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Stolen Asset Recovery: The Need for a Global Effort
by Hippolyte Fofack1
Read the PDF of this article here: pdf
"As we increase the flow of capital to developing countries, we also need to prevent its illicit outflow. We will work with the World Bank's Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative to secure the return of stolen assets to developing countries, and support other efforts to stem illicit outflows." – G-20 Leaders' Statement, The Pittsburgh Summit, September 24-25, 2009.
Background and context
Although illicit financial outflows have been a permanent and growing phenomenon in Africa since the 1970s, the global development and research community turned its attention to the problem only recently (Ajayi and Khan 2001).2 However, over the last decade, and thanks in a large measure to the work by Global Financial Integrity (Kar and Cartwright-Smith 2010) and by Boyce and Ndikumana (2001, 2003, 2008, 2011), more empirical evidence has emerged to shed light on the scale, magnitude, and dynamics of illicit financial outflows in the region over most of the post-independence period. According to Global Financial Integrity, the cumulative amount of illicit financial flows from Africa between 1970 and 2008 was US$854 billion (Kar and Cartwright-Smith 2010).3
Illicit financial outflows from Africa have consistently been on the rise, although there was a slight decrease during the HIPC debt relief implementation in the 1990s. This is in contrast with other developing regions, especially Asia, which has benefited from two positive concurrent effects: large inflows of capital in the form of FDI and significant reduction of illicit financial outflows. Over the period 1970-2010, the stock of capital flight from Africa increased from about US$2.6 billion in 1970 to more than US$1.7 trillion, an increase of over 650 times over the four decades (Ndikumana and Boyce 2012a, 2012b). This exceeds the region's total external debt outstanding of about US$293.8 billion (at end of December 2010).4
Economic and social costs of illicit financial outflows
Illicit financial flows undermine the ability of African countries to reach adequate levels of domestic investment needed to accelerate growth (Fofack and Ndikumana 2010). Compared to other regions of the developing world, sub-Saharan African countries recorded the lowest rates of investment over the pre-HIPC decades (Bayraktar and Fofack 2011). For instance, while the East Asian region enjoyed average public investment rates in excess of 30 percent of GDP over 1960-2000, sub-Saharan Africa's average was 15 percent of GDP at its peak in the late 1970s, and it declined after the 1970s to a record low of 7.5% of GDP after the second half of the 1980s (Artadi and Sala-i-Martin 2003). Although investment rates have increased in the post-HIPC period, the aggregate stock of capital remains relatively low, as reflected in extremely low energy intensity and road density (Foster and Briceño-Garmendia 2010).
In the medium and long term, delayed investments owing in part to depleting savings in a context of massive capital outflows have contributed to keeping the tax base narrow in the overwhelming majority of countries, leading to twin structural deficits (fiscal and current account). There has been continued recourse to external financing to bridge financing gaps, which have persisted even in the post-HIPC debt relief era.
Illicit financial outflows also have adverse welfare and distributional consequences for the poor. In particular, they deepen income inequality as they primarily benefit the political elites and a fraction of the urban population connected to the political establishment. Illicit financial outflows jeopardize prospects for inclusive growth through perpetuating high unemployment rates. Furthermore, sustained illicit financial outflows have adverse long-term consequences for individual behavior and for the society as whole. They undermine good governance and weaken government's accountability to citizens. Indeed, one of the most insidious costs of illicit financial flows often neglected is its adverse effects on public institutions and its long-term consequences for social capital.
The Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative
In response to sustained illicit financial outflows from developing countries, the World Bank and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) established the Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) initiative, which was launched in September 2007. The link between the StAR and illicit financial outflows is direct. In effect, to the extent that stolen assets are largely proceeds from corruption, the initiative discretely covers a wide range of illicit financial outflows.5 The proposed initiative has four pillars: empowerment, innovation, advocacy, and partnerships. In practice, StAR works with developing countries and financial centers that offer a wide range of financial services, particularly to international and non-resident clients, to prevent the laundering of the proceeds of corruption and to facilitate more systematic and timely returns of stolen assets.
The work of the StAR has encountered numerous obstacles in its efforts to stem the outflows and return the proceeds of corruption to source countries. Its actions thus far have taken the form of analytical work, partnership, and capacity building. On the latter, a number of governments in the north are organizing in-country capacity building for law enforcement agencies in originating countries on formulating formal requests to recover stolen assets and lowering barriers to assets recovery. On the non-governmental side, the International Centre for Asset Recovery launched by the Basel Institute for Governance in 2008 is assisting developing countries to build capacity through training and information sharing to trace, confiscate, and repatriate the proceeds of corruption.
The legal obstacles to the return of stolen assets include the mismatch between national laws and international agreements. For instance, countries that have ratified the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) are not required to pass laws to criminalize some offenses included in the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). At the same time, the lack of strong institutional mechanisms to ensure state compliance and accountability has also been identified as an important obstacle. For instance, a recent report by Global Witness found that none of the 24 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) member states are fully compliant with their own recommendations, and in particular recommendation number six requiring banks to perform thorough due diligence on politically exposed persons.
Assessment of Progress under the StAR Initiative
One successful area of intervention has been capacity building. StAR has provided training to more than 500 officials in forty countries in a wide range of areas, including legislative reforms, asset tracing, and international legal cooperation. Through close collaboration and support from StAR, six of the thirty OECD countries have been able to freeze stolen assets between 2006 and 2009, of which four returned assets to foreign jurisdiction over the same period (OECD and World Bank 2011).6 However, relative to the scale of illicit outflows from the region, the total amount of stolen assets frozen is negligible (about US$135 million) and they include funds from only two countries (Nigeria and South Africa).
However, for the purpose of this study it is important to focus on prevention and repatriation of illicit financial outflows, the two ultimate objectives and acid test of the StAR initiative. Progress on both dimensions can be measured against benchmarks and quantitative targets. The potential benefits of repatriation have been proven to be significant, especially from the standpoint of financing a "Big Push" development model.
In effect, in an empirical study hypothetically assessing the potential benefits of repatriation of capital flight, Fofack and Ndikumana (2010) demonstrate that the gains from repatriation can be significant and largely outweigh the expected benefits from other sources such as debt relief.7 According to that study, if only a quarter of the stock of capital flight was repatriated to source countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region would go from trailing to leading other developing regions in terms of domestic investments and growth.
Although a formal baseline for monitoring and assessing the impact of the StAR initiative over time was not established at inception, progress at preventing the outflows of illicit financial resources can be assessed using the end-December 2007 stock of illicit financial outflows as the baseline. A successful prevention campaign under the proposed initiative would have either completely stemmed the outflows of illicit financial resources or significantly reduced its magnitude in the years following the launch of that initiative. Under these conditions, the continued increase in the cumulative stock of the illicit financial outflows from Africa to international financial centers would have been simply due to compound interest payments, with little or no additional outflows.
However, year-to-year variations in the stock of illicit financial flows since the launch of the StAR have consistently exceeded the expected returns from interest payments. For instance, under the assumption of no repatriation and no additional outflows after end-December 2007, the total stock of illicit financial outflows from African countries, including compound interest payments, would have been about US$1.565 trillion by end-December 2010.8 Yet, according to the most recent estimates, the stock of capital flight (end-December 2010) is US$1.685 trillion, implying that new outflows beyond interest payments exceeded US$120 billion over the same period.
At the very least, these figures suggest that illicit financial outflows from Africa have continued to grow unabated since the inception of the StAR initiative. In fact, the largest increase in the amount of illicit financial outflows occurred over the last decade (2000-10), with an annual average of US$45.8 billion, compared to about US$21.3 billion in the 1970s and about US$23.2 billion in the 1990s (Figure 1). These figures point to an overall failure to stem the illicit financial outflows in the StAR era. To the contrary, it is estimated that over US$120 billion have fled the continent as illicit financial outflows since the launch of the proposed initiative in 2007.
Figure 1: Decennial average annual illicit financial outflows from Africa, 1970-2010 (millions, constant 2010 US dollars)
The recovery of assets looted by President Sani Abacha of Nigeria is often singled out as a success in several reports, including those published by the StAR (Stephenson et al. 2011). That success refers to the recovery of US$505 million from Swiss banks in 2006, representing less than 10% of total resources stolen by General Abacha estimated at about $5 billion. For a country that has an estimated stock of capital flight in excess of US$381 billion (end-December 2010), the amount of recovered assets are insignificant (approximately 0.1%). Moreover the recovery cannot be attributed to the StAR as it occurred a year before the launch of the initiative.
This failure in ongoing efforts to recover stolen assets is not specific to Africa, however. The StAR estimates that at the global level only about US$5 billion in stolen assets has been recovered and repatriated to source countries over the last 15 years (1995-2010), and most of it before the launch of the StAR (Stephenson et al. 2011). In a world where conservative estimates put the stock of illicit financial outflows at several trillion US dollars, this level of recovery rate is obviously disappointing.
The Need for a Global Effort and Renewed Push
A host of reasons have been put forth to explain the relatively poor performance of the StAR at stemming the continued financial hemorrhage and at recovering a significant amount of stolen assets. This is not the place to review these reasons. A report by the StAR outlines 29 different barriers to stolen asset recovery grouped under three different categories: institutional, legal, and operational (Stephenson et al. 2011).9 In summary, however, it is clear that the poor performance of the StAR is due to four primary factors: the lack of political will in both rich and poor countries, the collusion between the powerful bankers and countries in the north and politicians in the south, collusion between politicians and private sector operators, and absence of sanctions and punitive measures in the face of crime or violation of international conventions.
Unless the different protagonists are enticed or forced to cooperate, with dire consequences as the alternative for failure in compliance, the StAR initiative is unlikely to yield the expected results. Under the current international financial architecture and trading systems, the dominant stakeholders all have interests in preserving the status quo. Politicians who are not exposed under the status quo will continue to accumulate personal wealth, albeit at the expenses of the state and majority of the population. Receiving countries, which benefit in terms of savings and long-term investments, have little incentives to facilitate the repatriation of these assets to source countries or to stem their inflows.10 Bankers in onshore financial centers and offshore safe havens benefit from large deposits. Even when the funds held in these financial centers are traced, declared illicit, and ultimately frozen, banks continue to benefit from the interest the capital provides as asset recovery procedures prove to be protracted.11
One option for overcoming this impasse would be to adopt and institutionalize a system of 'positive conditionality' that would link future loans and balance of payments support to a prior repatriation of stolen assets. In the past such an approach worked rather well for a number of regions, and especially in Latin America where the solution to the debt crisis in the 1980s was inherently linked to the repatriation of capital flight under the Brady Plan (Pastor 1990). In contrast to that plan, the HIPC initiative, which granted debt relief to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, was not bound by such a conditionality. This may partly explain the exponential growth in illicit capital outflows in the post-HIPC period over the last decade.
On the African side, success in recovering and repatriating stolen assets will require strong political will.12 Strong political will to embark on a long and winding road to asset recovery by government officials in source countries is fundamental to successful asset recovery. Indeed, the willingness and ability to introduce legislative reforms and prosecute corrupt officials (current and former) despite the power and influence they might wield would be unambiguous signals that the government is serious about recovery. Strong "political will" could also stem outflows through deterrence.
African countries and governments could learn from the successful model in effect in the United States and the United Kingdom, two countries which have singularly labeled illicit capital outflows as a national security issue. These countries have established specialized units targeting politically exposed persons who allegedly either hold assets obtained through corruption or have moved such assets through their country (Stephenson et al. 2011). The establishment of such units, along with "positive conditionalities" could send a strong signal to parties complicit in illicit financial transactions—politically exposed persons, private sector operators, and international bankers.
To support such national efforts, the global community needs to fully cooperate by lifting bank secrecy in international cases involving all UNCAC and UNTOC offenses and imposing stiff sanctions against receiving banks in receiving countries. In fact, political will in developed countries is just as important to the process of asset recovery, and will be strengthened if government officials in receiving countries see stolen asset recovery and repatriation as a development issue. Their commitment and cooperation will signal their determination in the fight against global corruption, while at the same time potentially raising development aid effectiveness through increased amount of funds effectively allocated to growth and poverty reduction programs in developing countries.
The recent settlement between the U.S. government and the Swiss-based UBS bank highlighted the impact when there is political will to break down the walls of banking secrecy. In a landmark settlement in 2009, UBS paid hundreds of millions of dollar for U.S. taxes it failed to withhold on the accounts of US customers, and later provided client data and account details of thousands of US clients who were suspected of tax evasion.13
More recently, in August 2012, regulators in New York state imposed a US$340 million penalty on Standard Chartered bank to settle allegations of illegal dealing with Iran. The prohibitive costs of such sanctions are a significant deterrent to other financial institutions that may be tempted to violate the sanctions imposed on Iran. In the case of illicit financial outflows from Africa, financial institutions in receiving countries have not faced any risks. This is a major reason for the poor record of the StAR initiative in inducing repatriation of Africa's stolen assets.
Another reason for the poor record of the StAR is overemphasis on 'big fish,' going only after leaders and heads of states. While such action may provide a strong signal and strengthen deterrence of corruption, real success for the StAR initiative will require casting the net wider to target a wider circle of government officials, private sector operators, and multinational corporations.
The evidence shows that those countries that have achieved greater success at recovering stolen assets have gone beyond focusing on the 'biggest fish' to target a much wider range of culprits. For instance, earlier this year, the U.S. government reported that the Internal Revenue Service recovered US$5 billion in back taxes, interest, and penalties from 33,000 taxpayers who admitted holding offshore accounts to avoid taxes. Successfully casting such a wider net, however, requires strengthening specialized enforcement agencies in originating countries and building a critical mass of experts, including forensic accountants, lawyers, financial services analysts, and regulators.
The establishment of the StAR initiative in 2007 was a welcome development. It signaled a recognition that illicit financial outflows have adverse effects for economic growth and development aid effectiveness. These effects take on even greater significance in a time of shrinking development assistance resources and growing budget deficits in traditional donor countries.
But the actual progress achieved under the StAR initiative in prevention and recovery of stolen assets has to date been disappointing. Even as the international development community has turned its attention to the problem, the scale of illicit financial outflows has continued to increase. The StAR has made a contribution in capacity building in originating countries and in analysis of the obstacles to asset recovery. But it has not had a significant impact on the central objectives of slowing the outflows of illicit financial resources and recovering stolen assets.
The time is ripe for a renewed effort using StAR at the global level to accelerate stolen asset recovery. One promising potential action would be the use of positive conditionality in future allocation of development assistance to provide incentives for originating countries to act. Equally essential, however, is action in the receiving countries to adopt and enforce stiff sanctions against governments and financial institutions in receiving countries that are guilty of cooperating with illicit financial transactions.
Hippolyte Fofack is a professional and research economist with over 15 years of experience in academia and international development. He is currently responsible for the Macroeconomic and Growth Program at the World Bank Institute, the knowledge and research arm of the World Bank Group.
Ajayi, Ibi. 1997. An Analysis of External Debt and Capital Flight in the severely Indebted Low Income Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. IMF Working Paper, WP/97/68. Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund.
Artadi, V. Elsa, and Xavier Sala-i-Martin. 2003. The Economic Tragedy of the 20th Century: Growth in Africa. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 9865. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Bayraktar, Nihal, and Hippolyte Fofack. 2011. "Capital Accumulation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Income-group and Sector Differences." Journal of African Economies 20 (4): 531-561.
Boyce, James and Léonce Ndikumana. 2012. Capital Flight from Sub-Saharan African Countries: Updated Estimates 1970-2010. PERI Report, Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts (October).
Fofack, Hippolyte. 2009. Causality between External Debt and Capital Flight in Sub-Saharan Africa. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5042. Washington, DC: World Bank.
Fofack, Hippolyte, and Léonce Ndikumana. 2010. "Capital Flight Repatriation: Investigation of Its Potential Gains for Sub-Saharan African Countries." African Development Review 22 (1).
Foster, Vivien, and Cecilia Briceño-Garmendia, eds. 2010. Africa's Infrastructure: A Time for Transformation. Washington, DC: World Bank and Agence Française de Développement.
Kar, Dev, and Devon Cartwright-Smith. 2010. Illicit Financial Flows from Africa: Hidden Resources for Development. Washington, DC: Global Financial Integrity.
Ndikumana Léonce and James Boyce. 2003. "Public Debt and Private Assets: Explaining Capital Flight from Sub-Saharan African Countries." World Development 31 (1): 107-130.
Ndikumana, Léonce, and James Boyce. 2008. New Estimates of Capital Flight from Sub-Saharan African Countries: Linkages with External Borrowing and Policy Options. PERI Working Paper Series No. 166. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts.
Ndikumana, Léonce, and James Boyce. 2011. Africa's Odious Debts: How Foreign Loans and Capital Flight Bled a Continent. London: Zed Books.
Ndikumana, Léonce, and James Boyce. 2012. Capital Flight from North African Countries, PERI Report, Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts (October).
OECD and World Bank. 2011. Tracking Anti-Corruption and Asset Recovery Commitments: A Progress Report and Recommendations for Action. Paris: OECD; Washington, DC: World Bank.
Pastor, Manuel. 1990. "Capital Flight from Latin America." World Development 18 (1): 1-18.
Scher, Daniel. 2005. "Asset Recovery: Repatriating Africa's Looted Billions." Africa Security Review 14(4): 17-26.
Stephenson, Kevin, L. Gray, R. Power, J. Brun, G. Dunker, and M. Panjer. 2011. Barriers to Asset Recovery: An Analysis of the Key Barriers and Recommendations for Action. Washington, DC: World Bank.
- I would like to thank James Boyce, Léonce Ndikumana, Bamidele Olugbuyi Sanya, and Xiao Ye for helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this paper. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the World Bank. [Back to Text ↩]
- In 2001, Ajayi and Khan edited one of the first monographs ever published on capital flight from African countries, specifically looking at the dynamics of capital flight and external debt. [Back to Text ↩]
- These figures are consistent with estimates derived by Ndikumana and Boyce (2008). [Back to Text ↩]
- This figure excludes Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, and Libya, for which no data are available (Ndikumana and Boyce 2012, Boyce and Ndikumana 2012). [Back to Text ↩]
- Stolen assets are not restricted to financial outflows, however. In addition to money, they also include properties, or other assets amassed through corrupt acts, mainly bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of property or funds, trading in influence, and abuse of functions in the public sector. [Back to Text ↩]
- These countries are: Australia, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States of America (OECD and World Bank 2011). [Back to Text ↩]
- These countries are: Australia, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States of America (OECD and World Bank 2011). [Back to Text ↩]
- The figures refer to 33 SSA countries covered in Ndikumana and Boyce's series, updated to 2010, plus four North African countries (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia). [Back to Text ↩]
- For further details on the different barriers to asset recovery, see Stephenson et al. (2011). [Back to Text ↩]
- The Egyptian government recently criticized the UK's failure to cooperate in efforts to freeze assets illicitly acquired by the Mubarak's family. [Back to Text ↩]
- The delay is due to the fact that most jurisdictions do not allow for the confiscation and return of assets on the basis of a criminal investigation. [Back to Text ↩]
- Scher (2005) has attributed the inability of the Kenyan government to recover assets allegedly stolen by former President Moi to the lack of political will. [Back to Text ↩]
- For more details, see Wall Street Journal article titled "Switzerland, UBS settle US tax case" at the following link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125007792394025747.html. [Back to Text ↩]


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Walter Bond puts his neck out for vegans
Going one better than wearing his heart on his animal-product-free sleeve, Walter Bond, the activist who yesterday pleaded guilty to torching the Sheepskin Factory on Colorado Boulevard this spring, rocked a major tattoo in his mug shot.
It might make you think he set the fire because he was peeved at the lack of vegan fare in the strip malls along Colorado Boulevard. But as he confessed in court: "I went to the Sheepskin Factory with intent to burn it to the ground...because they are an animal enterprise. I lit fire to the building."
Bond, who faces up to thirty years in prison, will be sentenced on February 11. In the meantime, he can enjoy that good vegan fare in the Denver County Jail.
And you can enjoy Food Ink, our slide show of restaurant workers' tattoos (if Bond gets assigned to the jail kitchen, he'll qualify for inclusion).
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Mercure Hotel Köln West, Cologne
- Free WiFi
Main amenities
- 191 guestrooms
- Restaurant and bar/lounge
- Indoor pool
- Breakfast available
- Fitness center
- Self parking
- Terrace
- 24-hour front desk
- Air conditioning
- Daily housekeeping
- Computer station
- Front desk safe
- Free WiFi
For families
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Rollaway/extra beds (free)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Terrace
What's around
- In Junkersdorf
- Rhein Energie Stadium (1.6 mi / 2.5 km)
- Keramion Museum (1.7 mi / 2.7 km)
- Castle Park Gleuel (2.7 mi / 4.3 km)
- Terrassen-Freibad (3.1 mi / 5 km)
- Volkstheater Millowitsch (4.5 mi / 7.2 km)
Mercure Hotel Köln West, Cologne
Hotel Info: 866-539-8117from $66
- Superior Twin Room, 2 Single Beds
- Standard Room, 1 Double Bed
- Standard Room, 2 Twin Beds
- Standard Room, Multiple Beds
- Superior Room, 1 Double Bed
- Privilege, Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed
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- This hotel has 191 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 5 floors
- Check-in time starts at 3 PM
- Check-out time is noon
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Required at check in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
- Minimum check-in age is 18
Travelling with others
- Up to 2 children (12 years old and younger) stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding
- Pets allowed (dogs and cats only) *
- 2 per room
- Free WiFi and wired Internet access in public areas
- Free WiFi in rooms
- Self parking *
Nearby Four Star Cologne hotels
In the hotel
- Buffet breakfast daily (surcharge)
- Restaurant
- Bar/lounge
- Room service (during limited hours)
- Indoor pool
- Fitness facilities
- Sauna
- Bicycle rentals on site
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Golfing nearby
- Conference space
- Meeting rooms 11
- Conference space size (feet) - 6424
- Conference space size (meters) - 597
- Computer station
- 24-hour front desk
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Luggage storage
- Multilingual staff
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Year Built 1983
- Elevator/lift
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Terrace
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
In the room
- Air conditioning
- Coffee/tea maker
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Down comforter
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Soundproofed rooms
- Premium bedding
- Private bathroom
- Shower/tub combination
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- 66-cm LCD TV
- Satellite TV channels
- Desk
- Free WiFi
- Phone
- Daily housekeeping
- In-room safe (laptop compatible)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
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DiningLes Createurs - This restaurant specializes in German cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Open daily.
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- Mercure Hotel Koeln
- Mercure Hotel Koeln West
- Mercure Hotel Koeln West Cologne
- Mercure Koeln West
- Mercure Koeln West Cologne
- Mercure Hotel Köln West Cologne
- Mercure Hotel Köln West
- Mercure Köln West Cologne
- Mercure Köln West
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
Children under 12 years old are not allowed in the swimming pool or fitness facility without adult supervision.
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You'll be asked to pay the following charges at check in or check out:
- A city tax is imposed by the city of Cologne. Business travelers with proof of business-related travel are exempt from this tax. For more details, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
- A 5 percent city/local tax will be charged
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Self parking costs EUR 8 per day with in/out privileges
Buffet breakfast is offered for an extra charge of EUR 19 per person (approximately)
Pets are allowed for an extra charge of EUR 10 per pet, per night
We have included all charges provided to us by this hotel. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.
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Last night saw a unique celebration of the Undercover x Nike Gyakusou collection. Retaining the project's running theme, teams took to a Japanese track to run a relay race. Clad in Nike Sportswear, the runners ran hard and the night fun run was successful. Following the race, a party was held with special guest DJ's on the wheels of steel. Look out for the Gyakusou collection to release on October 23.
Source: Jun Takahashi


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16 LOTUS DR Fish Haven, ID 83287
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Great lot in The Reserve with a view that will never be obstructed. Not to high on the hill, close to clubhouse, flat and easy to build on!! Amenities include clubhouse with pool, spa, gym, tennis courts, basketball courts and 1800 ft of private beach!
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Acreage: 0.7100 Acres
Lot: Terrain: Flat, View: Lake, View: Mountain, View: Valley
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Westin St. Maarten Resort Features
Personal touches and thoughtful services. Renew your total health and wellness.
The Westin St. Maarten Resort features two restaurants, a lobby bar and swim-up bar, a poolside deli, a full service European style spa, casino, Westin Workout Fitness Studio, retail shops and a beachfront watersports shop.
Resort Amenities Overview
Resort Amenities Overview
- Concierge Service - Our concierge is available throughout your stay with us to assist you with dinner reservations, golf, special gift orders and any questions that you may have about St. Maarten/St. Martin. Concierge can also assist with babysitting services and enroll children ages 4-12 in our Kids Club program.
- Westin Kids Club
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To make a reservation, contact CCS at firstname.lastname@example.com
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Our in-house activity coordinators and Caribbean Concierge Services (CCS) can arrange all sorts of island activities and things to do in St. Maarten, including scuba diving, ATV tours, shopping excursions, catamaran tours, horseback riding and private boat charters.
unwind . . . a westin evening ritual
Westin's evening ritual encourages you to reflect and rejuvenate as you make your journey from day to night. Join other guests to enjoy food, drink and an ambience unique to every destination.
Westin didn't discover fresh air, but we're proud to offer it at this hotel. Learn more about Breathe Westin™


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Get an overview of this hotelFamily-friendly hotel with full-service spa and restaurant
Collecting Nectar Points
Special Offer: Book by 2 August 2017 and collect double Nectar points!
Simply enter your Nectar card number when you check out. Your points will be credited 35 days after you return from your trip.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Popular property highlights
Located in the center of Fatima, this family-friendly hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Apparitions Museum, Wax Museum, and Chapel of the Apparitions. Chapel of the Apparitions and Church of the Most Holy Trinity are also within 15 minutes.
Hotel Features
This hotel features a full-service spa, a restaurant, and an indoor pool. Free WiFi in public areas and free self parking are also provided. Additionally, a health club, a bar/lounge, and a snack bar/deli are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 71 rooms feature thoughtful touches like pillow menus and bathrobes, plus free WiFi and flat-screen TVs with cable channels. Minibars, room service, and hair dryers are among the other amenities available to guests.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Dom Goncalo Hotel & Spa
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
In addition to a full-service spa, Dom Goncalo Hotel & Spa features an indoor pool and a health club. Dining options at the hotel include a restaurant and a snack bar/deli. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. A computer station is located on site and wireless Internet access is complimentary.
This 4-star property offers access to a business center and meeting rooms. 5 meeting rooms are available. This family-friendly hotel also offers a spa tub, a sauna, and a library. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
- 24-hour front desk
- Children's club (free)
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Total number of rooms - 71
- Number of floors - 4
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Newspapers in lobby (surcharge)
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Fireplace in lobby
- Full-service spa
- Computer station
- Luggage storage
- Turkish bath/Hammam
- Health club
- Business center
- Garden
- Laundry facilities
- Library
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Meeting rooms
- Multilingual staff
- Terrace
- Restaurant
- Free self parking
- Conference center
- Snack bar/deli
- Number of meeting rooms - 5
- Sauna
- Spa tub
- Steam room
- Indoor pool
- Television in common areas
- Wedding services
- Free WiFi
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Indoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Children's club (free)
- Snack bar/deli
- Laundry facilities
- Playground on site
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Phone
- Minibar
- Daily housekeeping
- Bathrobes
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Bidet
- Slippers
- Desk
- Room service (limited hours)
- Cable TV service
- Flat-panel TV
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- In-room safe (laptop compatible)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Cribs/infant beds (surcharge)
- Heating
- Free WiFi
- Pillow menu
Where to Eat
Buffet breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning.
O Convite - This restaurant specializes in Portuguese cuisine and serves lunch and dinner. A children's menu is available. Open daily.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
An indoor pool and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a health club and a sauna.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Mountain biking nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Bicycle rentals on site
- Playground on site
Spa Services
Dom Spa Wellness Centre has 4 treatment rooms including rooms for couples. Services include massages, facials, body wraps, and body scrubs. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy, Ayurvedic, and hydrotherapy. The spa is equipped with a sauna, a spa tub, a steam room, and Turkish bath/hammam.
The spa is open daily. Children under 16 years old are not allowed in the spa without adult supervision.
- Steam room in spa
- Number of treatment rooms 4
- Couples treatment rooms
- Body wraps
- Body scrubs
- Aromatherapy treatments
- Hydrotherapy treatments
- Ayurvedic treatments
- Sauna in spa
- Spa tub in spa
- Massages
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at midnight
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation.
No rollaway/extra beds available
No cribs (infant beds) available
- Resort fee
Optional extras
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 5 per person (approximately)
- Cribs (infant beds) are available for an additional fee
Hotel Name
- Dom Goncalo
- Dom Goncalo Fatima
- Dom Goncalo Hotel
- Dom Goncalo Hotel Fatima
- Hotel Dom Goncalo
We should mention
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. A resort fee is included in the total price displayed. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


text: Cape Town - About 300 sections of different laws are possible blockages to service delivery at local government level, National Council of Provinces (NCOP) chairperson Mninwa Mahlangu said on Thursday. He said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Richard Baloyi was tackling the problem. "He has already formed a task team looking at all the legislation in conflict with each other, and which is making delivery difficult." Mahlangu was speaking after an NCOP seminar, organised to bring the different spheres of government together to tackle the challenges facing municipalities. SA Local Government Association (Salga) CEO Xolile George said a prime example of problematic laws were those dealing with the environment. He cited the need for municipalities to wait for an environmental impact assessment (EIA), before it could use land for a specific purpose, like housing people. "There might be a need to speed up the resettlement of people in an area, but the EIA laws might be putting in place an elaborate process that might go beyond a financial year," said George. The seminar will culminate in a debate on local government in the NCOP on Friday morning. The NCOP would also monitor the cooperative governance and traditional affairs department to ensure it followed through on its plan to amend laws which were slowing down service delivery. *Follow Fin24 on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.


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North Beach Reopened In Burlington
Thursday, 08/09/12
Burlington has reopened North Beach. The beach was closed Tuesday after elevated levels of E. coli were found in the lake following Sunday's heavy rain.
VPR News
North Beach Closed
Wednesday, 08/08/12
The city of Burlington has closed North Beach again after elevated levels of E. coli were found in the lake following Sunday's heavy rain.
Saturday Special
The Promised Land: Voices from the Gulf Coast
Saturday, 07/30/11
Wilma Subra may look like your neighborhood granny, but she's a serious scientist. On this episode of The Promised Land, we see how Wilma's been educating communities and defending ecosystems in the Gulf Coast.
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text:
VIENNA (Jan. 24)
The Austrian Minister of Justice, Dr. Franz Tschedek, today expressed opposition to amendment of the so-called Third Restitution Law, which pertains to the return of apartments and other housing to victims of Nazism who were ousted from them between 1938 and 1945.
The statement was occasioned by agitation for changing the law and by recent court decisions evicting Nazi victims to whom the apartments were restored. Court action was brought by Nazis who were ousted after the liberation under the authority of the Third Restitution Law. Minister Tschedek stated that to change the law at this time would result in confusion because about 75 percent of all claims presented under the measure have already been settled.


text:
High-speed police chase leads to fatal in West Mifflin
High speed is believed to have contributed to a fiery fatal accident early Monday morning in West Mifflin.
The accident occurred around 2 a.m. when the male driver of a Cadillac CTS-V Coupe lost control of the vehicle as he was apparently fleeing from police at a high rate of speed along Route 837.
Allegheny County police homicide detective Sgt. Scott Scherer said the vehicle hit a barrier, went airborne to a height believed to have been around 20 feet then struck a wall, at which point it caught fire.
The driver burned inside the vehicle and was declared dead at the scene.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office was examining the victim's dental records late Monday to make a positive identification of the man.
Scherer said West Mifflin police first noticed the Cadillac traveling in an erratic manner along Lebanon Church Road when the vehicle hit a berm and kicked up dust. Scherer said police began to follow the vehicle at a distance and observed it turn onto Camp Hollow Road and Lebanon School Road.
When the police officer put on the lights and siren of his vehicle, the Cadillac sped away. Scherer said the officer did not attempt to chase after the vehicle but notified police in Clairton and Duquesne to be on the lookout for the vehicle. As the West Mifflin officer continued in the direction of the Cadillac he came upon it in flames as he rounded a corner.
The accident remains under investigation but Scherer said, "We're sure that he was traveling at a very high rate of speed when he impacted."
The driver was alone in the vehicle. No other cars were involved in the accident.


text:
Q2 Organic Net Sales up 3.7%, Affirms 2012 EPS Outlook
PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2012--
Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE:CHD) today reported net income for the
quarter ended June 30, 2012 of $79.3 million or $0.56 per share,
compared to the reported net income of $82.6 million or $0.57 per share
for the same period in 2011. The results exceed management's previously
announced earnings per share forecast of $0.54 per share for the
quarter. Earnings per share decreased 1.8% on a reported basis, but
increased 5.7% excluding a second quarter 2011 $6 million ($0.04 per
share) tax benefit as a result of New Jersey corporate tax reform.
Second Quarter Review
Reported net sales for the second quarter increased 3.2% to $696.4
million. Organic sales increased 3.7% driven by 6.3% volume growth
offset by 2.6% unfavorable product mix and pricing. Organic sales
exclude the impact of a 2011 brand acquisition and foreign exchange rate
James R. Craigie, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We
are very pleased with our second quarter business results in what
continues to be a difficult economic environment. The organic sales
increase of 3.7% reflects strong volume growth. Despite continuing weak
category consumption in the U.S., we increased market share on five of
our eight power brands in the quarter."
Consumer Domestic net sales were $506.5 million, a $24.2 million
or 5.0% increase over the prior year second quarter sales. Second
quarter organic sales increased by 5.0%, primarily due to higher sales
of ARM & HAMMER liquid laundry detergent. Other products that
contributed to volume growth were XTRA liquid laundry detergent, ARM &
HAMMER cat litter, KABOOM cleaners, and the recently introduced ARM &
HAMMER CRYSTAL BURST unit dose laundry detergent. These increases were
partially offset by lower sales of ARM & HAMMER SPINBRUSH
battery-operated toothbrushes, ANSWER diagnostic kits and ORAJEL oral
analgesic products. Volume growth contributed 8.6% to sales, partially
offset by the 3.6% unfavorable product mix and pricing.
Consumer International net sales were $121.3 million, a $4.7
million or 3.7% decrease from the prior year second quarter sales.
Organic sales decreased by 2.7%, primarily due to weaker sales in
Europe. Volume accounted for 2.4% of the decrease, with 0.3% of the
decrease resulting from unfavorable product mix and pricing. Organic
sales exclude a 5.9% benefit from an acquisition and a negative impact
of 6.9% from foreign exchange rate changes.
Specialty Products net sales were $68.6 million, a $2.0 million
or 3.0% increase over the prior year second quarter sales. Organic sales
increased by 6.3%. Higher volumes contributed 5.6% and favorable pricing
contributed 0.7%. The favorable pricing is primarily due to a
pass-through of raw material increases to customers. Organic sales
exclude a negative impact of 3.3% from unfavorable foreign exchange rate
Gross margin contracted to 43.5% in the second quarter compared
to 44.5% in the prior year second quarter. The decrease is primarily due
to unfavorable product mix. The unfavorable product mix reflects a 10.5%
increase in net sales of lower margin consumer domestic household
products compared to a 5.1% decline in net sales of higher margin
consumer domestic personal care products. Gross margin was also affected
by start-up and unabsorbed costs related to the Company's new
Victorville, California manufacturing and distribution facility, which
did not begin shipments until late in the second quarter of 2012.
Although commodity costs were higher in the quarter, the increases were
largely offset by the effect of productivity programs.
Gross margin is expected to improve in the second half of 2012 due to
initiatives that have already been implemented including a cat litter
price increase, new product launches in the personal care business,
in-house production of unit dose detergent, ramp-up of the new
Victorville, California facility and the reduction in retailer slotting
costs. As a result, the Company expects full year gross margin to
increase by an amount at the lower end of its 25-50 basis point annual
Marketing expense was $88.4 million in the second quarter, a
slight increase of $0.9 million or 1.0% over the prior year second
quarter. Marketing expense as a percentage of net sales was 12.7%, a
decrease of 30 basis points compared to the prior year second quarter,
and 290 basis points above the first quarter of 2012. Marketing expense
is expected to continue to increase in the second half of 2012 to
support new product launches.
Selling, general, and administrative expense (SG&A) was $92.2
million in the second quarter, a $2.5 million decrease from the prior
year second quarter. SG&A as a percentage of net sales was 13.2%, an 80
basis point reduction from the prior year second quarter, primarily due
to lower legal costs.
Income from Operations was $122.4 million in the second quarter,
an increase of $4.6 million or 3.9% over the prior year second quarter.
Operating income as a percentage of net sales was 17.6%, a 10 basis
point increase over the prior year second quarter.
The effective tax rate in the second quarter was 35.6%, compared
to 30.6% in the prior year second quarter. The 2011 rate reflects a $6
million tax benefit resulting from New Jersey corporate tax reform. The
Company expects the full year effective tax rate to be approximately 35%.
Operating Cash Flow
For the first six months of 2012, net cash from operating activities was
$189.2 million, an increase of $17.5 million or 10.2% over the same
period in the prior year. The increase in net cash from operating
activities is a result of higher net income and a smaller increase in
working capital. Capital expenditures for the first six months of 2012
were $40.0 million, a $16.4 million increase over the same period in the
prior year. The increase in capital expenditures is primarily related to
the Company's construction of its new Victorville, California
manufacturing and distribution facility.
In the second quarter, the Company purchased 2.2 million shares of its
common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $110 million. This
brings the six month total to 4.1 million shares at an aggregate cost of
approximately $200 million. The Company does not anticipate making any
additional purchases for the balance of 2012.
New Product Activity
Mr. Craigie commented, "Our strong organic growth in the first half of
2012 has been driven by successful new products including our
first-to-market ARM & HAMMER unit dose laundry detergent, ARM & HAMMER
Sensitive Laundry Detergent with fragrance, OXICLEAN Booster for
dishwashers, ARM & HAMMER ULTRA LAST cat litter, the co-branded ARM &
HAMMER ORAJEL Sensitive toothpaste and the new TROJAN CHARGED condom."
He added, "We are building upon these successes in the second half of
the year with the launch of the SPINBRUSH Tooth Tunes manual toothbrush
and the unique ORAJEL single dose cold sore treatment with a patented
delivery system. All of these new products will be supported by
increased marketing spending to continue to deliver strong organic sales
growth on both our value-oriented and premium priced products."
Outlook for 2012
Mr. Craigie stated, "We continue to expect a difficult and challenging
economic environment for the remainder of 2012. Consumer spending and
growth in many categories is expected to remain weak due to high
unemployment and consumer uncertainty. Commodity price pressure remains
in 2012 and competition will remain fierce. Nevertheless, we are in a
strong position to continue to deliver value to our stockholders as a
result of our balanced portfolio of value and premium products,
aggressive cost cutting and tight management of overhead costs."
With regard to 2012, Mr. Craigie stated, "We continue to expect organic
net sales growth to be at the high end of our 3-4% annual target due to
our strong first half results of 6% and our innovative new product
launches in 2012. Organic net sales growth over comparable periods in
2011 is anticipated to be lower in the second half of 2012 because of
significantly higher organic net sales growth rates in the second half
of 2011. Gross margin is expected to increase by an amount at the lower
end of our 25-50 basis points annual target. We plan to increase our
marketing support in the second half and focus it behind our power
brands and our innovative new value and premium products, which we
believe will continue to drive market share gains."
Mr. Craigie added, "As a result of these factors, we continue to expect
diluted earnings per share for 2012 to be in the range of $2.41 to
$2.43. This is an increase of 14-15% on a reported basis, and 9-10% over
2011, excluding a deferred tax valuation allowance charge of $0.09 per
share that we incurred in the fourth quarter of 2011."
In addition, Mr. Craigie stated, "With regard to the third quarter, we
expect continued strong organic sales growth and diluted earnings per
share of approximately $0.58, compared to $0.54 in last year's third
Church & Dwight Co., Inc. will host a conference call to discuss second
quarter 2012 results on August 7, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. (ET). To
participate, dial in at 877-741-4354, access code: 11373702
(International: 832-900-4630, same access code: 11373702). A replay will
be available two hours after the call at 855-859-2056 or 404-537-3406
(same access code: 11373702). You also can participate via webcast by
visiting the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.churchdwight.com.
Church & Dwight Co., Inc. manufactures and markets a wide range of
personal care, household and specialty products under the ARM & HAMMER
brand name and other well-known trademarks.
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among
other things, the effect of product mix; earnings per share; reported
net sales growth and organic sales growth; volume growth, including the
effects of new products; gross margins; operating margins; marketing
spending; commodity price increases; consumer spending; cost savings
programs; marketing support; effective tax rate; net cash from operating
activities; capital expenditures; competition; and customer response to
new products. These statements represent the intentions, plans,
expectations and beliefs of the Company, and are subject to risks,
uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company's
control and could cause actual results to differ materially from such
forward-looking statements. The uncertainties include assumptions
as to market growth and consumer demand (including the effect of
political and economic events on consumer demand), retailer actions in
response to changes in consumer demand and the economy, raw material and
energy prices, the financial condition of major customers and suppliers,
interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and
changes in marketing and promotional spending. With regard to the
new product introductions referred to in this release, there is
particular uncertainty relating to trade, competitive and consumer
reactions. Other factors that could materially affect actual
results include the outcome of contingencies, including litigation,
pending regulatory proceedings, environmental matters and the
acquisition or divestiture of assets. For a description of
additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from the forward looking statements, please see the Company's quarterly
and annual reports filed with the SEC, including information in the
Company's annual report on Form 10-K in Item 1A, "Risk Factors".
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow (Unaudited)
Product Line Net Sales
The following discussion addresses the non-GAAP
measures used in this press release and reconciliations of non-GAAP
measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures:
The following non-GAAP measures may not be the
same as similar measures provided by other companies due to differences
in methods of calculation and items and events being excluded.
Organic Sales Growth
The press release provides information regarding organic sales growth,
namely net sales growth excluding the effect of acquisitions and foreign
exchange rate changes, and including fourth quarter 2011 sales
resulting from a timing shift in customer orders in anticipation of the
January 2012 U.S. information systems upgrade. Management believes that
the presentation of organic sales growth is useful to investors because
it enables them to assess, on a consistent basis, sales trends related
to products that were marketed by the Company during the entirety of
relevant periods, excluding the effect of sales timing shifts and
foreign exchange rate changes that are out of the control of, and do not
reflect the performance of, management.
Percentage Increase in Earnings Per Share Growth
The press release contains the Company's 2012 second quarter earnings
per share growth excluding a $0.04 per share tax benefit associated with
New Jersey corporate tax reform in the second quarter of 2011 and
forecasted 2012 earnings per share of $2.41 to $2.43, an increase of
9-10%, excluding the deferred tax charge of $0.09 per share in the
fourth quarter of 2011. If the deferred tax charge was not excluded, the
forecasted 2012 earnings would constitute an increase of 14-15%.
Management believes the exclusion of the second quarter 2011 tax benefit
and the fourth quarter 2011 deferred tax charge is useful to investors
because it enables investors to compare performance in 2011 and 2012,
without augmenting the amount of the increase to give effect to
extraordinary charges that do not reflect the Company's day-to-day
Source: Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
Church & Dwight Co., Inc.Matthew T. Farrell,
609-683-5900Chief Financial Officer
Please fill in your information below. A link to this page will be emailed to your colleague.


text:
If you think the El Dorado Hills Library has awesome children's programs you aren't biased. Recognized as a leader in pre-literacy programs for 0 to 5-year-olds in California, the El Dorado County Library system recently received a $90,000 grant to share its best practices statewide.
El Dorado County Director of Library Services Jeanne Amos and El Dorado Hills Branch Manager Carolyn Brooks sat down with Village Life and explained the chronology of events leading up to the grant. In 2006 the State Library led an early brain development workshop and both said they were hooked.
"I was first a children's librarian and Carolyn was a teacher," said Amos. "Once a child's advocate, always a child's advocate."
"Did you know 90 percent of a child's brain is developed by the age of 3?" asked Brooks. "And 70 percent is developed by 1?"
The best way to foster this development is through hands-on, imaginative play, both Amos and Brooks said repeatedly.
"Kids just think they're playing, but it's so good for them in so many ways," Brooks explained.
County library officials found an early partner in First 5 El Dorado, whose primary mandate is to ensure that young children "will enter kindergarten ready for school, academically, socially, and physically." With $1,200 from First 5, the libraries launched their initial children's program, which has since become a robust program offering near daily activities from traditional storytime and music to art and puppet theater.
"We are where the children are. It just makes sense we work together," said Brooks. "Every county should pair up with their First 5."
In 2010 "43,000 young children, their parents and caregivers participated successfully in the pre-literacy-based programs with El Dorado County libraries and their collaborative partners," said Brooks.
In 2012 the State Library took notice and approached Amos and Brooks about mentoring rural Tehama County's library system so its leaders could create similar enrichment programs. The one-year, $90,000 grant expands on this notion, but the state would like to share El Dorado County's successes with many others. Brooks said homeschooling parents, in-home or large preschools, and other caregivers of small children would benefit as well.
A chunk of the grant will go toward giving the current county bookmobile a makeover. The van will get a colorful vinyl wrap and be renamed Playmobile. Brooks said it would be packed with sand tables, problem-solving games and other fun activities often found at the county's libraries.
"We're taking our programs out on the road," she explained. "We're going to hire a librarian, a driver and an assistant by September and the van will be out at least five days a week."
Currently the bookmobile operates on donations only and visits rural areas in El Dorado County once a week. They are looking for volunteers to help and they welcome visit requests.
"The playmobile will visit home daycares, schools, farmers' markets, apartment complexes and especially rural areas with limited resources," said Brooks.
Library officials will also mentor others via Pinterest and You Tube. Brooks has created an early learning Pinterest site (pinterest.com/ELF2Libraries) that has a range of boards by ages and activities. Singer and guitarist Francie Dillon has her own board on the page with a series of musical You Tube videos perfect for parents or caregivers who may want to brush up on children's song tunes or lyrics.
Though the grant was intended for other California libraries and its residents, Brooks said its influence is far-reaching.
"People from all over the world are finding our Pinterest site," she said.
"It is quite an honor to be considered leaders in the state," said Brooks and Amos. "Our goal is to help families and caregivers be the very best first teachers for their children."


text:
...and a modern viral campaign ...and a classic bait-n-switch.
(UPDATED with semidupliclaim and links!) Advertising agencies in Bogota are a busy lot. When theyˆre not plotting razor-sharp campaigns for the local cocaine cartels, fleeing from kidnappers, contracting death squads to take out their competition and bribing local authorities to look the other way, they occasionally find time to work on an honest-to-goodness project or two.
Concocting the dreamy bachellionaire Bob Harris was one such campaign, sans the honesty...and the goodness.
"For a few giddy weeks, a rich American bachelor named Bob Harris was the fantasy of legions of Colombian women -- and even a few men.
"Six thousand sent e-mails and checked him out on the Internet.
"Five times that many dialed a toll-free number, pining to meet the blond, tanned executive who raced cars, abstained from vice, and sought a Colombian bride to share his lonely mansion in Virginia.
"Alas, none of it was true, the heartbroken masses found out this week.
"The adventurous man whose Web site, television spots and magazine and newspaper classifieds exalting Colombian women's "latin flavor" was the invention of a deceptive advertising campaign to sell cars."
For the full Salon/AP story, go HERE
(UPDATE) And here's the Bob Harris Web site.
Hmmm.... Do you suspect that perhaps somebody was just a weeeeeee bit inspired by the Buddy Lee "Suger Greg, Curry and Roy" viral campaign? Methinks we may have a dupliclaim here on some level or another. - Clay
Somewhere, a Curry is crying.
NIFTY NOTE: For you non-Spanish-speaking types, cut'n'paste the Bob Harris Web site address into the "Web site" option at Babelfish for an amusing Spanglish translation. (Be sure to choose "Spanish into English" in the drop down menu.)


text:
Get Tutored by Sharyn
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Below you will find a partial list of classes I tutor in. I have a hard time keeping up with all the different class names, so if your class is not on the list, give me a call. However, I do not tutor statistics. I am familiar with Webworks, Coursecompass, Alexs, myMathLab and the other online homework sites.
I have availability throughout the day, some evenings, and Sundays at my office at Scottsdale Rd, just north of Chaparral in Scottsdale. Call for hours. I also offer online tutoring. Online tutoring is a great alternative. Many prefer to use it as it is still one-on-one, is easy to use, availability is often sooner, and no travelling. Email or call and we can set up a free trial. The online classroom is set up with webcam, audio, a whiteboard and desktop sharing. All sessions are recorded in case you need to look back and boards can all be copied and saved.
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I have helped many students get through University of Phoenix's math classes including the online classes. There is no reason to have to take the math courses repeatedly. Lets get you through it the first time! I can even help with Alexs, CourseCompass, WebAssign and all the different forms of online homework. Call for info.
Online students - save yourself hours of reading dry math books. Let me show you how to complete the problems and get though the course quickly. I have desktop sharing which allows me to see your material on your computer.
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GF White butcher's Mediterranean loke earns top Aylsham in Bloom award
PUBLISHED: 13:53 30 August 2012 | UPDATED: 14:00 30 August 2012
Red geraniums against whitewashed walls have lent a Mediterranean air to Aylsham this summer - and the sight has earned honours for one of the town's family-run businesses.
Aylsham in Bloom has awarded top prize in its annual town-centre competition for commercial enterprises to GF White Butchers, on Red Lion Street.
The Whites also own buildings along adjoining Blofields Loke which are kept pristine white and decorated with colourful geranium-filled baskets and tubs, tended and watered by Peter White.
Aylsham in Bloom spokesman Sheila Merriman said the group was launched three years ago and the volunteer members' aim was to make the town centre more attractive.
"Blickling Hall gets over 150,000 visitors a year and they account for much of the traffic going through Aylsham," she said.
"If I'm driving through somewhere colourful and attractive, I'm much more likely to stop there for lunch, and to do some shopping, than in somewhere grey and uninteresting."
Competition judge Thordis Fridriksson, host of BBC Radio Norfolk's Garden Party, also awarded highly commended certificates to four other businesses: the Black Boys inn, Lavenders Blue florist; Market Place Restaurant and electrical retailer Postles.
Aylsham Heritage Centre received a special mention for an indoor paper sculpture, including real flowers, made by child visitors.
In-bloom members also plant and maintain tubs in the town centre and flower beds on Cawston Road and on the road to Blickling. Plants are grown on through the winter by children at Aylsham High School and Bure Valley School and older pupils help with spring planting.
Next year the committee hopes to spruce up the area at the junction of Burgh Road and Norwich Road, by providing tubs and having the town sign repainted.


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The triangulation continued on Tuesday between the Shumlin administration, the Senate and the employees' union over the size of the facility that will replace the Vermont State Hospital.
Gov. Peter Shumlin wants a 16-bed facility; the Vermont State Employees Association is pushing for a psychiatric hospital with 50 beds; and the state Senate will take up amendments this afternoon that range from 25 to 50 beds.
The vehicle for the legislation, H.630, under consideration in the Senate today, originally included 25 beds as approved by the House a few weeks ago. The Senate version of the bill has 16 beds, with no option to increase that number.
At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Shumlin insisted that a larger psychiatric hospital would not be eligible for Medicaid funding. The governor said he met with officials from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare in Washington last week. They said, according to Shumlin, that they would not support a 60 percent federal match for an institution for mental disease larger than 16 beds.
"I made very clear the discussions going on in this Legislature about whether we could build 16 beds or 25 beds or 30 beds," Shumlin said. "All I can tell you with certainty is this: It is incredibly likely that should this Legislature vote for more than 16 beds, Vermont taxpayers will be paying $10 million every single year out of their pockets that should be paid for by the federal government. I was very specific with them about our situation and what they said was, 'Governor, you have to know there's no example in the country where if you build more than 16 beds in a new facility that you'll get reimbursed from federal government.'"
That $10 million is a reference to the current reimbursement rate from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare for patients now placed at regional hospital facilities around the state in the wake of the Aug. 28 flood that destroyed the Vermont State Hospital. Before the Tropical Storm Irene disaster, the state had been ineligible for the 60 percent Medicaid match from the feds because the state hospital was decertified by CMS in 2003. For at least eight years, the state lost about $10 million a year in federal funding for the psychiatric facility.
Shumlin wants to preserve that federal funding going forward by moving toward a decentralized mental health system that relies on private hospitals like Rutland Regional Medical Center, Brattleboro Retreat and Fletcher Allen Health Care.
"We are running a business here in the respect that government is an operation that has to be fiscally responsible," Shumlin said. "All I can say is our plan has found the balance between the best quality with the patients who come first and the best deal for Vermont taxpayers. This debate's important. I need a bill on my desk that allows the administration to build a 16 bed facility not a 17 bed facility."
The governor, who originally asked for a bill on his desk by Feb. 17, urged lawmakers to move as quickly as possible.
"I think what the Legislature must understand is that we are in crisis," Shumlin said. "People's lives are at stake here. Get me a bill. This crisis will not get better with time. Every day a bill is not on my desk it's more likely that a tragedy is going to come to Vermont."


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2002 330xi in winter hill
I live out in the country in Iowa and all we have now are 4x4s. I am looking to get a 330xi because of the awd. The reason I have to have 4wd/awd is I live on a steep lane that sometimes goes unplowed. I know once it is plowed, I can make it in anything. I just want to know if it will make it up the hill after a snow, and how deep you think is too deep for it. Also, i was hopeing to get a manuel, but i want to know if you think an automatic bmw would be better in snow (and yes, i know how to drive stick, my old GMC truck was a stick). Thanks for all responses.
With a good set of snow tires, the Xi will dominate all. I've driven through 16 inches of snow before and followed my friend's jeep through mostly everything. Only time I got stuck is when I stopped and sunk in, the only reason for this is lack of ground clearance though.
I'm sorry, I don't an Xi is good for any snow over 7 inches, max. And that's fresh snow. Solid or frozen stuff, I'd limit it to 4 inches. All you need to do is hit a solid clump left by a plow or what have you, and it's going to take out the lower front air dam and potentially the shields underneath.
Plows in my area do a lousy job of cleaning up my road. I cringe when I see any ruts or junk left behind... I've bottomed my wifes Xi out a few times.
I prefer manuals in the snow. I like autos for commuting or relaxing drives. Manual for when you need full control of the vehicle.
Thanks for all the help guys. I have always wanted a BMW since I was a kid. I am glad that the xi's can handle the snowy stuff, and that the Manuel in them is geared right that it will work in snow. I knew the quattro would work, but I have always preferred bimmers, so I'm glad to know it will work. I will be looking towards a 330 with a manuel so I can enjoy it during the other three seasons.
They're definitely fun in the snow! I just wouldn't use one to bust through snowbanks ;)
The balance of the car and the power distribution make the car a blast to drive. Plenty of 'steering with the right foot' when traction control is disabled.
My 325xi with Kumho Ectsa 4x's rips it up in the snow. I've had four 4x4 trucks, and although they could plow through anything, my Xi still feels better on an icy road.
4 New england winters on Conti Contacts and no problems.
I had a '02 325xi auto on conti contacts for the past two NE Iowa winters, never had an issue. Like it was said earlier, I too felt a bit more secure driving that on an icy road than rumbling around in my F-150, like I had mor control... Now I upgraded to an '04 330xi w/6 speed so I'm excited to see how that handles the white stuff :excited:
Having an automatic XI, yes, mine is a snow cat in the Pacific Northwest. I'm a fan of studless, Goodrich Blizzak type tires for winter. All season flavors don't cut it here. Never had a problem ascending scary hills or ice situations. I leave DSC on and have seen the traction control lamp flicker while worming through, let's say, challenging conditions. I have not nor will consider lowering my car. The extra height helps clear the air dam when running on unplowed, rutted roads should you slip off into the trench.
Great cars auto or manual. I've actually tried to perform "bat turns" jacking the wheel while gassing her. No deal and no fun. You have to disable DSC to play "drifting" driver.
2001 330xi takes me from Portland, OR to Bend, OR (I5 S to Hwy 22 East) every month all year long. Do a google map on this road and you'll see it is windy, has a 4000' summit, and a joy to drive on wet or snow covered roads.
I drive on Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires and couldn't be happier. They run well in wet and snow and are all season so no swapping.
I have never put chains on the car even in the dead of winter with plowed snow on roads. I have not gone on unplowed roads. That is for my Yukon Denali.
I have a 2004 325xi, with b30 stroker kit, I live in north west Canada, and have pushed the car threw many un plowed roads the air dam does fill with snow but the rash guard does seem to hold up pretty well. I can also say people are amazed when a little sedan pulls tundras and small suv's out the ditch. Only thing that sucks is the dsc does make it hard to get out of the way of traffic from a stop.
If you are looking at buying a 330xi with a manual transmission i'd get the later 03+ 6 speed. I've driven 5 and 6 speeds back to back and much prefer the 6 speeds! Hope you find the perfect car :)
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Cat. No. 1240
Price and AvailabilityBy clicking submit you agree to accept a cookie from Tocris Bioscience. For details, please read our privacy and cookie policy.
Chemical Name: 8,8'-[carbonylbis(imino-3,1-phenylen
Biological ActivityA subtype-selective, competitive and reversible P2X1 receptor antagonist. Displays IC50 values of 0.21, 28.9, > 50 and > 100 μM for human P2X1, P2X3, P2X2, and P2X4-mediated responses respectively. Selective over adrenoceptors, histamine and P2Y receptors. Also selectively inhibits the α-subunit of Go/i (EC50 ~300 nM).
Technical DataM.Wt:
The technical data provided above is for guidance only. For batch specific data refer to the Certificate of Analysis.
All Tocris products are intended for laboratory research use only.
Certificate of Analysis / Product Datasheet / Safety Datasheet
References are publications that support the products' biological activity.
Sneddon et al (2000) The effect of P2 receptor antagonists and ATPase inhibition on sympathetic purinergic neurotransmission in the guinea-pig isolated vas deferens. Br.J.Pharmacol. 129 1089. PMID: 10725256.
Soto et al (1999) Antagonistic properties of the suramin analogue NF023 at heterologously expressed P2X receptors. Neuropharmacology 38 141. PMID: 10193905.
Freissmuth et al (1996) Suramin analogues as subtype-selective G protein inhibitors. Mol.Pharmacol. 49 602. PMID: 8609887.
Van Rhee et al (1994) Novel competitive antagonists for P2 purinoceptors. Eur.J.Pharmacol. 268 1. PMID: 7925607.
If you know of a relevant reference for NF 023 please let us know.
Citations are publications that use Tocris products. Selected citations for NF 023 include:
Ren et al (2014) The approved pediatric drug suramin identified as a clinical candidate for the treatment of EV71 infection-suramin inhibits EV71 infection in vitro and in vivo. Emerg Microbes Infect 3 e62. PMID: 26038755.
Beckham et al (2013) Acid ceramidase induces sphingosine kinase 1/S1P receptor 2-mediated activation of oncogenic Akt signaling. Oncogenesis 2 e49. PMID: 23732709.
Manohar et al (2012) ATP release and autocrine signaling through P2X4 receptors regulate γδ T cell activation. J Leukoc Biol 92 787. PMID: 22753954.
Donnelly-Roberts et al (2009) Mammalian P2X7 receptor pharmacology: comparison of recombinant mouse, rat and human P2X7 receptors. Br J Pharmacol 157 1203. PMID: 19558545.
Labrakakis et al (2003) Localization and function of ATP and GABAA receptors expressed by nociceptors and other postnatal sensory neurons in rat. J Physiol 549 131. PMID: 12665615.
Do you know of a great paper that uses NF 023 from Tocris? If so please let us know.show all ▼show less ▲
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Keywords: NF 023, supplier, inhibitors, inhibits, Go/i, α-subunits, alpha-subunits, P2X, purinoceptors, antagonists, Selective, competitive, G-Protein, Signaling, Signalling, Heterotrimeric, Receptors, Purinergic, NF023, Tocris Bioscience, Purinergic (P2X) Receptor Antagonist products


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Hello all! I don't know what it is about the month of December, but I can't seem to catch my breathe! I love the holiday season, but boy is it a busy one! I'm going to go ahead and blame … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Christmas decorations
For the past two Christmases I've really been wanting to make one of the swanky no-sew ruffled Christmas tree skirts that you see all over Pinterest this time of year. Well, this was the year! I spent over 6 hours … Continue reading
Even though I've had my house decorated for Christmas since Thanksgiving, I somehow managed to keep all my decorations a secret until now! I love our giant tree this year! And I'm almost done Christmas shopping and wrapping, so the … Continue reading
Yesterday I shared my Christmas mantel and fireplace decorations with y'all and I showed you my new favorite Christmas decoration, Frosty and his friends! They are wooden snowmen made from 4×4's! I was inspired to make these little guys by … Continue reading
To me nothing is more Christmasy than a fireplace. There are so many Christmas songs that talk about snuggling or gathering in front of fires and it just makes me so happy to have one burning. One of my favorite … Continue reading
Seriously though, don't they know I have a blog to run?!?! I ordered some Rub 'N Buff (first time ever, so excited!) and it was supposed to arrive on Wednesday. I had plans to finish my project, write up a … Continue reading


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|Highway Statistics 2000
|OHPI > Highway Statistics > 2000 > Highway Finance > Table STP-1A
1/ The data reported in this table are from the Fiscal Management Information System.
2/ Includes projects not identified by functional system.
This table is also availible for download in the following formats:
To view PDF files, you need the Acrobat® Reader®.
OHPI Home | Highway Statistics 2000 | Data Feedback


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The Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt issue hasn't officially been resolved yet, but here are some pictures that should finalize the argument. I don't know about you, but if I'm married and am going to hold another woman's hand in public, you better believe I'm also going to be having crazy animal sex with her. There's very little chance I'd ruin a marriage to Jennifer Aniston by holding another woman's hand without at least getting something to show for it. But that's just me. I'm picky about the way I ruin my marriages. Although there was that one time Dustin Diamond approached me while I was drunk at Cinespace. Boy, was that a mistake I'll only make twice.
*Edit: Yes, obviously they're on set. It's only interesting because the cameras don't seem to actually be on them.


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- Admissions
- Academics
- Campus Life
- Athletics
- Cost & Aid
- News & Events
- About Plattsburgh
Produced by the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Student Committee on Teaching Excellence, with input from the students of SUNY Plattsburgh. Vol. 1, issue 2. Read other issues
What makes a good lecture/lecturer?
"A good lecturer is one who can comprehensively get across their teaching to students by using terms, jargon, at the level that students of their classes can fully understand, and engage in and add to discussions." - Nicholas Williams
"If a professor can keep my attention and keep me thinking of the material outside of class, then they're a good professor." -Jessica Balcom
"Engagement. The ability to capture ideas quickly and in an entertaining way. It isn't about humor per se, but it is about wit. No one will ever want to learn and be bored. We are not wired that way." - Andrew Mitchell
"A good lecturer is someone who is willing to listen when students talk and is understanding when they do not comprehend something. A good lecturer must also be enthusiastic about the subject they lecture on and must, obviously, be knowledgeable about it." - Candice Ruppert
...from the Student Committee on Teaching Excellence (SCTE)
What gets rave reviews:
What doesn't:
If you want to be successful, do this:
Don't do this:
November's Teacher of the Month is Olivia O'Donnell, Ph.D., lecturer in Political Science.
"I try to make them interact and become connected because they're going to need that in order to survive." - Olivia O'Donnell
In the first two months of tabling for nominees, the SCTE collected 67 faculty nominations (44 individual). Although they are a diverse group, there are characteristics that these faculty have in common: they are caring, passionate, and go to great lengths to help their students understand material. Olivia received a number of nominations that detailed such characteristics, which was why the SCTE chose her from the many worthy nominees.
Excerpts from nominating submissions:
It is obvious that Olivia gives a great deal of thought to how she interacts with the students. "We have to show care for them; there are a lot of things going on in our lives, their lives, and I'm concerned that they are too plugged into technology and not connected with each other. I try to make them interact and become connected because they're going to need that in order to survive."
Olivia also challenges her students on difficult issues to help them learn to think critically until "they have enough self-confidence to go out and conquer the world."
Olivia now has her own CTE Teacher of the Month coffee mug to use while she is grading finals.
For more information about the Center for Teaching Excellence, please contact:
Becky Kasper, Ph.D., Director
SUNY Plattsburgh
301 Feinberg Library, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Phone: (518) 564-3043
Fax: (518) 564-5100
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Within an hour of two planes flying into the twin towers of N ew York's World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, Walmart had placed an order with its supplier for extra stocks of American flags.
Having a fully automated stock control system gave the company a competitive advantage because it was the first to respond to the trend of a massive spike in flag sales that continued over the coming weeks and months.
Target's system placed its orders within a day, but even that delay meant reduced margins because its supplier of choice had already committed all its stock to Walmart. Kmart's stock control system was on a weekly cycle and so by the time it got around to ordering additional supplies none of the wholesalers had any flags left.
Michael Gonzales, an instructor with The Data Warehousing Institute in the US who holds a doctorate in organisational analytics, shared this anecdote with C3 Business Solutions managing director Conrad Bates during a recent trip to Australia.
Bates says demand for improved information management infrastructure from the financial services sector has increased since the 2008 financial crisis. Meanwhile, the challenges of climate change, social security and health are driving demand from government clients, and decreasing discretionary spending is creating a big push in the retail sector to understand consumer behaviour better.
"When the economy gets constrained businesses become more introspective so the C3 business model is anti-cyclical to economy," he says. "Most clients want to improve because they are rich in data but poor in information."
One of the earliest and most important steps is to "group like reporting" he says. "In one instance, five separate parts of the business were all doing supply chain reporting."
Business development managers usually instigate information management overhauls because they want to increase sales or grow the supply chain capability "but it appeals to CFOs because it's a way to save money".
C3's clients "normally sign an investment plan of $20 million over a four-year period to save $30 million", says Bates. Every month the client can decide whether to harvest the savings or reinvest them. "More often than not, about 70 per cent of the time, they go for a reinvestment plan."
Bates has found that in companies with between 1000 and 10 000 employees, on average "for every 1000 employees there's roughly between $2 to $3 million per annum of inefficient spend on reporting". This is work being done manually, often with areas of duplication which could be automated.
More mature organisations that have already spent considerable time and effort streamlining reporting tend to expect they will find very little fat to trim. But Bates has found that many organisations which assess themselves highly on a scale for the maturity of their information management are still missing the opportunity for big savings. "One client in the financial services client that expected zero opportunities for savings were right on the median and got $3 million," he says.
Projects to improve information management systems often begin with reducing the staff hours required to perform manual processes. But they rarely result in job losses, because what tends to happen is that once those people are relieved of that manual work, they create more value.
"Typically a bunch of people go from being data collectors to business analysts so they tend to not reduce staff," he says. "But it's never really clear at the outset what value those staff hours would be capable of creating."
Cloud computing means large-scale business intelligence projects are now viable for many more organisations because data can be uploaded to virtualised servers that can be rented by the hour. This means companies can do the sorts of big data analysis that wouldn't have been possible before without a massive investment in IT infrastructure.
Bates recently worked with a retail client which uploaded "four years worth of point of sale data" to the cloud, enabling it to be manipulated into useful information.
But many businesses are still storing their data on a server in the basement and don't have the network bandwidth to upload it to the cloud. This problem has created a business opportunity for Bates, who is launching a new cloud-based hosted version of his product C3 Integrity.
Better information management systems also make it easier to exchange information between different users such as when "state and federal government departments want to do a data handshake" says Bates.
It also opens up the possibility of integrating enterprise information with external data-sets that can create a much richer picture.
"There are lots very useful data-sets available from www.data.gov.au – including sources such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Electoral Commission and the Bureau of Meteorology – that can be overlaid on to maps," says Bates.
The Australian Financial Review


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16 U.S. Code § -
prev | next
(a) Fish and Wildlife Service
(1) Management
(A) In general
Subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may issue a special use authorization to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the management by the Service of facilities and land agreed on by the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior.
(B) Fees
(i) In general Reasonable admission and use fees may be charged for all areas administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
(ii) Deposit The fees shall be deposited in accordance with section 460lll–24 of this title.
(2) Cooperation
The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior may cooperate or act jointly on activities such as population monitoring and inventory of fish and wildlife with emphasis on migratory birds and endangered and threatened species, environmental education, visitor services, conservation demonstration projects and scientific research.
(3) Subordination of fish and wildlife activities to overall management
The management and use of areas and facilities under permit to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as authorized pursuant to this section shall be subordinate to the overall management of the Recreation Area as directed by the Secretary.
(b) Authorities
For the management, maintenance, operation, and interpretation of the Recreation Area and its facilities, the Secretary may—
(1) make grants and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with Federal agencies, governmental units, nonprofit organizations, corporations, and individuals; and
Source(Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(e) [title V, § 526], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–231, 2681–316.)
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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How To Unlock Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos B5512
To start unlocking Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos B5512, please read every step carefully and your Samsung device will be unlocked in minutes.
These are instructions with fewer details. If you prefer instructions with pictures, please skip this guide and download the PDF version here:
Shut down your PC's firewall and antivirus. Connect to the Internet with a standard high speed connection and not a wireless modem, a VPN, or a Proxy. Unlock at home and not at a company.
Download the unlock software and install all items.
If you have the software Samsung Kies or PC Studio installed, uninstall it from your PC. Reboot computer.
Insert SD memory card into the phone and turn off write protection if needed. Insert original SIM and turn phone on. If you don't have one, don't insert any. In case you see the "Phone Freeze" error, don't use any SIM either.
On your phone, make sure Bluetooth is turned off. Increase screen time out to the maximum if available.
On your phone, turn on USB Debugging: Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging and checkmark the box. On some phones, the path may be Settings > Programs > Development > USB debugging.
Connect phone to PC. Select Kies Mode in case the phone gives you the option to do that.
Launch GalaxyUnlocker software on your PC. Enter your username and password and connect (if you don't have one, buy it here).
Press the Rescan button. If the unlock software gives you the error that ports have not been set correctly, download the PDF guide above and go to step 10 at the end of the document to see how to set ports correctly.
Click Direct Unlock and the software will unlock the phone automatically. If the phone has to be rooted, the software will ask you to complete extra steps. If Direct Unlock didn't work, click Read Unlock Codes, write down the unlock code, disconnect the phone from PC and insert non-original SIM card (borrow one if you don't have one). Enter the unlock code. If the phone doesn't ask for a code, download the above PDF guide and see step 12 at the end of the document for alternative instructions.
Your Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos B5512 is now unlocked.


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Christopher Elliott
The Line
When the assassination of an Asian mobster fans the flames of a potential gang war, loose-cannon undercover cop Sgt. Mike Calis (Andy McPhee) and by-the-book Detective James Jewel (David Barry) are forced to work together to quell the violence. But as they work to unravel the details of the murder, Calis and Jewel begin to suspect that they've become pawns in an intricate conspiracy plotted by the city's most powerful figures.


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Continuing its close relationship with nostalgic sportswear label Mitchell & Ness, Hall of Fame advances its latest taut collection of snapbacks. Making use of its "Upside Down" motif, the label continues its adaptation of iconic sports logos and team visuals on a variety of two-tone caps. Amidst the assortment, team choices consist of the Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Washington Bullets and Philadelphia 76ers. The entire range will release on February 2 directly from the Hall of Fame flagship store with other global stockists seeing their delivery shortly.
Photography: Julian Berman


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A man in his 60s has died while trying to rescue a group of young people on the central coast today.
Police reported the group were swimming in Patonga Creek when they got into trouble just before 2.30pm.
"They were taken out by a tide into seas off Patonga Beach," police said in a statement.
The four young people were visiting from Asia and staying with the man, police said.
The man tried to get to them but soon found himself struggling in the strong outgoing current.
Locals used a boat to pull all five from the water and took them to shore.
Members of the public performed CPR on the man until rescue services arrived.
Attempts by paramedics to resuscitate him failed and he was declared dead at the scene.
One of the group was taken to Gosford Hospital for observation. None of the other children were injured.
Police are preparing a report for the coroner.


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Woman's wig "Hailey"
Item number: 511.100.00
synthetic hair, machine-made braids, standard sizes up to 56 cm head size, can be modelled with conventional styling products, price per piece
- Variants: cheeky short hair cut
- colour: copper
- Price plus Shipping costs
- 1 piece €69.00 VAT excl. €68.00 VAT excl. €80.92 VAT incl.
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