you just mentioned: $200K – $300K USD for entry-level positions.
On the other hand, it's about the same as what post-banking entry-level roles in PE and at normal hedge funds pay if you look at the data.
But going back to my actual question, what's a typical day like for you in terms of schedule and work tasks?
A: Someone in a quant role at a hedge fund might complete the following tasks each day:
- Idea Generation – They'll read academic research, attend conferences and talk to each other to generate ideas; then they'll gather data and write programs to test their ideas.
- Turn Ideas Into Trades – They'll build models to turn their ideas into trades and will monitor the performance and risk of their trades, tweaking their models as necessary.
- Get Better Trades – They'll talk to traders, dealers, brokers, and so on to get better trading terms, lower transaction fees, and other "concessions" that make it easier to trade profitably.
- Fundraising and Interviewing – These tasks probably take up less time than the rest, but occasionally quants will help with speaking to new investors to raise money and with interviewing new candidates for open quant positions.
You don't have much of a "set schedule" because it really depends on what's going on in the market – it's not quite as crazy as the wildly unpredictable investment banking hours, but I've definitely seen people here stay late and work weekends.
So the notion that "the hours will be better" is a bit of a myth, and it depends heavily on the type of fund you're at and what your role is.
Quantifying the Quant Recruiting Process
Q: For readers who want to get into a quant hedge fund, how would you recommend that they start? Are internships important? Are PhD's important? What prerequisites are there to get into a top quant fund?
A: My #1 recommendation is to develop a strong understanding of statistics and some programming skills.
Q: Right, I think everyone knows that those skills are required, but what about getting the interview in the first place?
A: There are basically 3 ways to get interviews at quant funds: go through on-campus recruiting (not many funds participate, even at top schools), get friends at hedge funds refer you, or go through headhunters.
It's just like the networking process for any other role: there's a certain amount of randomness and luck involved, and you have to grind it out until you start landing interviews.
One really important point here is that the "soft skills" they look for in banking interviews such as leadership experience, charisma, and so on don't matter at all for most quant interviews.
They'll ask you questions about past quantitative projects, math/stats questions, and brainteasers, but they don't care what your "greatest weakness" is or what your "greatest challenge" as a leader was.
Any major or program that helps you develop your knowledge of statistics and programming is helpful: math, statistics, science, engineering, etc.
Master's degrees are helpful, and PhD's are required for some firms and roles.
So if you're a college freshman and you're sure that you want to go into quant finance, you should pick a major that develops rigorous thinking and communication skills and one where you'll work with data and do some programming.
Your major may not matter much for investment banking, but it matters a lot here: math, statistics, and computer science are the best choices.
Q: So if you're a number-crunching machine who can answer brainteasers in your sleep, but you hate talking to people or interacting with carbon-based life-forms, quant roles might be for you.
A: Haha, well, that's the non-PC way to put it I suppose. I would point out that you still have to interact with your team and communicate your ideas even if you're in a quant role that's more technically intense.
So it's not like you can just sit and hibernate in a cave and never talk to people.
The difference is that your job isn't dependent on calling people, developing relationships, thinking quickly on your feet, and cutting deals as it would be in the senior levels of banking and PE.
Of course, this is also true of many other roles at hedge funds and asset management firms, so I'm not sure if it's unique to quant funds or not.
Q: What if you follow the quant route but end up not getting a quant job? What "Plan B" options are there in case you don't get into your dream hedge fund?
A: Work for technology companies or anywhere where data analysis is important – for example, insurance companies, credit card companies, or social networks that have lots of user-generated data.
Your goals should be to learn statistics very well, gain market knowledge, and make money in the process.
Interview Drill-Down
Q: You mentioned before how they don't care too much about "fuzzy factors" in quant interviews. What types of questions can you expect, beyond the general categories of "lots of math and brainteaser questions"?
A: Interview questions for traders within quant shops test your understanding of market events and intuition for asset pricing models. For example, they might ask you what typically happens to the US mortgage market when treasury bonds rally.
Other likely questions include those based on probability, statistics, and optimization.
One really common probability question in quant interviews is the "Birthday Problem": what is the probability that two people in a room of 20 have the same birthday?
Another common quant interview question is the Monty Hall problem: you're at a game show and there are three doors. Behind one door is a gift, and there's nothing behind the other two doors.
You randomly pick a door, and the show's host, who knows where the gift is, picks another door and opens it, revealing that there's nothing behind it.
At this point, you're given a choice to stick with your original pick or switch to the other door. Should you switch?
Q: So these questions have clear, correct answers, even though they may be counter-intuitive.
The Monty Hall one is interesting because it is in your benefit to switch, even though some people just can't understand intuitively why that's the case.
A: Yeah, the questions tend to be mathematically complex or counter-intuitive, or both.
So you need to think out loud in front of your interviewer so they can get a sense of what's going through your mind. They can also help steer you in the right direction. Simply sitting there thinking in silence won't help.
The Grand Exit?
Q: That makes sense – you pretty much always want to do that with any sort of technical, math, or brainteaser question unless it's a quick answer.
So are you planning to stick around at your fund or move onto greener pastures?
A: As with most other buy-side roles, there aren't real "exit opportunities" here: you stay at your firm and move up the ladder, or you go off to start your own fund instead.
So far I've done well here and the next few years seem promising, so I'm going to stick around. Eventually, it would be nice to start my own quant shop and run the show.
Q: Right, string theory + algorithms can be a powerful combination, but once you mix in entrepreneurship with all of that you can do a lot better than mere "binders full of money."
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us and best of luck!
A: Thanks. Same to you.


text:
Bargain-hunting shoppers sink gift card sales
NEW YORK — Gift cards, the convenient catchall of holiday giving, lost their luster this year.
Price-conscious shoppers became savvy bargain-hunters, realizing they could give bigger and better gifts by taking advantage of unprecedented discounts rather than by spending a set amount on gift cards, which had been steadily gaining popularity over the past few years. Practically everything took a backseat to price.
Another big concern — whether retailers they got cards from would follow the many others who have filed for bankruptcy this year, jeopardizing the value of their gifts.
Shoppers like Julie Brown stretched their money further this year by finding holiday bargains. Brown, who was shopping at Macy's flagship store on 34th Street last week during a visit to New York, said that big sales lured her to buy more actual presents this year instead of gift cards.
"It seemed like there were after-Christmas prices beforehand," said Brown, who lives in Kansas City, Mo.
People focused on getting more "bang for their buck" rather than paying $75 or $100 for a gift card, said Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation trade group, calling it "the year of the bargain hunter."
Consumers figured out that for the $100 they would ordinarily spend, they could get far more merchandise than before. Or get something far more expensive that had been deeply discounted. And for those really watching their spending, they could give a $100 gift marked down to $25 and pocket the savings.
That behavior could be bad news for retailers well into the new year, since they don't record gift cards as sales until they are actually redeemed. Fewer people redeeming the cards could also hurt future sales, since people usually spend more than the gift card total.
Store gift cards are expected to generate $61 billion in sales in the fourth quarter, down from $70 billion in 2007, said Brian Riley, senior analyst at research firm The Tower Group. Those from financial institutions, like Visa gift cards, are expected to edge up to $28 billion in sales from $27 billion in last year's fourth quarter.
Consumers snapped up gift cards in prior years. Last December, market research firm NPD Group said about 61 percent of Americans bought at least one holiday gift card in 2007, up from 31 percent the year before and just 16 percent in 2005.
This year, though, many retailers and mall operators have seen weakness in gift card sales, including Best Buy Co., the nation's largest consumer electronics chain. The company's chief marketing officer, Barry Judge, said demand for gift cards was strong all year but slowed in November and December.


text:
Library book sale
Non-fiction, fiction, mysteries and sci-fi, children's books, sets of books, VHSs, CDs, tapes and books on tape will be available at the book sale slated for Oct. 4-5.
The hours for the book sale are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, and 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. From 1:30-3:30 p.m., a bag of books costs $5 and half price on individual books. The book sale takes place in the meeting room at the Rohnert Park-Cotati Regional Library.
Adult programs
Our book discussion group meets next on Tuesday, Oct. 15, discussing "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall.
Copies of the book are available at the library information desk.
Basic library Internet
Learn to use the library catalog and databases on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 10-11 a.m. Sign up in advance, as space is limited to two people. You can sign up in person at the reference/information desk or call 584-9121 ext. 0920.
Children's programs
Morning Storytimes: Babytime Storytimes for children ages 0-17 months are on Thursdays at 10 a.m.; Wiggle Time Storytimes for toddlers ages 18-35 months are on Thursdays at 11 a.m.; and Pre-School Storytimes for children ages 3-5 are Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
• Pumpkin decorating for kids between the ages 4-12 is Saturday, Oct. 12 at 11 a.m. Create your own scary, funny or monstrously strange pumpkin. Small pumpkins and other materials provided.
Pam Brown Saturday Storytime
• The next Pam Brown Saturday Storytime will be on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. This storytime and craft program for ages 2-6 will feature the theme "Down on the Farm."
Busy Bee Dogs for Halloween
On Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m., come see formerly homeless dogs dressed for Halloween do amazing tricks.
Spooky Stories Family
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 6 p.m., there will be not-too-scary stories for families with children ages 2 and up. Costumes are welcome, too.
Read to a dog
The Read to a Dog reading program takes place each Wednesday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and each Saturday from 2-3 p.m. Come sign up that afternoon to read to an appreciative dog.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at 584-9121 or visit www.sonomalibrary.org.


text:
I think he'll sign a 1 yr cheap contract, pretty much for the winter classic and a last ditch effort at a cup. With the potential UFA signings, we may have a contending team next year.
This. These responses all seem absurd to me- like others have said, if Holmstrom is gone, I believe Lidstrom is gone as well. And there's no way Lidstrom retires this year. Much like Hossa came here in large part to Kopecky, and then the Hawks signed Kopecky along with Hossa the next year.
In regards to Homer being "done" or "useless," there has not been a season in recent memory that did not end with Holmstrom being severely reduced due to the beatings he took over the course of the season. While, yes, he is older now, athleticism was never the key to his game, and we'll all see to start next season Homer hasn't slipped as far as we all assumed.


text:
BORGER - Mamie Jackson Gregg, 79, died Thursday, Nov. 8, 2001.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jim Terry, pastor, officiating. Burial will be at 2 p.m. in Claude Cemetery at Claude by Brown Funeral Directors.
Mrs. Gregg began her career as a beautician in 1958 and was owner of her own shop "Mamie's." She was a member of First United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Louis S. "Bud" Gregg Sr.; two sons, Rex E. Gregg of Borger and Louis S. Gregg Jr. of Spearman; a brother, Leon H. Jackson of Borger; a sister, Evelyn Storey of Amarillo; 14 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
The family suggests memorials be to Crown of Texas Hospice, 1000 S. Jefferson, Amarillo, TX 79101.
Amarillo Globe-News, Nov. 10, 2001
© 2016. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


text: DATE=2/27/2000 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT TITLE=IRAN'S NEW LOOK NUMBER=5-45528 BYLINE=ED WARNER DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The reformers swamped the conservatives in Iran's recent parliamentary elections. But President Mohammed Khatami cautioned Iran would not change its goals, no matter what other nations may want. V-O-A's Ed Warner reports that theme was echoed in a Washington conference in which participants said the reformist victory will change the politics of Iran, but not necessarily its dealings with the outside world. TEXT: New parties, new platforms, new faces. That is how Suzanne Maloney summed up the recent reformist victory in Iran's parliamentary elections. She noted its size was stunning, continuing a democratic trend in Iran: // MALONEY ACT // The vote tallies that we are seeing so far very much mirror the tallies that we saw in the 1997 Presidential elections and in the elections for Islamic Councils - essentially city councils - that were held for the very first time a year ago in March. What we are seeing over three- years and over three elections, the Iranian people - 70-percent of them and more - have consistently voted in favor of change and in favor of reform. // END ACT // At a meeting of Washington's Brookings Institution, Iran analyst Maloney said a wider freedom has accompanied the elections. Iranians can say things in public that would have landed them in jail a few years ago. Their hard-fought political campaign differs little from one in the west. But Suzanne Maloney added that reformers are divided on various issues and therefore may not present a united front: // MALONEY ACT // This grand rainbow of reformists includes people who have fairly technocratic views of what the economy should be, which means a fairly strong private sector, a small public sector. It also includes people who have old-fashioned leftist views of the world and favor a much more active state sector in which the government takes a very direct role for the security and economic fortunes of the general public. So I think you are going to see a lot of internecine warfare. // END ACT // The new reform parliament is still only part of the government, cautioned Louisiana State University Political Science Professor Mark Gasiorowski. He noted considerable power remains in the hands of the clerics: // GASIOROWSKI ACT // The conservatives still do control a lot of important institutions: the security forces, the radio and television media. To a large extent, they control the national security council, which plays a major role in foreign policy, and even still today much of the judiciary. // END ACT // For that reason, said Professor Gasiorowski, the reformers must move with caution to avoid a backlash that could even result in a coup. The fate of Iran is yet to be decided. Professor Gasiorowski expects some degree of economic reform. Cultural change should also continue as women are freed from clerical restrictions. Foreign policy is another matter, said the professor. The United States insists on progress in three areas: terrorism, the Middle East peace process, and weapons of mass destruction. But Iran will follow what it considers its own national interest: // GASIOROWSKY ACT // Iran lives in a very dangerous neighborhood. The Pakistanis now have nuclear weapons. Who really thinks Iraq will not have them in 10- years? The Israelis, of course, have nuclear weapons and long-range strike aircraft. The U-S fleet in the Persian Gulf probably has nuclear weapons. Essentially, all Iranians feel that they need strong defense, and weapons of mass destruction as a deterrent force make a lot of sense. // END ACT // Professor Gasiorowski said Iran's reformers are not that concerned with foreign relations and have ambivalent feelings about the United States. (SIGNED) NEB/EW/RAE 27-Feb-2000 13:55 PM EDT (27-Feb-2000 1855 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .


text:
Now Playing
'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone'
Director: Don Scardino
Starring: Steve Carell, Luke Vanek, Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 100 minutes
Theaters: Tinseltown, Movies at Meadville
What it's about: When magician Burt Wonderstone's (Carell) career hits a dead end and a new magician (Carrey) starts to wow audiences, he splits from his partner (Buscemi) and turns to his mentor (Alan Arkin) for guidance.
What critics say: Well, it's not exactly "incredible," but there are plenty of funny moments -- though they're sometimes far apart -- and a cast of funny guys.
Overall rating: **1/2
'The Call'
Director: Brad Anderson
Starring: Halle Berry, Evie Thompson, Abigail Breslin
Genre: Thriller
Rated: R
Running time: 95 minutes
Theaters: Tinseltown, Movies at Meadville
What it's about: An emergency operator (Berry) confronts a killer from her past when a young girl (Breslin) calls 911.
What critics say: The first hour is thrilling and holds your attention. But after that, the film loses its tension and excitement, and it becomes predictable, not even Breslin and Berry can save it at that point.
Overall rating: **
'Oz the Great and Powerful'
Directors: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz
Genre: Action, adventure
Rated: PG
Running time: 130 minutes
Theaters: Tinseltown, Movies at Meadville
What it's about: Carnival magician Oscar Diggs (Franco) stumbles upon a fantasy land and must fend off three witches who aren't convinced he's the great wizard everyone believes him to be.
What critics say: The prequel story to "The Wizard of Oz" is beautiful and worth the 3-D effects. Although the story starts to drag after an hour and the witches (Williams, Weisz and Mila Kunis) are bland, it's still an entertaining tale.
Overall rating: ***
'Dead Man Down'
Director: Niels Arden Oplez
Starring: Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper
Genre: Action, crime, drama
Rated: R
Running time: 110 minutes
Theaters: Tinseltown, Movies at Meadville
What it's about: Victor (Farrell) and Beatrice (Rapace) are drawn together in a mutual need for revenge against a dangerous crime lord (Terrence Howard).
What critics say: The story is incredibly muddled, and Rapace and Farrell are all over the place with their performances.
Overall rating: *1/2
Director: Dustin Hoffman
Starring: Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Billy Connolly
Genre: Comedy, drama
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 98 minutes
Theaters: Tinseltown, Movies at Meadville
What it's about: A group of retired musicians gets ready for an annual concert when diva Jean (Maggie Smith) arrives unexpectedly and disrupts plans.
What critics say: It's not on the same level with the Oscar-nominated "Amour," but "Quartet" is a lighthearted movie with a great cast.
Overall rating: **


text:
The most satisfactory aspect of this book is its brilliant Op Art dust jacket, proclaiming its catchy title.
Grove Press, better known for their successful battle to bring D. H. Lawrence and Henry Miller to the American literary public, enter the field of psychoanalytic publishing with an anthology of 16 essays by as many analytic authors, culled from the International Journal of Psycho-Analysis. Presumably, this is an attempt to present a representative example of each contributor's work, since the range of subject matter conforms to no rational scheme. As a way of writing history, this method places far too great a burden on the reader and permits the editor to conceal his bias, since he does not justify his choices for the anthology. In this book, several authors are represented by examples of their work which hardly do them justice or illustrate a minor theme in their overall oeuvre. All 16 happened to be discussed in the recent historical work Psychoanalytic Pioneers (Alexander, F.; Eisenstein, S.; and Grotjahn, M. (eds.), New York
Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. It will be reviewed by JAMA Psychiatry editors. You will be notified when your comment has been published. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
* = Required Field
Disclosure of Any Conflicts of Interest*
Indicate all relevant conflicts of interest of each author below, including all relevant financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including, but not limited to, employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speakers' bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. If all authors have none, check "No potential conflicts or relevant financial interests" in the box below. Please also indicate any funding received in support of this work. The information will be posted with your response.
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
More Listings atJAMACareerCenter.com >
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a link to reset your password.
Enter your username and email address. We'll send instructions on how to reset your password to the email address we have on record.
Need assistance?
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.


text:
By: Yu-Be Admin
In: Yu-Be News
Tags: chapped skin, cracks
I can honestly say that YUBE CURED ME!
I used some of your product on a cold day (a few months back) and was AMAZED at how it almost instantly cured my chapped skin – nothing short of a miracle. I had been trying unsuccessfully for years to remedy a skin condition that leaves the crease of my lip cracked and because I […]Continue Reading


text:
Best Buy: Making Physical Retail Increasingly Irrelevant
What a sad, melancholy-inducing lifeless sector that retail.
After visiting CityTarget locations in San Francisco and Westwood, I became even more depressed about the state of brick and mortar.
As I explained in December, there's little difference between a CityTarget, a SuperTarget and anything in between:
...Target breaks down how many square feet of real estate it uses by store type: Target general merchandise stores (395 stores, as of end of Q3); expanded food assortment stores (1,130); SuperTarget stores (251); and CityTarget stores (5).
On average, SuperTargets take up the most square footage at 177,291 apiece. Expanded food stores come in at 129,281 per. General merchandise stores run 119,084 square feet each. And CityTargets are not too far behind thus far at 102,800 square feet per location. Once inside you really cannot tell the difference between the stores, with SuperTarget the obvious exception.
Target brings on the melancholy with a strategy that could be so much more meaningful. As it stands -- other than being an unimaginative workaround urban-oriented city planning regulations -- there is no meaning. CityTarget is nothing more than a smaller store. That's it. Zero innovation.
This lack of anything resembling thoughtful disruption pervades the retail sector with the exception of what Steve Jobs pioneered way back when at Apple
Most retailers pull from the same failed bag of tricks, copying one another as they create false hope among investors. Because Bill Ackman says its so, we can officially call Ron Johnson's tenure at JCPenney
At least Wall Street reacts properly to Johnson, by and large abandoning JCP stock. But, somehow, a company equally as lame -- Best Buy
Best Buy announces a store-within-a-store strategy with Samsung and its stock tacks another percent on to its patently absurd 115% year-to-date increase. This run transcends dead cat bounce. In fact, the feline dove from the top of the skyscraper and landed on its feet.
If the Samsung deal continues this trend -- with Microsoft


text:
Marina and the Diamonds Kills the "Song of the Summer" Competition With 'Electra Heart'
(Marina and the Diamonds)
Move over, Adele—there's a new Brit in town! We first heard from Welsch singer/songwriter Marina and the Diamonds back in 2009, the year she released her chart-topping EP, The Crown Jewels. After rising to the number two spot on the BBC Sound of 2010 list, the blond(ish) bombshell has discovered what an 808 drum can do for her voice and she's not fooling around with it on the new album, Electra Love, which has quickly become one of the most anticipated electro-pop releases of the summer.
Although you'll have to wait for the album to drop early next week, she's already released a kick-ass video for the first single, Primadonna (below). Can't get enough? Neither can these club kids—check out Marco Ovando's nightlife mashup of the single featuring famed nightcrawlers Epiphany Get Paid, Amanda Lepore, Cazwell and more!
We're giving 10 lucky winners the chance to get their hands on a free copy of Marina and the Diamonds' Electra Heart and winning is simple. To enter to win, just email your full name to email@example.com. Winners will be chosen on Tuesday, July 10 at noon and will be notified immediately.
Marina and the Diamonds' Electra Heart will be available everywhere on Tuesday, July 10. Visit MarinaAndTheDiamonds.com for more info.


text:
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]o you've found a dude and your parts are getting oiled on a regular. Congrats girl. Good on you. And bonus points if it's good and not political. Book yourself some regular waxing sessions, stay on top of your yoga practice, and you're good to go.
I swear, nothing smooths life's passage like having a regular source of sex, does it? Whether it's your mister, a friend with benefits, or a good old-fashioned fuck buddy, there's nothing like going through life with that secret "I got fucked yesterday" smile on your face.
But oh wait! Flag on the play! Last night, after a particularly epic session, Mr. Man asked you to do _____. Wait, what?
You've never done ___. You don't even really believe that other people do _____. And you never considered yourself the kind of girl who would do ____.
So you begin to pepper him with questions: "You really want that? Have you ever had it before? You have? And you liked it? Really? Huh. Well….let me think about it."
For the next few days you're fixated on ___. You can't believe he really wants you to do it. It freaks you out, and the more you think about it the more freaked out you get.
For a good girl, this is a sexual quandary of the highest order. A wack girl – a selfish girl – will just dismiss her man's request out of hand. He wants ___, I don't do ____ so he's shit out of luck. Those are the girls who get their asses cheated on and then act surprised. But a good girl remembers what Max always says – it is not okay to unilaterally take reasonable sexual acts off the table. And so she mulls it over.
Near-nympho though I may be, I've struggled with this situation before. I'm pretty adventurous, but there are certain acts that I'm just not comfortable undertaking. But when the man who is fucking my brains out on a regular asks me to do something I don't really want to do, I don't feel right refusing him.
Sidenote: what I'm talking about here is reasonable requests. And if you really don't know what I mean by reasonable, here is a rough outlline: swallowing is reasonable, bukkake is not. Anal is reasonable, dirty sanchez is unreasonable. Salad-tossing = reasonable, snowballing? not so much.
So what's a girl to do? Like I said – if you're the kind of girl who just refuses to do it and refuses to discuss the matter further, you're wack and you need to get off my blog. But if you're like me and you strive to achieve plutonium pussy status (word to @drjayjack) you need to find a way to wrap your head around what your man wants you to do. "But I don't want to do that" isn't going to cut it.
Confession time: there has been a time or two in the past when I've promised to do something and then choked at the finish line. Where I've run away squealing at the crucial moment after promising to be still and let it happen. Then the man is disappointed and I feel like a flopshow for not keeping my promise. That was probably not the best strategy.
But what is the right thing to do? If he really really wants it and you really really don't feel comfortable doing it, who should prevail? My policy has always been if you're not doing it you're giving out passes for it, but that's a bit of a letdown for me. My primary goal in my relationships is to dazzle my mr. And giving out passes is like outsourcing the dazzle. And who wants to do that?
So I put it to you, dear readers: the first ever Nasty Friday pickle. When your man (or woman) wants you to do something you really don't want to do, how do you handle it? Do you tell him he's shit out of luck or do you suck it up (pun intended?) and take one for the team? How do you psych yourself up to do something you think is…kinda gross? Overshare – and use examples – in the comments.
bag lady. digital nerd. beauty junkie. shoe whore. i'm a sucker for big words and box-fresh kicks. know a little bit about a lot of things and have something to say about everything.
Sunday morning I woke up to the smell of bacon frying. Dishes ...
Quiet as it's kept, things were relatively new between Mr. ...
I have a friend that has a great guy. She's really lucky. He's ...
I'm a writer. You guys already know this. And as a writer, you ...
I just could not bring myself to google those "unreasonable requests." It's simply too early in the morning to have me trying to visualize or process images of all that new knowledge. Thought-provoking question, though … 🙂
Smart move. They're all gross!
I think, if it falls in the reasonable request category, just do it. Try it once. Don't like, don't have to do it again. At least it shows you care enough to try. And you'd be surprised at the things you might end up liking if you just try.
Only once?? I think it shouldn't be just once. At least do it on special occasions for that man. Just bc u don't like it doesn't mean he didn't.
But if it's something you legit don't want to do, you shouldn't have to do it. Trying it for your man and still not liking it, I think, should be good. Just because he wants it, doesn't mean you have to do it if it's something you really don't agree with or like. And we're talking outrageous requests here.
There's not much I don't like or won't do, BUT if I found something I really did not enjoy, I'd do it once to make sure and if it's still something I'm against, I don't think I have to do it.
I introduced the pre-wife to a few new tricks, slowly…..we talked about them first, tried them out, continued to use them and we both enjoyed them. (You can't fake squirting and wetness, I *know* they were enjoyed!)
After the rings were put on fingers the tricks lasted a few more years and then trickled down to nada. One or two blowout arguments later I get "I never really enjoyed doing that".
Colour me bitter, I married an actress.
KML…..I've got to ask. What is bukkake,dirty sanchez and snowballing?
Bukkake is when multiple men give you a facial.
Dirty Sanchez is when you put your finger in someone's ass and smear whatever you got on it above their lip.
Snowballing is when you cum in her mouth and then let her spit the cum into yours.
The only one I didn't know is snowballing, but I think I can figure that one out…
In reality, I'm actually rather prude. But I'm also the kind of girl who likes her man to be happy, and therefore I've been coaxed into trying quite a few things that I didn't necessarily want to do. He enjoyed them, so I at least tried them before definitively saying that no, I didn't like [whatever we did] or if I could see myself getting into that specific act again.
More often than not, I constantly felt like I was making pr0n. So while he was extra happy, I wasn't. So my answer to the question is to be open-minded. Don't shoot everything down right away, but also don't say yes to everything either if whatever it is makes you uncomfortable. Personally, I don't like regretting things that I've done or feeling ashamed – so make sure that you'll be okay with what you did later. Speak up, because telling somebody down the line that you hate doing something that you've done like clockwork for years isn't really cool. =/
I just looked up snowballing, ha. It's definitely not what I thought it was.
Crazy question: Has any girl ever asked you to pee on her? This happened once or twice and I just couldn't do it
Are you asking me? Because the answer is no hahaha
What kind of a guy would want a woman to do something she's not comfortable doing?
I say give it a try first. But I know that won't work for everybody. So ask him if he absolutely needs it to be satisfied. Is this a make or break type of request? Because if it is and you are not comfortable, this may be a fish you should throw back.
That may sound harsh. But I believe we should both be having a good time. If he is and I'm not or I am and he isn't that's a recipe for disaster.
Truly, I usually enjoy trying new things if he is having a good time. But I also prefer not to be with someone who is so stuck on his own good time that he forgets to care about mine.
Chexy time should be mutually enjoyable, not a one sided affair.
I think the "really" is really important here. I would prefer not to do anal, so it's not going to be a regular occurrence, more like a Charlie Brown (insert holiday) Special. I really don't dig tossing salad, though you can do me if that's your thing. I've made the attempt, but failed as the Jaws theme played in my head and I realized I just could not go in . . . . I think depending on what it is you can compromise. I will get all up in that taint for ya, and maybe even wet my thumb and rub it around that no fly zone, but I ain't never goin' there with my mouthpiece *shudders.* I think if you have a line you should verbalize it and if the person has a problem a line has already been crossed and you should not be together, you don't want to end up with a man like Mr. Color Me Bitter, or end up bitter yourself. The big deal is "I don't like it and if your ex or whoever used to you better go work on a reconciliation or something." Though women that don't give head . . . that's just too much. Did I get this link from here . . . .


text:
Texas Panhandle Mental Health Mental Retardation has sued the owners of Western Plaza for more than $50,000 the state agency said it has incurred since being evicted to make way for a $29 million shopping-center makeover.
The agency moved its Early Childhood Intervention program from Western Plaza in February after the center and its Santa Ana, Calif., owner, Triple Net Properties, terminated the leases of the agency and other tenants, agency Executive Director Bud Schertler said.
Triple Net plans to raze the building and construct a Western Crossing retail complex on the property at Western Street and Interstate 40.
The agency filed suit Aug. 9 against Triple Net and NNW WP Redevelopment, a limited partnership doing business as Western Plaza, to recover $54,132 in damages the agency claims resulted from the eviction and forced move of 35 employees to offices at 2505 Lakeview Drive. The ECI program provides services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays, Schertler said.
Triple Net is the general partner of the NNW WP Redevelopment partnership, according to Dusty Stockard, the Amarillo lawyer representing Mental Health Mental Retardation.
The companies have not yet filed a response in the lawsuit.
Triple Net spokeswoman Jill Swartz declined comment on the suit Wednesday.
The agency's new lease agreement costs more per month and includes fees that were included in its rent at Western Plaza, the lawsuit said.
"We budget on an annual basis, so that is a financial burden to have to come up with the extra dollars to put toward a lease when it could go toward service," Schertler said, declining further comment on the lawsuit.
The agency's damages claims include the difference between its Western Plaza rent and current rent for 19 months, the period that remained in its lease with Triple Net.
Damages sought by the agency also include 19 months of housekeeping fees and electric and gas utility bills it now pays. The agency also is seeking almost $9,000 incurred in relocating its offices and a $3,750 security deposit it says was not returned by Triple Net.
Graham Central Station, a nightclub in the shopping center, has been allowed to remain while a new structure is being built to house it on the property's southwest corner.
Olive Garden also continues operation at a pad site on the northwest corner of the property, and the Western Crossing site plan calls for it to remain in that location, developer Eric Seitz said in June.
The Seitz Group, a Plano company, is handling the development of Western Crossing, a commercial complex of roughly 275,000 square feet. It will include five anchor sites, the Graham building, a hotel and pad sites for eight businesses.
In June, Seitz said four of five anchor stores have committed to leases. Calls to Seitz for an update were not returned Wednesday.
© 2016. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


text:
Her dad's a country superstar and her mom's sung in movie musicals like Moulin Rouge, so it's no surprise that Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman's oldest daughter, Sunday Rose, 5, is a fan of good music.
"Sometimes I'll just hear Sunny singing 'Kiss a Girl,'" Urban, 45, says of his 2009 hit. "It's just infectiously catchy pop and I have a side of me that loves that stuff."
But the American Idol judge says Sunny's favorites aren't limited to his back catalogue. "She sings 'I Love It' by Icona Pop all the time. She [and 2½-year-old sister Faith] sit in back of the car and sing, 'I don't care, I love it, I love it.' We've had to figure out the clean version of the song."
Sometimes, however, the girls clean up the songs on their own. "They'll just mishear the lyrics," says the doting dad, who just released his eighth album, Fuse. "Sunny used to sing [Foster the People's] 'Pumped Up Kicks' and she thought the lyric 'faster than my bullet' was 'faster than my brother' and so that's what she sang. It's adorable."
To find out which album Urban and his wife of seven years courted to and read more of his musical memories, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE Country, on newsstands now. And for free music from artists like Chris Young, Pistol Annies and The Band Perry, go to PEOPLE.com/free.
Keith Urban: My Daughter Sunny Sings All the Time
Grey Wasp/Blue Wasp/Splash News Online


text:
THE events unfolding at Lonmin's Marikana mine and spreading through the mining sector are the culmination of a "systematic, orchestrated, long-time plan" by people within the African National Congress (ANC), with expelled youth league president Julius Malema as their front man, says Sdumo Dlamini, president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
Cosatu, part of the ruling alliance with the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP), is holding its national congress next week where it will have to strategise to counter the "onslaught" against its largest affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). The union federation will also have to deal with internal conflicts — some of them linked to the ANC's elective conference in December — that are threatening unity.
The mining sector, particularly in North West and on the West Rand, is facing massive labour unrest with workers ditching established trade union representation, mainly the NUM, and tabling wage demands outside of bargaining processes.
Mr Malema extended his assistance to striking workers at Marikana after 34 of their number were shot by police last month and has addressed strikers at Gold Fields, near Johannesburg, where he called for a national strike in the mining industry, demanding that the NUM's leadership step down.
Mr Dlamini said in an interview on Wednesday that Mr Malema and his backers in the ANC were hoping to plunge South Africa into "chaos" in a bid to remove President Jacob Zuma as president of the party in December.
"We also understand that there have been certain individuals behind him who are funding this for their own political ambitions," he said.
"Julius Malema may be the point person running at the front, but we know that there are big guns behind him.
"It makes Cosatu very angry that people are going to use the unsuspecting workers, sometimes leading (them) to their deaths … just because people want to be president of the country or the ANC in future.
"This is a systematic, orchestrated, long-time plan that is unfolding now," Mr Dlamini said. "The ANC as the ruling party shouldn't be afraid to be bold, condemn and expose … the ANC must continue to identify and deal with those who fund this chaos."
ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said on Wednesday that Mr Malema was no longer a member of the party, which was unaware of "anyone who supports him in this current stance".
Mr Dlamini denied that there were divisions in Cosatu, but bemoaned trade union leaders who harped on about the deterioration of the federation without providing any solutions to the challenges it faced.
"It can't be Cosatu that goes out loud and says we are a failing federation … instead of fixing the problems inside," he said. "What do you expect those members to do? You are literally saying they must get out of Cosatu, and that's a problem."
He insisted that no "individual" leader would be allowed to divide Cosatu. "There is no leader, no matter how powerful that leader believes he is … who is capable of dividing Cosatu," Mr Dlamini said.
"If any individual assumes the position of 'I', 'I', 'I' as an individual, Cosatu is capable of managing that."
General secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has repeatedly called for Cosatu to make a "mind-set change" or risk losing members. His leadership has been criticised as being too "individualistic".
However, Mr Dlamini poured cold water on claims that Cosatu's house is divided, and denied that there are simmering tensions between him and Mr Vavi.
He said the challenge for the federation at its congress next week would be to defend Cosatu against the current onslaught, and the alliance as a whole.
"We have already started, we are all out on the ground to ensure that we close ranks, that we wage a fierce fight against the forces that seek to liquidate Cosatu," Mr Dlamini said.
The alliance was planning to claim back the ground it had lost in Marikana by holding a joint rally there. "We are planning to do that so that we say to those workers who are being misled in the mining industry … 'Cosatu, the SACP and the ANC have not turned their backs on you, you have to come back, you have to work within your organisations,'" Mr Dlamini said.
He acknowledged that the alliance "may have not been up-front" and may not have "effectively" handled the challenges faced by mineworkers, but he said working conditions on the mines had improved considerably since the end of apartheid.
Mr Malema said last night that he would address mineworkers in Mpumalanga on Friday to discuss "the challenges facing workers in South Africa".
"The meeting will also look into the actions by the NUM national leadership of persecuting and isolating real mineworkers' leaders in that region," said his spokesman, Floyd Shivambu.
"Mineworkers in Mpumalanga and across other regions of South Africa are facing illegal suspensions and persecution by the national leadership of the NUM, which has since neglected mineworkers and workers in the energy and construction sector s' interests and only obsessed with ANC factional politics and business deals."


text:
I've noticed that my attitude towards food has massively changed since going Primal.
1.- My eating-disorder-mind doesn't activate before every meal.
Sadly, it's chosen carbs as its next target, but at least it's mostly quiet. I sometimes worry before a HUGE potato (600g+), but, otherwise, it's a far quieter voice than my anti-fat one was.
2.- I used to look for foods that were low in kcals and buy the cheapest ones in bulk as my 'staples'.
Now I look for whatever offers the most kcals per pound (£) and per pound (lb). Within whole foods, of course, but I find my staples have went from fat-free yoghurt, greens and low-kcal foods to butter, potatoes and fish. Eggs were staples both times.
3.- I no longer take pride in 'vegetarian days'.
I still have them. When I don't feel like flesh, I abstain. But it's no longer something to be proud of. It's plain neutral. I'm eating what my body needs. That matters more than specifically what it is I'm eating.
4.- I don't consider feasting on meat a 'binge' anymore.
Due to the above.
5.- I don't worry when I skip meals.
I used to REALLY panic when I skipped a meal. I'd get worried and the worry would make me hungry, even when I wasn't physically hungry. Now I barely notice. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat.
6.- I don't jump at the opportunity for free-food anymore.
I always have to check what it is. I don't stress over it, I just don't get a knee-jerk 'let's go!' reaction.
Things that haven't changed:
1.- When I go to an all-you-can-eat, it's all-I-can-eat. Period.
2.- I feel guilty after eating something 'bad'. Most of the time it causes me physical pain. But I feel bad even when it doesn't. I'm slowly letting go of that one, but learning more about my body really helps. I only felt bad for the first slice of gram-fruitcake yesterday. Once I noticed it hadn't physically hurt me, the second one went in fine. No guilt.
In what ways have YOUR food philosophies (/not) changed?


text:
I am assembling a Society of Early Americanists panel (Feb 28 to Mar 2, 2013) that concentrates on the front and back matter of manuscript and print writings, rather than on the "main text" itself. This panel welcomes proposals on all types of front and back matter in manuscript or print—-title page, preface, frontispiece, afterword, appendix, map, index, etc.—-and the ways in which they not only inform and complicate our understanding of the contiguous main text but also apprise us of cultural codes and discourses, reading practices and literacies, narratology, material culture, aesthetics, manuscript and print culture, the production and authorization of texts, and so on. This panel invites work in all fields of early American study and also encourages submissions that explore the use of digital technologies in reading front and back matter. A more specific focus might emerge from the direction that proposals take, though a broad range of topics would be just as rich!
Please send abstracts between 200 and 250 words to Keat Murray at email@example.com by April 1.


text:
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 3273 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
Navy Federal recently acquired a mobile ATM vehicle; and it required a new digital vehicle wrap. Vehicles that are wrapped with certified 3M materials last for many years. Pensacola Sign and Graphics, Inc. always wraps vehicle with certified 3M material and was hired to design, print, and install the new wrap on the mobile ATM vehicle. One of the hallmarks of Pensacola Sign is that a wrap, or any other product, is never produced until the design is exactly the way the customer wants it. There were countless design possibilities for the Navy Federal wrap, but this was the design that matched their new corporate image the best. This is a beautiful example of a full vehicle wrap that can easily leave hundreds of thousands of impressions.
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 2199 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
Richies East, a liquor store in Pensacola, FL, needed to have a unique counter top wrap to use as advertising and tasked Pensacola Sign and Graphics, Inc to do the job. The counter was particularly challenging because of its unusual U shape along with much wear-and-tear on the surface of the counter top. The sides of the counter were wrapped with the same high quality material used for vehicle wraps, and the top of the counter was specially laminated with a heavy duty floor laminate to increase the longevity of the graphics. The counter wrap was designed to build awareness for Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum, a rum that is made from a blend of nine natural spices. Counter wraps and custom vinyl graphics can be produced to fit any point of purchase application, as is the case the Richies Easts Cruzan Rum counter top.
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 2063 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
Baptist Medical Group in Navarre, FL wanted to have a site sign and banner sign informing the public that walk-ins and new patients are welcome. Pensacola Sign and Graphics, Inc., tasked with creating these signs, made the site sign using corrugated plastic and the banner sign with 13oz vinyl banner material. This is a great example of how two signs can share the same message, while one is permanent and the other is temporary. The site sign was installed on a wood frame and the banner was installed on two posts that were set into the ground. The site sign serves as a permanent sign whereas the banner can easily be removed from the poles and switched out with other new banners in the future.
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 1864 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
Denis A. Braslow, Attorney at Law, commissioned Pensacola Sign and Graphics, Inc. with creating their corporate identity sign. Rather then creating a rectangular sign, this sign was made by custom cutting the wood with a router. The identity sign was also customized by matching paint to the building to insure that the colors complement each other. Each corporate identity sign produced by Pensacola Sign is carefully designed to incorporate logos, pictures, and/or text. With a properly designed identity sign a business, like Braslow's law firm will be able to build public awareness while having a quality sign that will last for many years.
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 1599 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
The Patty Wagon, a Jamaican style mobile restaurant, needed a sign company in Pensacola, FL to create and print a menu board. Pensacola Sign and Graphics, Inc. tasked with the job produced the menu board using c-bond and digitally printed graphics. This menu board, like most menus, is divided into sections based on types of food. The menu produced for The Patty Wagon is slightly unique because it puts a special focus on the daily specials that are offered. Having a properly designed menu board is vital to the success of any restaurant and The Patty Wagon menu is an excellent example of what a well designed menu should look like.
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 2204 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
Duncan McCall, Inc. wanted a photo enlargement of Johnny Weissmuller starring as Tarzan in the 1932 Tarzan film. Photo enlargements are produced by Pensacola Sign and Graphics, Inc for reasons ranging from memorial services, to special events, to practical jokes and gag gifts. This particular enlarged photo was printed on vinyl material and laid on corrugated plastic. The size of a printed or digital photo can significantly be increased as seen by this enlarged photo. The Tarzan photo enlargement produced for Duncan McCall is six feet tall and three feet wide. This is a beautiful example of how an old photo can be enlarged to create new memories.
Click here to view our "Poster" case studies.
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 2427 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
Pete Moore, the Gulf Breeze Police Department wanted to have additional vehicle graphics applied to their new squad car. The "Pete Moore" car graphics, which were produced by Pensacola Sign and Graphics, Inc., were designed to clearly identify the vehicle as a part of the police force while depicting Pete Moore as a sponsor. Vehicle lettering and decals are produced using premium vinyl graphic material which can last up to six years. Adding vinyl graphics to a vehicle can be a creative and inexpensive alternative to having a vehicle fully or partially wrapped. Vehicle graphics like these can be taken off a vehicle fairly easily, if need be, and are an excellent way to show sponsorships, as in the case of the vehicle graphics produced for the Gulf Breeze Police Dept.
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 2261 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
Baptist Health Care understands the importance of having each office door clearly identified so that patients and visitors can easily find their way. Baptist Health Care tasked Pensacola Sign and Graphics, Inc. with producing and applying custom vinyl graphics to the glass doors of several offices. The reversed vinyl graphics create an etched glass appearance which provides a look of professionalism at a much lower cost than having the glass literally etched. These vinyl graphics were strategically designed to incorporate corporate branding while providing easy-to-read wayfinding to each customized door.
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 21113 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union, wanting to create a fun and relaxing rest area for its employees, contacted Pensacola Sign and Graphics, Inc. to have window graphics and a wallpaper mural installed. The wall and window graphics had the theme of the 2007 Transformers movie. Wall murals can be used in many ways. Gulf Winds has used wall murals to entertain children, to share its pride as a local business, and now to help employees relax during their break. Gulf Winds has also used window graphics in the past to improve bank security. Window graphics and wall murals are great types of signage that can be used for a variety of purposes, as demonstrated by the Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union of Pensacola, Florida.
| PensacolaSign.com
[ add comment ] ( 12743 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink


text:
Matt DeRobbio just had to politely interrupt when he was asked about taking over the reins of one of the most highly-regarded cross country programs in the state.
"In the country," he interjected.
Point well-taken. The Voorhees High girls not only captured plenty of state honors during Justina Cassavell's tenure as head coach, the Vikings also earned their share of national recognition as well.
Now, DeRobbio has the task of maintaining that proud tradition after being appointed Cassavell's successor two weeks ago by the school's board of education.
DeRobbio certainly isn't stepping into the situation as a stranger to the school and the athletes he'll be directing. He's been a VHS history teacher the past seven years, was the boys head coach in cross country for two seasons and has also been an assistant in track and field.
"I know I have some really big shoes to fill," said DeRobbio, whose last name was Oesterle until he made the formal change a year ago. "I'll do all I can to do my best. Justina was, and is, a mentor to me and somebody I have a tremendous amount of respect for and the program she's built.
"I learned so much from her when I was coaching track and boys cross country and I have so much respect for her and feel like I'm a better coach and better person because I've worked with her in the past."
Voorhees was a perennial state juggernaut during Cassavell's 16 campaigns at the helm, winning nine state championships in Groups 2 and 3, three NJSIAA State Meet of Champions crowns and posting a 98-5 dual-meet record. She also coached girls track, stepping down when the spring season concluded in late May.
A former cross country and track standout at Glen Rock High in Bergen County and still an avid runner, DeRobbio is confident he can help VHS carry on with the kind of results the Vikings and their supporters have come to expect over the years.
"I would say my coaching style is pretty similar (to Cassavell's) and I have the same expectations — I've had very high expectations of students in the past and of myself," he said. "In that respect we're very similar, with the training, workout schedule, the whole mentality and management of the program. I've learned a lot from her in the past."
DeRobbio, a resident of Washington Township in Warren County and a Penn State graduate, was the boys head cross country coach from 2007-09 while also serving as an assistant track coach during the same time frame. He also was the boys winter track coach in 2007 and even had a brief stint as an assistant fencing coach under Jim Lawless during the 2011-12 campaign.
He wasted no time submitting his application when Cassavell announced her impending retirement during the past track season.
"I put in for it right away," he said, "and I'm very excited about this opportunity."
Within the next week he'll be in charge of another strong group of runners, including senior Clarissa Modde (last year's State Group 2 runnerup) and juniors Meaghan Driscoll and Erin McLaughlin. Four regulars — Nisa Cicitta, Erin Seiffert, Shannon Carney and Kristen Erickson — graduated from the 2012 State Meet of Champions title squad.
"This is a great group of girls coming back," said DeRobbio. "I've taught a lot of them and know many of them already from working with them in the classroom and I think that will make things easier for me going into this."
DeRobbio's wife, Megan, has also worked in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees school district the past three years and was hired as the VHS guidance counselor July 23, the same day DeRobbio was appointed as cross country coach.
"We like the quality of the district very much and are very fortunate to work there," he said.


text:
Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff is leaving the Rebels to become the New Orleans Saints secondary coach. Coach Sean Payton announced the hire.
McGriff doesn't leave the Rebels empty-handed, though. He was the primary recruiter of Robert Nkemdiche, considered by many to be the No. 1 recruit in the nation.
McGriff was on the Rebels' staff for only a year, hired in January 2012 to coach the cornerbacks and serve as co-defensive coordinator.
The Saints also recently hired Michigan State offensive coordinator Dan Roushar as running backs coach.


text:
Feel like it's time to intervene in a friend's finances? Read this first
|Email Print
Sometimes, it's hard not to be a money know-it-all. You witness a friend making terrible money decisions, and you just want to grab them by the collar and say, Dude. You're doing it all wrong!
Talking about money isn't easy. It's also not easy to see a friend become overwhelmed by their finances because of bad money decisions.
So how do you know when it's time to intervene with a friend's money mistakes? Is a "money intervention" ever a good idea?
Syble Solomon is an expert in talking to people about money. That's what she does for a living as the Founder and President of LifeWise Strategies and creator of Money Habitudes.
"Before offering anyone advice, ask yourself a few questions," Solomon says.
5 questions to ask yourself
Consider these five questions before you decide to talk to a friend about money:
- Are your friend's financial choices bad, or do they just reflect different values from yours? Solomon says, "Think about your values and whether your friend actually needs help, or you need to be more accepting of different values."
- Do you have the full picture? It's easy to make assumptions. "Before offering advice or having a talk, ask some clarifying questions to have a general conversation about other circumstances," Solomon says.
- Is your friend aware they're making bad choices? Your friend might be totally clueless. Solomon's suggestion: "If the person actually makes comments about how others are lucky or how she never feels thing will be different, use that as an opening to say: You've mentioned a number of times that people who are doing well are just lucky. Is that how you feel, that you don't have any control over how much money you have? I've had to learn how to manage my money and it's been worth it. I'd be happy to help you or I know there is a class being offered through our credit union."
- Is your friend aware of the issue, but they have no idea where to start? In this case, simply pointing them in the right direction can be immensely helpful.
- Does your friend make bad decisions despite knowing what they could do differently? If this is the case, it might help to point out any patterns in your friend's bad financial behavior, Solomon says.
Before staging a full-blown intervention, it might be enough to simply let a friend know you've noticed their habits. Thomas Nitzsche of ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions adds that it's important to give someone the chance to take control on their own.
"This way, it empowers your friend to take action and feel they took the steps to help themselves," Nitzsche says.
Signs it's time for 'the talk'
Boundaries can definitely be a good thing. But sometimes a friend's habits are completely out of control. And, as someone who cares about them, maybe you feel a responsibility to discuss the issue with them. How do you know when it's appropriate to have this discussion?
If the situation a friend is dealing with start looking less like typical money problems and more like desperation, it may be time to intervene says Kimberly Allen, a certified credit counselor.
"Signs would be things like them talking about being behind on everything, worried about losing their home or having their utilities shut off, talking about bankruptcy, etc.," Allen says. "Another sign would be if your friend is using credit cards for daily living expenses such as food or utilities, and not paying the balance off every month."
Asking for money
If a friend asks you for a loan, that's an organic way to address their financial habits. But there are more subtle ways friends ask for money, too.
"If your friend is spending money on non-essential items soon after being paid, but then asking you to foot the bill for activities together later in their pay cycle, it may be time to have a conversation about money," Nitzsche says. "If you are financially secure, it's important not to simply repeatedly 'rescue' your friend financially. If you do choose to give money to a friend you should consider it a gift, not a loan."
Emotional spending
If a friend is repeatedly engaging in "retail therapy," it might be a sign that they have deeper issues taking over their life. In that case, a conversation with a good friend might be just what they need.
"If you witness your friend making emotional purchases…it could be an opportunity to talk about the root issue and hopefully also correct the money issue as a result," Nitzsche says.
How to talk about money with a friend
So–you've decided it is indeed time to intervene. Tread carefully.
Remind them you care
"Open the conversation by reaffirming your friendship," Nitzsche suggests. You can do this by verbally reminding them you care, or " by doing something that's specific to your relationship…your favorite coffeehouse or activity together, etc."
Stay neutral
When talking about money with a friend, it's hugely important to not be judgmental.
"If your words, tone of voice and comments sound at all judgmental, your good intentions will not be well received and your friend will probably become angry or defensive," Solomon says.
And judgment doesn't exactly serve as motivation for change.
"As with most things, people have to actually want to change before they will accept help," Allen says.
Stick to the facts
An easy way to avoid judgment? Stick to the facts. "Just share your observations," Solomon says, giving an example:
The last three times we've gone out, whenever you have spent money you have said that you'll have to hide what you bought from Jim so he doesn't know how much you are spending.
Notice that the dialogue doesn't accuse the friend of hiding purchases; it simply states a fact–something the friend has mentioned.
Offer your own experience
When butting in, it can help to let someone know you've been there. If you've ever had issues with money (and if you're human, you probably have), let them know you understand what it feels like to overspend, to not pay your bills, to hide your purchases, etc. Remind them you've made money mistakes, too. Then, let them know how you moved past those mistakes and took control of your finances.
Give them a plan, but don't overdo it
"I've sat down with friends and actually charted out how much goes where out of each paycheck for weeks to help put them on a budget and show that it can be done," Allen says, adding that it's also important to include their input, too. "Help them brainstorm ideas," she suggests.
You should also make sure your own house is in order, too, Nitzsche says.
"Also, unless your own finances are in good shape, you probably shouldn't be giving much advice or you will seem hypocritical," Nitzsche says.
Be prepared for backlash
If you do decide to talk to a friend about their money mistakes, just remember — they might not respond well. After all, who likes being reminded of their problems?
"You need to be willing to have your good intentions rejected," Solomon says.
If your friend is unwilling to take your help, the only thing you might be able to do is suggest that they refer to a professional. Your friend may be embarrassed. Your friend may be a private person. Or, maybe, your friend just doesn't like people telling them what to do.
"It might help to simply suggest they contact their employee assistance program or a local non-profit credit counseling agency," Nitzshe says.
And, if you've been enabling your friend by paying their way, or by helping them keep money secrets, it's time to stop, Solomon says.
Money isn't an easy topic for most people. When it's a personal money issue, it's even harder to talk about it. But by evaluating your intentions and approaching the subject delicately and methodically, it's possible to talk to a friend about money without coming across as a complete jerk.
What do you think? Have you ever staged a "money intervention" with a friend? What was the outcome and what steps did you take?
(Photo by Brett Jordan / CC BY){ 9 comments, please add your thoughts now! }


text:
Priority Registration
Priority Registration allows current students (enrolled during the last academic year) who have completed a specified number of credit hours to register before students who have completed fewer credit hours. Priority Registration is also available to Veteran students as defined under the PA Higher Education Course Scheduling Preference for Veteran Students Act. (For more information visit the Veteran Resource Center page.) Registration is controlled by date and based on "total earned credits." Please see the chart below detailing the number of credits that must be earned (completed) in order to register on the specified date. NOTE: Guest Students are excluded from priority registration and must wait until open registration to register for courses.
Our priority registration system supports one primary goal: helping you reach your dreams faster. The more total credits you've earned, the sooner you get to register! Through priority registration, you can:
- take advantage of counseling options and services before registering
- maximize your course enrollment options
- increase the odds that you'll complete your degree or program of study on time so you can get started on your future
Registration DatesThe MyMC3 Student Portal will show your allowed registration date based upon completed credits. The registration system will assign you to specific dates based on your total credits earned. Once your assigned date arrives you will be able to register, and then the registration system will remain open to you from that point forward and allow you to make schedule changes until registration for the semester ends. Please refer to the calendar below for important dates regarding registration.
(Registration begins
at 12:00 a.m.)
|Eligible Veteran students
|45 credits completed
|30-44 credits completed
|15-29 credits completed
|0-14 credits completed
|Open Registration