text:
They've got a friend in Pennsylvania
Jim Dodaro left a legacy at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
A long line of people, including his son, owe their jobs to Dodaro, who stepped down last year after 20 years on the commission.
Dodaro, who was paid $28,000 a year as one of five appointed turnpike commissioners, says he helped friends, relatives, politicians, neighbors, "people in need." The White Oak lawyer says he helped "30 or 40 people" get jobs at the turnpike.
At the turnpike, patronage is almost as routine a practice as handing out tickets at a tollbooth. It ranges from hiring groundskeepers to more lucrative pinstripe patronage of selecting politically connected lawyers to oversee financial matters.
"It's a patronage pit," said John Hanger, chief executive of PennFuture, a group opposing the turnpike's plans for the Mon-Fayette Expressway.
Take Robert Boyle, a groundskeeper in the turnpike's western regional office who is paid $39,332 a year.
Boyle also cuts Dodaro's grass.
"Hell, yeah, I helped him," Dodaro said. "I'm proud of it. I've helped a lot of people. I'm very proud of it."
Dodaro says he helped political allies. In some cases, he says, he helped people down on their luck.
As a commissioner, Dodaro also helped his son, Daniel, get a job as an operations auditor. Hired in 2003, he's paid $55,795.
Dodaro said the hiring of his son was an isolated instance of nepotism. He later said he helped only one other relative get a job -- "a cousin about 10 years ago."
"I own up to it," Dodaro said of helping his son. "To the extent I can legally and ethically help him, I'll do it, providing he's qualified. Then it's his responsibility to work to the best of his ability."
Daniel Dodaro would not comment, his father said.
Dodaro said he's known Boyle since he was a youth. Boyle cut Dodaro's grass while going to school.
"He still cuts my grass, and I pay him," Dodaro said. Boyle was hired in 1995.
A roster of pinstripe patronage would include the name of Michael Palermo, a friend of state Democratic Sen. Vincent Fumo, of Philadelphia. Palermo is paid $120,000 a year as a turnpike consultant. He is a former turnpike associate executive director .
The turnpike's $10,000-a-month payments to Palermo's company, M&P Consulting, began in March. It was a "sole source" contract, according to agency records. That means the turnpike didn't look anywhere else.
The turnpike refused to provide any studies or progress reports that M&P Consulting has produced for its fee.
Taxpayers also paid Palermo's company $45,000 last year as a transportation consultant to Fumo and the other Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate records show. The state contract was not renewed, said Gary Tuma, a spokesman for Fumo.
Tuma declined to comment when asked whether Fumo, the committee's senior Democrat, helped Palermo get the turnpike contract. Fumo would not answer other questions about the turnpike.
Palermo did not respond to e-mail requests for interviews and could not be reached for comment.
"Mike Palermo has been a tremendous asset to me as an individual who came from the outside in," said turnpike Executive Director Joseph Brimmeier, of Ross Township, Allegheny County. "I'm the first CEO, executive director, whatever title you want to give me ... that came from the outside, to anybody's recollection. ... I needed some help (from) somebody like Mike who had the history of here."
PennDOT Secretary Allen Biehler, of Crafton, Allegheny County, appointed Brimmeier to the job in February 2003.
Since Brimmeier's been on board, he's hired the son of U.S. Rep. Robert Brady, a Philadelphia Democrat and former turnpike commissioner. The younger Robert Brady is paid $74,637 a year as assistant director of operations in the east. Brimmeier last year hired his own cousin, Ed Schauer, of Ross Township, as a plumber earning $34,195 annually. He also approved hiring Dodaro's son.
Brimmeier, who was chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Ron Klink, a Murrysville Democrat and an aide to Allegheny County Commissioner Tom Foerster, says he "recruited" his cousin for two reasons.
"One, (Schauer) is one of the most qualified people I know, and two, I wanted to prove to people here that we could get qualified trained tradesmen to work for the turnpike because they're guaranteed 12 months' employment out of the year as opposed to six or seven or eight months on the outside," Brimmeier said.
Brimmeier said the turnpike takes recommendations from politicians, but he makes sure they can do the work. "Do we take references from legislators and senators• Absolutely we do," he said. "But we also turn a whole hell of a lot of them down. If that person is qualified to do the job, and I respect that person or personally know they can do the job, I'm going to hire them."
David Crain, hired as a turnpike equipment operator in 2001, was making $38,875 earlier this year. He was promoted this summer to assistant foreman, at $44,393, records show. David Crain is married to Cindy Crain, a longtime aide in the district office of Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, an Altoona Republican.
"We weighed in, suggesting we know (Crain) and that he's a qualified individual," said Mike Long, Jubelirer's chief of staff. "But (turnpike officials) have to make the determination."
Long said David Crain has worked in trucking and mechanics. He is a constituent of Jubelirer's.
"We do that for constituents whether their spouses work for the senator or not," Long said.
The turnpike's 2,300-person payroll in some cases reads like a "who's who" of the politically connected:
Alphonse Lepore, brother of Anthony Lepore, chief of staff for Democratic Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow, of Lackawanna County, is deputy chief counsel, making $108,497 a year.
Melvin Shelton, longtime second in command of Philadelphia's 34th Ward under Brady, was rehired last February as assistant director of projects in the east at $76,204 a year. He's a former director of operations in the east, having retired in 1998 at a salary of $89,096.
Ronald Dininni, nephew of the late House Transportation Committee Chairman Rudy Dininni, a Republican, is employed as a right-of-way coordinator at $61,904 a year.
Paul Pistella, brother of state Rep. Frank Pistella, is a toll collector making $38,875 annually. Pistella is a Democrat from Bloomfield.
Fred A. Trello, son of former state Rep. Fred Trello, an Allegheny County Democrat, is a construction manager paid $49,316 a year.
Jeffrey Hess, son of GOP Rep. Dick Hess, of Bedford County, is paid $91,878 a year as a manager of procurement and materials control.
Douglas Fargo, son of former state GOP Rep. Howard Fargo, of Mercer County, is a toll collector. He's paid $38,875 annually.
Mark Bodack, son of retired Democratic state Sen. Leonard Bodack, of Pittsburgh, is paid $39,332 a year as a district inventory clerk.
James Manderino, son of the late House Speaker James Manderino and brother of Rep. Kathy Manderino, a Philadelphia Democrat, has worked at the turnpike since 1988. He's an assistant district manager paid $59,833 a year.
Most of the turnpike employees contacted by the Trib declined requests for interviews.
"I have no comment," said Shelton. "You guys are going to write what you want to write anyway. Why should I comment?"
Dininni said he was hired nearly 30 years ago, when his uncle was a state legislator. "My qualifications were more than adequate for the vacant position for which I was hired. Whether or not this association was of help during the hiring process is pure conjecture since the question should be more properly asked of the persons responsible for the hiring at that time," he said. "However, I am no longer naive; it may have had a positive influence."
Tony Lepore said he wasn't Mellow's chief of staff when his brother Alphonse was hired at the turnpike in 1991. Tony Lepore previously was Mellow's deputy and before that worked for former state Sen. William Lincoln, a Democratic leader from Fayette County who was appointed by Gov. Ed Rendell to the Turnpike Commission this year. Lincoln served in the Senate from 1979 to 1994.
"Alphonse never asked me to do that," Tony Lepore said. "He would not ask for or accept help from his kid brother." Alphonse Lepore did not return phone calls or respond to mail.
Frank Pistella said he helped his brother get the turnpike job two decades ago.
"This is a job (Paul) got through Jimmy Manderino 20 years ago. I talked to Jimmy," Frank Pistella said. Paul Pistella did not respond to requests for an interview.
Frank Pistella said he sees no problems with patronage as long as the people hired have the "requisite skills."
"Whether (patronage) is abused remains to be seen," Pistella said.
Legislative audits in 1987, 1989 and 1997, as well as an internal management study in 1996, found glaring weaknesses in the Turnpike Commission's hiring practices. Still, patronage hiring continues. Among the studies' findings:
A 1987 study by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee found there was no actual entry point for job applicants and that various commission officials were recommending that people be hired or promoted.
A 1989 study by the same panel found that while "professional hires" were made for certain top-level posts, "sponsored hirings" continued to occur.
A 1996 management study by DeLoitte and Touche found that the agency's human resources department didn't play a significant role in personnel actions. Even department managers were not always included in personnel decisions. The report also found that comprehensive background checks were not conducted on potential new hires.
A 1997 audit by the legislative panel found the "influence of (political) sponsorships in hiring and promotion decisions." It recommended various reforms and increased accountability.


text:
Option Pricing with a Pentanomial Lattice Model that Incorporates Skewness and Kurtosis
This paper analyzes a pentanomial lattice model for option pricing that incorporates skewness and kurtosis of the underlying asset. The lattice is constructed using a moment matching procedure, and explicit positivity conditions for branch probabilities are provided in terms of skewness and kurtosis. We also explore the limiting distribution of this lattice, which is compound Poisson, and give a Fourier transform based formula that can be used to more efficiently price European call and put options. An example illustrates some of the features of this model in capturing volatility smiles and smirks.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.
Volume (Year): 14 (2007)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages: 1-17
|Contact details of provider:
| Web page: http://www.tandfonline.com/RAMF20
|Order Information:
|Web: http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RAMF20
No references listed on IDEAS
You can help add them by filling out this form.
This item is not listed on Wikipedia, on a reading list or among the top items on IDEAS.
When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:apmtfi:v:14:y:2007:i:1:p:1-17. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.
For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (Michael McNulty)
If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.
If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link to it, you can help with this form.
If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Court upholds Filipino drug sentences Nearly 25,000 drug-related cases discovered Customs officers at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi discovered an unknown white solid substance hidden in the suitcase of De Arroz Gastardo Merely, 39, when he arrived from Manila on May 22. A test on the substance indicated that it was a type of synthetic drugs. The Filipino was detained immediately and the case was transferred to the police for investigation, the officers said. Merely told the police that he had been hired by two black men to carry the drug from Manila to Vietnam for US$4,000, which would be paid after Merely accomplished his work. Merely was told by the men that a person would contact him when he arrived in Hanoi to take the drug. The police are continuing with their investigations. … [Read more...]
Foreigner arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs into Vietnam
Investigators from the Ministry of Public Security have taken into custody a Filipino man caught attempting to transport over three kilograms of illegal narcotics into Vietnam, a source told Thanh Nien Monday. The source said police found the methaphetamine in the suitcase of De Arroz Gastardo Merely, 39, at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport last Tuesday. The foreigner told police that two black men hired him to transport the contraband from Manila into Vietnam for US$4,000. Police are investigating the case further. Vietnam has some of the world's toughest drug laws, with those convicted of smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin facing the death sentence. Like us on Facebook and scroll down to share your comment … [Read more...]
Police crack down on drug-linked crime Police began a large-scale blitz on drug-related crimes last weekend in a lead-up to the nation's Anti-drugs Month in June. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked the police, border army and customs officers to co-operate to improve investigations at borders and other hot spots. Dung also asked ministries and local authorities to focus resources on Anti-drugs Month. "Information campaigns should focus on drugs hot spots and areas suitable to plant drug crops," he said. "Education on the bad effects of drugs should be given an emphasis, particularly for young people, students, manual workers and vulnerable groups." Drug-related crimes continue to remain a problem in Viet Nam. Police alone uncovered more than 17,000 cases last year, arresting nearly 25,000 people. Between 2006 and the end of 2010, the nation reported almost 64,000 drug cases, with some 100,000 criminals arrested and more than 1,000kg of heroin and 8 tonnes of cannabis and … [Read more...]
Customs tariff case ruled in favor of business
Customs tariff case ruled in favor of business By Minh Tam - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – The Supreme People's Court in HCMC has announced a local enterprise won a two-year case against the customs over a controversial tariff levy on camera tripods. Phuoc Camera Joint Stock Company filed the case against the Tan Cang unit of the HCMC Department of Customs over a 15% tax slapped on Phuoc Camera's imported tripods. According to the court decision, the Tan Cang customs is ordered to return the earlier-collected VND140 million to Phuoc Camera. The Tan Cang customs on September 2 and November 2, 2010 issued two separate decisions imposing a 15% tax on the tripods imported by Phuoc Camera as they put the product into the group of uncategorized aluminum goods coded 7616. Meanwhile, Phuoc Camera cited Document 7501 of the General Customs Office as saying the tripods could enjoy a tax exemption, so it listed the tripods in the group of tax-free items. Later, the Tan Cang … [Read more...]
Perenco upstages giants Independent oil and gas company Perenco has snapped up the Vietnam-based assets of ConocoPhillips, beating heavy-duty competitors including PetroVietnam and TNK-BP to the punch. US-backed ConocoPhillips announced that it had reached a billion-dollar plus agreement to offload its assets in Vietnam to Perenco, an oil and gas company with operations in 16 countries across the globe. In its statement, ConocoPhillips said the sale of assets in Vietnam was a part of ConocoPhillips's ongoing strategy to create shareholder value. The company said that the Vietnam business unit was sold at a total of $1.29 billion plus customary working capital adjustments. However, previously ConocoPhillips expected that those assets would have total valued at up to $1.5 billion. ConocoPhillips will now sell its three wholly-owned subsidiaries that separately hold a 23.25 per cent participating interest in Block 15-1, a 36 per cent participating interest in Block 15-2, and a … [Read more...]
Perenco upstages giants Independent oil and gas company Perenco has snapped up the Vietnam-based assets of ConocoPhillips, beating heavy-duty competitors including PetroVietnam and TNK-BP to the punch. US-backed ConocoPhillips announced that it had reached a billion-dollar plus agreement to offload its assets in Vietnam to Perenco, an oil and gas company with operations in 16 countries across the globe. In its statement, ConocoPhillips said the sale of assets in Vietnam was a part of ConocoPhillips's ongoing strategy to create shareholder value. The company said that the Vietnam business unit was sold at a total of $1.29 billion plus customary working capital adjustments. However, previously ConocoPhillips expected that those assets would have total valued at up to $1.5 billion. ConocoPhillips will now sell its three wholly-owned subsidiaries that separately hold a 23.25 per cent participating interest in Block 15-1, a 36 per cent participating interest in Block 15-2, and a … [Read more...]
Ho Chi Minh City rejects demand for waste imports The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee yesterday officially rejected a waste treatment company's demand to import 10,000 tons of waste from the US. The city's government has ordered the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment not to approve the demand from Vietnam Waste Solution Company (VWS) to import uncategorized waste for a trial operation of its waste separating plant. Early this week, VWS, investor of the Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex in Binh Chanh District that receives 3,000 tons of trash every day, had shocked the public by refusing to use the huge amount of garbage discharged to Da Phuoc but insisting on using the imported waste for their separation test. … [Read more...]
Required breakthrough in theory to lay solid foundations for the formulation of the Party's guidelines and policies in the new stage
Based on the reality and experience of the reform process, as well as the requirements of the new stage, international trends and prospects for our country, the theoretical think tank circle of our country should focus their research on the following key issues: Firstly, creatively applying and developing Marxist-Leninism, HoChiMinh ideology on socialism in the current era in which globalization and international integration are the main stream. Secondly, promoting theoretical studies and review the practice of developing a socialist-oriented market economy, of which importance is given to market factors and types of productivity, business entities and the self-motivated stance of enterprises in the market economy. In addition, promoting various types of markets, building institutions of a market economy in line with requirements of active international economic integration. Thirdly, studying political and social theoretical matters, social policies and management, of which the … [Read more...]
Finance hits top gear for tunnel
Construction of the Deo Ca project is expected to start in September, 2012 and it is scheduled to complete within four years - Nghiem Sy Minh Deo Ca Investment Joint Stock Company (DCIC) management board chairman Nguyen Chung (vir.com.vn) … [Read more...]
Welcome to new english version of vietnamtourism.gov.vn
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on April 1, the second day of the government's monthly meeting, said that the whole country should concentrate on developing the macro-economy, stabilising prices and foreign exchange rates, promoting investment in infrastructure construction and accelerating exports. He pointed out advantages and disadvantages in socio-economic development in the second quarter of this year, particularly difficulties caused by the war in Iraq. The country needs to mobilise capital from the people and enterprises, disburse official development assistance (ODA) capital and create favourable conditions for foreign entrepreneurs to invest in Vietnam, the government leader stressed. He expressed his satisfaction at the fact that investment capital poured into the country has not been reduced despite impacts of the war in Iraq. Management should be focused on promoting investment in infrastructure construction, Prime Minister Khai said, adding prices of some items saw increases … [Read more...]
Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has stressed that the staff of Nhan Dan newspaper, the voice of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, should make greater efforts to promote the role of a pacesetter in the political and ideological front. He said this while visiting Nhan Dan newspaper in Hanoi on March 28. Editor-in-chief Dinh The Huynh reported to Party leader Nong Duc Manh the efforts of Nhan Dan newspaper in implementing political tasks and strengthening working capability. After two years of implementing the resolution of the Ninth Party Congress and under the close leadership of the Politburo and the Party Secretariat, together with the effective co-operation and support from agencies, sectors, organisations and readers, the editorial board and staff of Nhan Dan newspaper have seen significant achievements in improving the quality of different publications and fulfilling the function of a central organ of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the voice of the Party, State and … [Read more...]
The speech of Mr. Nguyen Khoa Diem(1) at the opening ceremony of the Contest for Excellent Reporters and Disseminators of Ho Chi Minh Thought held in Cong Vi Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
To bring about a proactive shift in information dissemination and the movement of studying Ho Chi Minh Minh thought among Party members, the people, and soldiers. The speech of Mr. Nguyen Khoa Diem(1) at the opening ceremony of the Contest for Excellent Reporters and Disseminators of Ho Chi Minh Thought held in Cong Vi Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Today, 19 May 2003, is the 113th anniversary of our beloved Uncle Ho's birthday. We are all here to carry out a work of great significance and practicality—to open the Contest for Excellent Reporters and Disseminators of Ho Chi Minh Thought. More importantly, the contest is held in a Party establishment where Uncle Ho lived and worked, and now rests in peace. It helps pave the way for the nationwide Contest of Disseminating Ho Chi Minh Thought. The contest has attracted a vast number of cadres, veteran revolutionaries, students, and youths in the ward. This shows the President's great influence and his close touch with the population; … [Read more...]
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai receives Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing
In the morning of 14 June 2003, in the Governmental Office, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai received visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and other delegates. Welcoming the Chinese delegation headed by Minister Li Zhaoxing, the Prime Minister stressed: the two countries Vietnam and China have a long-standing friendly relationship which has been developed by President Ho Chi Minh and Chinese leaders. Khai also delightedly praised that the bilateral comprehensive friendly cooperation between the two countries is increasingly intensified and promoted. Over the past time, the two countries have gained some considerable achievements in economic field, especially trade, investment and cooperation. They have made great efforts to take proper measures to maintain the growth of commercial turnover, striving to reach US$5 billion in two-way trade by 2005. The Prime Minister hoped a bilateral trade agreement could be signed soon to provide a legal frame for the expansion of commercial ties … [Read more...]
Closing speech by National Assembly Nguyen Van An
Dear leaders of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front, Dear distinguished guests, Dear National Assembly deputies, After a month and a half, in the spirit of intensive work, high sense of responsibility and democracy the third session of the 11th Legislature of the Vietnam National Assembly has come to a close. At this session, the NA discussed and gave more evaluations about the implementation of socio-economic tasks and State budget plan set for 2002; the implementation of socio-economic and State budget plan in early 2003; approved 8 laws; advised on 9 draft laws; guaranteed the rights to inquiry to and the rights to response; discussed and approved the Resolution on exemption and reduction of the tax on the use of agricultural land, the Resolution on the pilot implementation of the organization of management of, providing vocational training and creation of jobs for rehabilitated drug in Ho Chi Minh City and a number of centrally-run cities and provinces. Through … [Read more...]
Develop the spirit of independence, self-sufficiency, renovation and creativity of Ho Chi Minh Thought in the new period
Nong Duc Manh, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam On the occasion of the 113th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday, in the morning of 15 May 2003, General Secretary Nong Duc Manh paid a visit to the Ho Chi Minh National Politics Institution. He gave an important speech on promoting research, education and popularization of Ho Chi Minh Thought. Dear comrades, Today, on the occasion of the 113th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (19 May 1890- 19 May 2003), I would like to present here in the Ho Chi Minh National Politics Institution. During this period, the entire Party is implementing the Direction of the Secretariat on "Promoting research, education and popularization of Ho Chi Minh Thought in the new era" to further put into reality the Resolutions of the Party Congress and of the 5th Central Committee (9th Tenure) on ideology and theory. The Institution has been also preparing to sum up over 10 years of researching … [Read more...]
Firmly holding to the socialist orientation
Dr. Dao Duy Quat Deputy Head of the Central Cultural and Ideological Board Member of the Central Theoretical Council Since the 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the Congress which initiated our national comprehensive renovation, our Party has asserted "Renovation does not mean giving up the goal of socialism which our Party and people have chosen; renovation has nothing to do with transformation, renovation is to find suitable steps, forms and measures for successful building up of socialism. To firmly hold to the socialist orientation constitutes the fundamental principle guiding the cause of renovation. It reflects the consistency in pursuing the goal of combination of national independence with socialism. It is a definite affirmation of our path to socialism, passing over the capitalist development or any other ways round." After 7 years of renovation, the mid-term Party Plenum (7th tenure) asserted important achievements regarding political, socio-economic, security, … [Read more...]
Letter from the General Secretary Nong Duc Manh of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the Editorial Board of the Website Communist Party of Vietnam
Hanoi 20 June 2003 Letter from the General Secretary Nong Duc Manh of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the Editorial Board of the Website Communist Party of Vietnam On the occasion the new version of the Website Communist Party of Vietnam comes into being, on behalf of the Politburo, I would like to send the Direction Board, the Editorial Board, coordinators and readers of the Website at home and abroad my congratulations and best wishes. The Communist Party of Vietnam always pays attention and highly appreciates the role of mass media, including electronic newspapers, to mobilize the whole nation's aggregate strength in promoting the cause of renovation, industrialization and modernization as well as in building and protecting our fatherland - the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In the current global rapid development of information and informatics technology, electronic newspaper has increasingly become a prompt and advantageous means of information which should be developed in … [Read more...]
Plans for Hai Phong's development okayed
CPV - Plans to make Hai Phong a major marine, industrial and commercial city and an impenetrable national fortress have been confirmed. The avowal was made during a review of a resolution for the city's development until 2010, and the implementation of resolutions carried by the 9th Congress of the Viet Nam Communist Party in mid 2001. The review by the Political Bureau and the Hai Phong Party Committee last Saturday found that Hai Phong should take advantage of its closeness to Ha Noi and its shipping links to the rest of the country and the world to become a key component in the economic development of northern Viet Nam. The provision of services, education and health care as well as the development of tourism and fisheries will be part of that development. The working session was chaired by Party General Secretary, Nong Duc Manh, and attended by State President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An, all Party Politburo members. The … [Read more...]
State moves to sell bonds to foreigners
FOREIGNERS will be permitted to buy government bonds if a new decree submitted to government last week is approved. Development Assistance Fund deputy general director Nguyen Van Quang said a recent shortage of capital for investment projects, especially large ones, was a problem. The best way to raise capital was to issue minimum five-year bonds, he said. By permitting foreigners and foreign organisations to purchase bonds, government officials hope the mobilisation of capital will be quicker and the liquidity of government bonds increased. Foreigners and foreign organisations contacted last week by Vietnam Investment Review said they would be interested in investing in government bonds. However, they also expressed caution, and said the government would have to ensure an attractive interest rate plus high liquidity of the bonds by strengthening enforcement of the securities market. According to the draft decree, bond owners would be permitted to use them for sale, gifts, inheritance … [Read more...]


text:
Business Law
Ask a Business Lawyer. Get Business Law Questions Answered ASAP.
Hello, I will be assisting you
As you correctly noted an LLC is a very flexible structure and it allows you to assign various degrees of ownership and profit sharing.
when starting a new business it is the perfect opportunity to grant your children equity in the company. You can do it as following:
either assign yourself a small equity portion and a large profit share and assign them a larger equity portion and a small profit share. If you do that you would need to make sure that you retain management rights in the company so retain at least 51%
or you can do the above and designate yourself as a managing member and them as 'regular' members. You would also need to assign the managing member the necessary management rights to make sure that you retain control of the company until the time that you are ready to pass it on to them
this is done through careful drafting of the operating agreement of the LLC
If I control the LLC from a management standpoint as a managing member could I designate salary to myself along the way unless I don't want to receive anything?
I would really rather own about 1% but have control until I give it up. How do I keep control as the manager but not have the percentage control in the equity?
I presume it's a matter of drafting my powers as the managing member in such a way that it accomplishes what I'm after.
The issue of payments to the members of an LLC is fairly complex. The decision of whether to issue a guaranteed payment (it's an IRS) which is defined as payments to a partner in his or her partner capacity for services or the use of capital if determined without regard to the income of the partnership or whether to classify them as distribution depends on the positions of the members, the revenue of the LLC and amount that is being distributed etc.
as far as control, you would designate yourself as the managing member and give the managing member all management decisions
those duties are defined in the operating agreement
because this is not the ordinary LLC multi partner situation this would require the involvement of an accountant and an attorney to structure the payments properly and to draft the operating agreement in a way that would give you operational freedom
OK. Thanks.
you are welcome
Please rate my service
Without your rating I do not get compensated for my work


text:
An Open Letter To Abercrombie & Fitch's CEO Mike Jeffries
Dear Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries,
I used to see your brand walk up and down the halls of my high school way back in the day. Before I really even knew who you were, there you were — in the form of jeans, shirts and other fashion statements of the late '90s. At the time, I thought I hated you for the simple reason that the popular kids seemed to have a monopoly on you, and in my mind, popular was synonymous with evil. But, I'm older and wiser now, and know it's not the popular kids that I loathe.
It's your "you're not good enough" mentality.
Because, let's just be real for a minute here. We both know that's the whole crux of your marketing objective — to make young women self-conscious and inferior. You want them to look at your perfectly crafted ads and stare longingly at your perfect models wearing your perfect clothes. And then you want them to do everything they can to become part of your own "in" crowd. You want them to change. And if they don't, well, you want to have nothing to do with them. It's true. You've actually said it yourself. You don't want what you call "fat chicks" wearing your brand; bad for business, huh? Maybe that's why you refuse to carry any size larger than a 10?
You spoke to Robin Lewis for his book The New Rules of Retail, who says, "He doesn't want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people. He doesn't want his core customers to see people who aren't as hot as them wearing his clothing. People who wear his clothing should feel like they're one of the 'cool kids.'"
Honestly, your views are just disgusting. Your attitude toward plus-sized women is inexcusable. It's this sort of fat-shaming that is creating this culture where young women feel like they can't be who they are, where they must fit into some sort of mold because they're nothing if they're not skinny. Skinny is beauty. Skinny is perfection. Anything other than that is just plain worthless.
Three words: Shame on you. No, wait, I've got nine words for you: You. Are. A. Sorry. Excuse. For. A. Human. Being. A sorry, pitiful excuse, indeed. But do you want to know what's really disgusting? People who perpetuate such superficial stereotypes and only look at beauty in terms of black and white with zero shades of gray in the middle. And what's even more despicable? Companies that seek to capitalize by preying on young women's shaky self-confidence. Young women have a hard enough time trying to figure out who they are in this big world — people like you and companies like yours make their journey even harder and even more complicated.
So I don't look like one of your scantily clad, perfectly proportioned models. I get that. I know that. And believe it or not, I'm really OK with that. I know I'll never have a body like the models in your ads. But here's the best part: I don't want a body like that. Ever. Because it's not how I was meant to look. There's something incredibly sexy and attractive about being real and being who you are. I wouldn't ever want to fall in love with someone who was pretending to be someone else, so why would I accept anything less for myself?
You want only good-looking and skinny people associated with your brand? OK, fine. I'd rather have real any day.
Melissa Blake
P.S. You brand yourself as being the casual, all-American style. Hmmm, looks like you might have some re-branding work ahead of you. I'm not an industry expert, obviously, but something tells me that "Casual, all-American style as long as you're under a size 10; fatties need not apply" isn't the best slogan. Kind of a mouthful. not to mention alienating. Just a thought.
Melissa Blake is the blogger behind So About What I Said. This piece was cross-posted with her permission.


text:
Gabriella Clavel Photographer
SylviaG1Model Female Davis, California, US
My MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/sylvia1012
Mayhem # 2185847
About Mekinda new to this i would love to work with different people to get more experience. i am fun and friendly and very good to work with im up for almost anything no nasty stuf but if its taste-full nudes then maybe but you have to work that out with me first.
Have you worked with SylviaG1? Add Credits for SylviaG1! >>
Gabriella Clavel Photographer
HANUMAN Photographer
Conn OFlynn Photographer
Paul Andre Photographer
Rons Photo Imagery Photographer
Sugar Los Angeles Photographer
Loading Content


text:
26 January 2006
Whatcha See, Kitty?
Zooey Silhouette
Originally uploaded by NanLassiter.
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Dia duit ó GARF.
Almost TOO Irish, that. Go raibh míle maith agat to Chris Heffron (of the Southern Travel Guide ) for this great shot from last Sund...
She truly was transcontinental. You know, I'm sitting here staring at the blank screen and can't even bring myself to type the w...
love Originally uploaded by Nancy Dunne I've been thinking (since before I even left the UK) about what I wanted to say here at ...


text:
Although it is approaching its 20th birthday, the fractional aircraft industry is still very much mired in adolescence. It's come a long way since NetJets chairman Richard Santulli invented the concept of fractional ownership and launched his program in 1986, but the industry still has a long uphill road ahead.
That's not to say the road already traveled wasn't long and uphill, especially since NetJets didn't really gain momentum until the mid-1990s. And just as it gained traction, serious competitors started to emerge–first Bombardier Flexjet in 1995, then Raytheon Travel Air in 1996, Flight Options in 1998 and CitationShares in 2001. (Flight Options and Raytheon Travel Air merged in April 2002.)
The major fractional providers experienced rapid growth in the late 1990s and early
2000s, adding airplanes and shareowners in record numbers. Life was good, even though many fractionals experienced significant growing pains during this period.
Then the U.S. economy began to slow in mid-2001 and, feeling the financial squeeze, shareowners started to curtail their use of fractional aircraft. Providers eventually found themselves with large fleets of underutilized business jets, at least by fractional operating standards of about 1,000 flight hours per aircraft per year; lower operating revenues due to fewer billed occupied hours; rising fuel prices; and high overhead costs.
They had to do something to take up this extra slack or else face financial ruin. Fortunately, jet cards–25-hour blocks of "occupied time" in a fractional aircraft without the cash-laden requirement to actually buy an aircraft share–in part helped save the day.
First on the fractional jet-card market was Marquis Jet in March 2001, and–with customers free from the burden of having to purchase an expensive aircraft share–sales quickly took off for the NetJets affiliate program. The other fractional providers took notice and eventually started their own competing jet-card programs.
Life was good again–that is, oddly, until the economy started to pick up last year. What followed, and continues, could be described as the perfect storm.
Robust sales of jet cards joined forces with a 30-percent increase in shareowner baseline flying to swing the aircraft-utilization pendulum the other way. In other words, demand for aircraft exceeded the available supply at many of the fractionals. As a result, according to several industry sources, service levels have deteriorated to unacceptable levels and charter outsourcing has surged, angering many fractional shareowners.
This also comes at a time when providers are imposing fuel surcharges that add between $400 and $1,000 per occupied flight hour, leaving many shareowners feeling ripped off. In addition, the fractional flights operated under Part 135, versus Part 91K, come with a 7.5-percent federal excise tax, adding yet another layer of cost.
Many shareowners who signed up in 2000 are now up for renewal of their five-year fractional aircraft sales contracts and discovering that aircraft resale values aren't nearly living up to the promises some fractional aircraft salesmen made five years ago, even though the pre-owned aircraft market is now on the rebound.
Adding further uncertainty, NetJets management and its unionized pilot workforce, represented by Local 1108, are involved in a contentious labor dispute that could end in a strike. NetJets shareholders are taking note and, according to Fractional Insider president Mike Riegel, many are "diversifying share buys" in the event of a work stoppage.
So it's no wonder that many shareowners up for renewal are evaluating all of their options–other fractional programs, charter (including block charter) and jet cards. The irony is that those opting for a fractional provider's jet-card program are only further straining aircraft supply.
Current Market
According to every fractional consultant AIN contacted, fractional customers are much more informed than they were several years ago. They are well schooled about the industry and want to buy only what they need, not what the fractional provider is pushing. And they aren't afraid to shop around before finally committing to an aircraft lift solution.
The term "lift solution" is important here because fractionals must now compete in a larger environment. A few years ago many prospective fractional clients didn't know what other alternatives existed; now they can cite every option down to the minutiae.
Shareowners are also a highly networked group; they talk frequently about their lift solution, including the good, bad and downright ugly details. If a fractional provider spurns a customer, word quickly spreads through the shareowner community, which is now happening all too frequently given the strains in the industry these days.
"This industry was built on networking," Riegel notes. "Negative networking, which is going on right now, is bad for business."
This has greatly affected the fractional industry's share sales growth in the last two years. Over most of the past 10 years the major fractional providers have experienced double-digit growth, but certainly not last year and, especially, this year.
According to the latest figures from AvData of Utica, N.Y., in the one-year period ending May 31 the four major providers added 37 aircraft to their fleets (a 4.8-percent increase), gained a net of 156 shares (up 2.5 percent) and signed 123 new shareowners (a 2.8-percent increase). (Some shareowners bought multiple shares, accounting for a higher increase in shares sold compared with new customer intake.) Hardly a banner year for an industry that admittedly makes most of its profits by selling airplanes, not by operating them.
However, there is much more behind these numbers. Mirroring the previous year's results, NetJets and CitationShares experienced positive growth while Flight Options and Flexjet continued on a downward trend. "The number of sellbacks at Flight Options and Flexjet is surprising," noted Riegel.
Led by PlaneSense and Avantair, the 16 "minor" fractional players grew more rapidly than the majors. AvData said these regional programs added 17 aircraft, sold 149 shares net and signed 129 new share customers, which equates to 29.8, 64.5 and 67.2 percent year-over-year growth, respectively. The minors nearly outpaced the majors in share sales.
Overall, the AvData numbers show that the entire fractional industry added 54 aircraft (up 6.5 percent), sold 305 shares net (a 4.8-percent increase) and attracted 252 new shareowners (a 5.5-percent rise).
In terms of overall market share, AvData shows NetJets continues to lead the industry at 47.7 percent. Next is Flight Options at 26.5 percent, Flexjet at 11.1 percent, CitationShares at 9.0 percent, Avantair at 1.9 percent and PlaneSense at 1.4 percent. The remaining 14 minor providers have a combined market share of 2.3 percent.
Notably, Flight Options, Flexjet and one minor player lost market share, according to AvData. Flight Options lost a whopping 4.2 points while Flexjet lost only one point. Leading the trend upward in market share was CitationShares with a 2.1-point gain. Meanwhile, NetJets and Avantair were each up by 1.1 point.
According to Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, "Last year NetJets again gained about 70 percent of the net new business (measured by dollar value) going to the four companies [NetJets, Flight Options, Flexjet and CitationShares] that dominate the [fractional aircraft] industry." NetJets is a division of Berkshire Hathaway.
Show Me the Money
It's no secret that the fractional providers are struggling to make money in operations. After all, it's quite easy to make a profit selling shares in aircraft, especially when the fractional providers get bulk discounts from the aircraft manufacturers. Ordering 40 or 50 new aircraft at a time yields healthy discounts for the fractionals, which then resell shares in the aircraft at its sticker price.
But operations are the bane of fractionals, at least in terms of profitability. Flexjet president Michael McQuay pointed out, "Fractionals operate on very thin margins, and every day is a battle to maintain profitability."
The problem is that most providers aren't charging enough in monthly and occupied hourly fees to stem losses, say industry consultants. But none of the providers admit experiencing losses; all claim they're profitable, though it's hard to prove this since limited financial information about the providers exists in the public domain.
Berkshire Hathaway has been perhaps the most open about the financial records of its fractional arm, NetJets. In the investment company's annual report, Buffett said earnings improved last year at Berkshire's flight services division, which includes Net-Jets and flight-training provider FlightSafety International. Last year the unit saw its pre-tax profits rise to $191 million on revenues of $3.24 billion.
Buffett attributed more than 90 percent of the $810 million year-over-year revenue increase at the division to NetJets. The fractional provider's flight operations revenue rose by nearly $400 million and revenues from aircraft sales jumped about $360 million, he said. Even with this frank financial disclosure, it's uncertain how much of the profit at Berkshire's flight division actually belongs to NetJets.
It appears the fractional provider made an overall, if slim, profit last year. According to Buffett, "NetJets earned a modest amount in the U.S. last year. But what we earned domestically was largely offset by losses in Europe." It's possible that the investment mogul tempered his statement on NetJets' profitability given the ongoing labor negotiations with its pilot group.
Of the other three major fractionals, industry consultants believe CitationShares is turning a profit, while Flight Options and Flexjet are thought to be in the red. However, there isn't enough detailed public financial information to support these assertions, as the financial results are hidden in their parent companies' annual reports–CitationShares in Textron's report, Flight Options in Raytheon's statement and Flexjet in Bombardier's financials.
However, industry consultants agree that Flight Options is in the direst straits. "From what I understand, the finances at Flight Options may soon deteriorate significantly," noted Riegel, adding that the provider's parent, Raytheon, might soon be forced to buy back shares from other investors due to a rough management transition.
Interestingly, at press time it appeared that Brantley Capital was positioning to sell its investment in Flight Options, most likely to Raytheon. This would give Raytheon more control over Flight Options' future, whether that be status quo, divestiture or anything in between.
Another industry consultant, who asked not to be named, told AIN that he is certain that Flight Options is on the block. "At this point," he said, "Raytheon [which is a majority owner in Flight Options] most likely just wants to cut its losses."
In any case, the lack of public financial knowledge is causing shareowners to question the motives of their fractional providers when it comes to trip billing. Shareowners generally believe that many of the fractionals are losing money on the operational side of the business and will do anything to stem losses.
This speaks to the level of shareowner distrust directed at their fractional providers. In fact, many shareowners carry stopwatches to time their trips aloft to ensure they're not overcharged.
Not only are they watching trip times–shareowners are also keeping a close eye on all extra charges, including catering, landing fees, federal excise taxes and, last but certainly not least, fuel surcharges.
Riegel contends that share customers are, in fact, being "tricked" by low fuel basis prices that average $1.60 to $1.80 per gallon. To be fair, the fuel basis is disclosed in fractional contracts: caveat emptor.
The surcharge is the difference between current fuel prices– as determined by the fractional providers–and the basis, meaning the lower the basis the higher the fuel surcharge. With today's higher prices at the pump, "Fuel surcharges now amount to an extra $400 to $1,000 an hour," Riegel said. However, he is convinced that "surcharges have become a profit source" because they are calculated using a too-low basis and retail fuel prices, even though the fractionals never pay retail since they receive substantial volume discounts on fuel.
Of the four majors, only Flight Options offers fuel hedging through its Fuel Club. Available for owners of 1997 or newer Beechjet 400As/Hawker 400XPs, Hawker 800XPs, Citation Xs or Legacys, this program allows owners to pre-purchase fuel at a discounted, locked-in rate for up to 12 months. Flight Options said the fuel surcharge rate is discounted 20 percent from the previous three-month average fuel price published by ARG/US.
Another issue is double taxation in Part 135 fractional flights. In this case, providers must charge a 7.5-percent federal excise tax on flight costs. However, these flights are exempt from the fuel tax of about 21 cents per gallon, which in most cases isn't being refunded to the shareowners or jet-card customers.
According to Shaircraft CEO James Butler, "With these cost increases and surcharges the fractional route is not so much a known cost factor any more. Customers want price stability; they don't want to feel like they're being ripped off at every available opportunity."
Emerging Trends
One thing that all fractional providers interviewed for this story say they are doing is focusing on providing top-notch customer service. Flexjet's McQuay put it succinctly: "Service in the fractional industry is often overlooked because of aircraft issues. Our customers expect service above and beyond what they get in first class at an airline."
CitationShares president Steven O'Neill explained, "Customer service is what the fractionals are all about. I'd much rather choose a slow-growth strategy during which good customer service is maintained than skyrocketing growth coupled with compromised service."
Flight Options and NetJets also know the virtues of customer service, though they have both struggled somewhat in this area due to the negative side effects of jet cards. Both maintain, however, that they are committed to providing exceptional customer service.
Other market trends include eliminating out-of-service-area repositioning fees, though most come with caveats. These repositioning fees can add thousands to a trip's costs just for crossing an imaginary line, so no doubt customers are happy to see some, if not all, go.
Dallas-based Flexjet started the trend earlier this year when it announced it would waive ferry fees to and from the Caribbean. In February it launched a new secondary service area for Flexjet owners who fly to and from the region, including the Greater, Lesser and Netherlands Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda. Last month it dropped ferry fees to and from Europe and Hawaii for Challenger 300 and 604 shareowners. However, shareowners must agree to bring their contracts to current (read higher) rates to take advantage of these extended areas.
In early May, Cleveland-based Flight Options began offering customers an extended service area that includes all of Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Flight Options customers who opt to pay the annual access fee for this feature have unlimited access to these regions without ever having to worry about repositioning fees.
CitationShares in late June eliminated repositioning fees for Saturday trips to and from the Caribbean–the most popular day to travel to/from the region, the company said. However, eligible flights must fall within four-hour windows designated by CitationShares, though the benefit comes at no additional cost.
A dominant theme among the fractionals is fleet rationalization. Flight Options made the biggest move in this regard with its February announcement that it will heavily consolidate its available fleet types over the next three to five years to simplify operations, increase fleet reliability and reduce overall costs.
The provider said it will gradually pare its fleet from 11 types to four–the Beechjet 400A/ Hawker 400XP (light category); Hawker 800XP (midsize); Citation X (super-midsize); and Legacy (large). This amounts to one type per aircraft class and effectively lays the foundation for an eventual fleet of younger aircraft, versus the current mixture of new and older pre-owned airplanes.
Flight Options' current fleet of 208 aircraft includes King Airs, Beechjet 400As/Hawker 400XPs, Hawker 800s, CitationJets, Citation Vs, Citation 650s (III, VI, VII), Falcon 50s, Citation Xs, Challenger 601s, Legacys and Gulfstream IVs.
With lesser fanfare, Flexjet last year began phasing out Learjet 31As, with the light jet being superseded by the Learjet 40. Flexjet's McQuay isn't shedding any tears: "We never made a penny with the Learjet 31As."
At the same time, Greenwich, Conn.-based CitationShares took delivery this spring of its last Citation CJ1s and Bravos. The two aircraft types will eventually be replaced by the CJ3, which was expected to join the provider's fleet late last month.
Going forward, CitationShares will have three fleet types–the Citation CJ3, XLS and Sovereign. O'Neill explained the move: "For us, a narrower fleet focus is more efficient and will lead to higher levels of service. Customers care much more about service than they do about greater aircraft choice."
Here, NetJets bucks the trend with 19 current fleet offerings, although Riegel believes this course is a mistake. "NetJets desperately needs to rationalize its fleet with the focus on aircraft capabilities, not manufacturer discounts. I really don't know why it opted last year for Hawker 400XPs when the Citation CJ3 is clearly better in the fractional environment."
Last year the industry was preparing for the transition to the new Part 91K fractional rules. Fortunately, it emerged relatively unscathed by the transition to the new regulations in February.
But what lies ahead for the industry could be considerably more challenging–fixing service issues, rationalizing fleets and returning to profitability.
"To see real growth again, the fractional industry needs to stabilize and focus on service issues," according to Riegel. "The industry is too volatile, which is reflected by flat growth over the past year."
Basically, this means adding core aircraft to diffuse shareowner resentment over jet cards. Doing so, Riegel said, would increase aircraft supply to meet fractional flying demand, thereby improving service and reducing flight hours in shareowners' aircraft.
Fleet rationalization is also essential to the profitability of the fractional industry, consultants say. It's the Southwest Airlines approach: narrow the fleet types and you also lower operating, training and maintenance costs.
"The fractionals need to simplify their fleets to three types–small, medium and large," notes Docherty Aviation president Brendon Docherty. "If they can rationalize their fleets then fractionals can compete on service and brand."
Riegel also believes that fleet rationalization will help the fractionals' bottom line. However, he is concerned about some of the aircraft the fractionals are choosing during the fleet reorganizations.
He specifically singled out the Embraer Legacy, which is Flight Options' "large" aircraft choice in its fleet renewal plans. The aircraft might have a cabin equivalent in size to that of a Gulfstream IV, but Riegel says its Mach 0.80 max cruise speed is way too slow for fractional operations.
The industry consultant would like to see a sea change in how fractional aircraft are selected. "The fractionals are generally not doing a good job of working with aircraft manufacturers to design aircraft that meet the specific needs of the industry– high utilization rates, high reliability and easy maintainability," Riegel told AIN. "They have to stop buying warmed-over 'new' designs that are meant to be flown 400 to 500 hours a year. Fractional aircraft need to be more like airliners, in terms of reliability, utilization and maintenance.
"The Challenger 300 is the exception to this rule. Flexjet outlined its specifications and performance requirements for the aircraft to Bombardier, which then designed and built the jet to those specs."
No doubt fleet rationalization is a step toward profitability, but more must be done. All of the industry consultants indicated that all the fractional providers need to charge more in monthly and hourly fees to make money in operations.
It seems that this trend is already starting. Last month CitationShares did in fact raise its monthly management fees by about 10 percent. Avantair's Santo also told AIN that his company recently increased monthly fees for new customers. (The provider bills customers non-fluctuating monthly fees that cover both management fees and occupied charges.)
Despite these challenges, industry watchers say the fractionals are poised for significant growth in the next five years. How much? Many say a return to double-digit growth is highly probable.
Docherty pointed out, "The fractionals have done an unbelievable job of bringing in new people to business aviation. There's no reason why they won't continue to do this, especially given their 100-percent safety record. This contrasts with the recent spate of high-profile accidents involving [Part 135] charter aircraft."
As for the industry's future, Riegel told AIN, "I expect the past three months' upward share sales trend to continue since the market has a lot of growth potential. The fractional industry is still a young industry, and with more engineering work it should see much growth."


text:
Corbett's alternative to Medicaid expansion under the microscope
After hundreds of consumers, doctors and interested parties sounded off online, the state and federal governments will begin "formal negotiations" on whether about 520,000 residents will get health care coverage under Gov. Tom Corbett's "Healthy Pennsylvania" proposal.
The plan is Corbett's suggested alternative, or waiver, to a Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. The governor seeks to create a private market option instead of an expansion for newly eligible low-income residents. The proposal also reforms current Medicaid benefits.
A federal public comment period on the proposal closed Friday. The online forum, operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, garnered 789 responses.
"Once CMS has completed their public comment period, they will advise of additional areas for discussion and formal negotiation on the waiver will begin," said Kait Gillis, state Department of Public Welfare spokeswoman, in a statement to the Tribune-Review.
Federal modification or approval of the waiver application does not have a deadline, Gillis said. The state applied for a waiver in February.
Talks between the federal and state agencies have continued since Corbett announced the plan in September.
Corbett's 2014-15 budget proposal includes $125 million in savings predicated on federal approval of the waiver. The state's fiscal year begins on July 1.
CMS officials estimate it will take about two weeks to review the public feedback.
Largely remaining anonymous, some commenters called the plan "terrible" and "mean-spirited." Self-identified chiropractors chimed in to protest proposed cuts for their services.
Others voiced support for the limits on benefits as "a good, sustainable solution." According to the Corbett administration, Pennsylvania spends 27 percent of its budget on Medicaid, which costs state taxpayers and the federal government a combined $19 billion annually.
Antoinette Kraus, director of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, said the largest concern about Healthy PA is proposed cuts to existing benefits.
"We are asking more than any other state in the country with waivers in the Healthy PA proposal," she said.
Under the proposal, Medicaid recipients would not be covered for optometrist, podiatrist and chiropractor services. The waiver would reduce unlimited radiology services to six tests a year. Medical supply purchases would be capped at $1,000 or $2,500 a year, depending on the enrollee's overall health.
Jay Pagni, the governor's spokesman, said the goal of Healthy PA is to provide an affordable health care solution.
"We share that common goal" with the federal government, Pagni said. "And we will work through the differences in our approaches to get us to that common goal."
Melissa Daniels is a Trib Total Media staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8511.


text:
If you would like to meet with other WordPress enthusiasts in your hometown check out WordPress Meetup and see when and where local WP geeks are meeting. I was surprised to see that there were already 12 other members and a scheduled meetup day for my little town of 60,000. Thanks Radical Congruency.
Comments Closed
Actually, that's 13 members worldwide, unfortunately. I'm the only one in Seattle so far. The movement is growing, though!
Oh, are you serious? That's messed.
WordPress Meetup
Wow, this is very exciting—a WordPress meetup! I was just browsing around came across this post on Blogging Pro saying that there is now a WordPress meetup on the fourth saturday of every month. The very first one is coming up on June 26th. Funnily e…


text:
Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Wetzel, Todd G URN etd-09042008-063641 Title The effects of vortex generating fins and jets on the crossflow separation of a submarine in a turning maneuver Degree Master of Science Department Aerospace Engineering Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title No Advisors Found Keywords
- Vortex generators.
Date of Defense 1993-05-01 Availability unrestricted Abstract Files
Filename Size Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access LD5655.V855_1993.W479.pdf 182.88 Mb 14:06:40 07:15:25 06:21:00 03:10:30 00:16:15next to an author's name indicates that all files or directories associated with their ETD are accessible from the Virginia Tech campus network only.
If you have questions or technical problems, please Contact DLA.


text:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rock 'n' roll royalty held court on Thursday night as Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Sting and other music legends staged a marathon show to celebrate the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary.
The six-hour concert at Madison Square Garden included over 50 songs and also featured performances by Crosby, Stills and Nash, blues great B.B. King, Smokey Robinson, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, Jackson Browne and others.
Actor Tom Hanks introduced rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, who kicked off the show with his classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."
"This is the music of our generation, this is the music that we grew up with, this is the soundtrack of our lives," Hanks said to reporters before the show.
Some of the biggest acts played several of their hits before bringing out featured guests who sang their own well-known songs.
Crosby, Stills and Nash began their set with "Woodstock" and "Marrakech Express" before inviting Taylor, Browne and Bonnie Raitt to the stage.
Paul Simon, who performed selections from his solo catalog before introducing and performing with his former partner Art Garfunkel, gave the spotlight to early rock heartthrob Dion DiMucci and his hit "The Wanderer."
The audience enthusiastically greeted some of the best-known songs, but emotional high points were registered during tributes to deceased Hall of Fame members.
David Crosby and Graham Nash harmonized with Simon on "Here Comes the Sun," written by former Beatle George Harrison.
Stevie Wonder, who brought out singer John Legend to perform Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me," was so overcome with emotion while singing the late Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" that he was unable to sing one of the verses and briefly laid his head down on his keyboard.
Springsteen and Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty shared vocals on Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman," and "The Boss" followed with "London Calling," in tribute to The Clash.
The show's energy level peaked during Springsteen's set.
He brought out Sam Moore, half of the soul/rhythm and blues duo Sam and Dave, to perform "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and "Soul Man." The only unannounced performer of the night was Billy Joel, who performed three of his songs as well as Springsteen's signature rock anthem "Born To Run."
A second concert celebrating the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary is set for Friday night with scheduled performances by U2, Aretha Franklin, Metallica, Annie Lennox, Lou Reed, Ozzy Osbourne and others.
U.S. cable television network HBO will air a four-hour special containing highlights from both nights on November 29.
Editing by Bob Tourtellotte


text:
"You can have all the talent you want and you can have the best team, but that really doesn't equate much into anything because you have to stay healthy and you have to be mentally tough...One thing you have to tip your hat off to Detroit is that when things aren't going their way, they stick with it and hang in there. You never really question their effort. I feel that's one thing they have on us, and we have to get to that level if we really want to truly compete for a championship."
I've read that quote several times and I still don't know if he is saying that the Pacers don't play as hard as the Pistons or if he is saying that when things don't go the Pacers way they fall apart mentally. Or maybe he's saying both.
I think the Pacers generally play as hard as any team in the league incuding the Pistons. I don't think that is a problem.
However, I think when things go bad within a game the Pacers players tend to get away from the game plan, go their own ways, try to win the games themselves and are not as mentally tough as the Pistons.


text:
Registration takes less than 1 minute.
World's-largest container carrier Maersk Line reported a highly profitable second quarter based on stronger-than-expected rates, but expects to lose $200 million to $300 million recovering from June cybersecurity breach.
Initial coin offerings are all the rage in technology markets, and veteran analyst Johnson Leung says his new company 300cubits is intent on bringing blockchain-backed crypto coins to the liner shipping world.


text:
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The prospect of connecting seven Wasatch Front ski resorts is back.
Yesterday, Snowbird, Alta, Solitude, Brighton, Canyons, Deer Valley and Park City Mountain Resort announced their plan to link the resorts to create an Alps-like experience.
On Thursday at 12:15 p.m., Nathan Rafferty of Ski Utah, Carl Fisher of Save Our Canyons, and Tribune reporter Mike Gorrell join Jennifer Napier-Pearce to talk about the latest interconnect proposal and concerns about the impact on public lands.


text:
Gonzaga faces hard road of one-loss teams in quest to win NCAA championship
Last one-loss team to win national championship was North Carolina State in 1974
It was 43 years ago, an even longer period of time than since the last undefeated national champion won the NCAA tournament. The year was 1974, when North Carolina State won the NCAA tournament, its lone loss that year being to UCLA 84-66. The payback was an 80-77 double-overtime game against the Bruins in the Final Four, with the Wolfpack beating Marquette in the championship game. Since then, there have been 22 teams with just a single loss entering the NCAA tournament, and those teams are 0-for-22 in those 42 seasons since 1974.
How does this bode for Gonzaga, 32-1 entering this year's tournament? Past results are not indicative of future success, but the Bulldogs, history says, will have a difficult time in coming away with the tournament trophy. Six (6) one-loss teams in history have won the title with a single loss, the others being San Francisco (23-1) in 1955, UTEP (23-1) in 1966, and UCLA three times (25-1 in 1968, 25-1 in 1969, and 25-1 in 1971). San Francisco and UTEP had to win 5 tournament games for the title and UCLA and North Carolina State 4 games. Since 1974, one-loss teams have lost their first NCAA tournament game 5 times, their second game 6 times, lost in the regionals 5 times, lost in the Final Four semifinals 2 times, and lost in the national championship game 3 times. There have been only 5 teams entering the tournament with one loss in the 2000's. Should Gonzaga win it all, they would be the first team with one loss to win 6 tournament games.
Year Team Coach Record Results
1971 UCLA John Wooden 25-1 4-0, CHAMPION
1974 N. Carolina St. Norm Sloan 26-1 4-0, CHAMPION
1976 Marquette Al McGuire 25-1 2-1, Regional 2nd
1976 UNLV Jerry Tarkanian 28-1 1-1
1977 Arkansas Eddie Sutton 26-1 0-1
1977 San Francisco Bob Gaillard 29-1 0-1
1980 Alcorn Davey L. Whitney 27-1 1-1
1980 DePaul Ray Meyer 26-1 0-1
1981 DePaul Ray Meyer 27-1 0-1
1981 *Oregon St. Ralph Miller 26-1 0-1
1982 DePaul Ray Meyer 26-1 0-1
1987 UNLV Jerry Tarkanian 33-1 4-1, Final Four, T3nd
1988 Temple John Chaney 29-1 3-1, Regional 2nd
1990 La Salle Speedy Morris 29-1 1-1
1996 *Massachusetts John Calipari 31-1 4-1, Final Four, T3nd
1996 *Texas Tech James Dickey 28-1 2-1
1997 Kansas Roy Williams 32-1 2-1
1998 Princeton Bill Carmody 26-1 1-1
1999 Duke Mike Krzyzewski 32-1 5-1, Final Four, 2nd
2004 Saint Joseph's Phil Martelli 27-1 3-1, Regional 2nd
2004 Stanford Mike Montgomery 29-1 1-1
2005 Illinois Bruce Weber 32-1 5-1, Final Four, 2nd
2008 *Memphis John Calipari 33-1 5-1, Final Four, 2nd
2012 Murray St. Steve Prohm 30-1 1-1
Source: 2017 Men's Final Four Records Book
Bracket Bits from The RPI Report and The Women's RPI Report
Tidbits from recent issues of The RPI Report and The Women's RPI Report
From The RPI Report: Do you recall the
talking heads consistently saying that no team with more than 14 losses
had ever received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament? Wrong! They
refer, of course, to Vanderbilt's inclusion as an at-large selection with
a 19-15 record. In 1955, Bradley (7-19) and Oklahoma City (9-17) were
at-large teams, although the committee had to include them because they
were the only at-large teams in the district to which they belonged. A
minor detail, but still you cannot believe everything that you hear or
read. The 2017 Men's Final Four Records Book lists teams from 1985-2016
with the most losses for at-large teams, with 11 teams having 14 losses in
that period.
From The Women's RPI Report: There were no teams with automatic bids that made the NCAA tournament with a losing overall record, but three teams had losing conference records. The stunner was California, 19-13 overall but with a 6-12 record in the Pac-12 conference. That is a full three games below .500, the most ever for an at-large team. Fellow Pac-12 member Oregon was 8-10 in the conference, and Auburn had a 7-9 record in SEC regular-season play. Three at-large teams were .500 in conference games: Arizona State (9-9), Iowa State (9-9), and LSU (8-8).
Teams with No. 1 schedule strength rankings can usually look forward to NCAA tournament invitation
Oregon had No. 1 end of regular season overall RPI schedule strength rank and made elite 8 in NCAA tournament
The Oregon Ducks won top honors for the best overall schedule strength at the end of the 2016 regular season. The Ducks had the No. 5 opponents' won-lost record of 627-415 (.6017) in the regular season, and the No. 13 rank of opponents' RPI played, which are both alternate ways of determining schedule strength. Stanford had the best cumulative opponents' won-lost record of 561-356 (.6118), and Texas had the No. 1 rank of opponents' RPI played. Oregon received a No. 1 seed and made it to the Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament before losing to Oklahoma by a score of 80-68. Since 1991, 21 of the 26 teams holding the No. 1 schedule strength rank at the end of the regular season were in the NCAA tournament, and 22 of those 26 teams were in post-season play. However, having the No. 1 schedule strength does not guarantee success in the NCAA tournament. In 5 of the last 15 seasons, the team holding top schedule strength honors has lost in the first round (using pre-2011 terminology) of the NCAA tournament. In the 11 years prior to that, just 1 team with the No. 1 schedule strength that made the NCAA tournament lost in the first round, although 3 of those teams did not make the NCAA tournament. The best that a team has done in the NCAA tournament since 1991 that had the best regular-season schedule strength was North Carolina in 1997, which lost in the national semifinals to eventual national champion Arizona. Notre Dame had the best regular-season schedule strength in 1992 with a 14-14 record and finished second in the NIT. List
Several conferences use CBN's RPI data to break tournament seeding ties
Administrators have complete confidence in CBN's RPI
Nearly all conference offices subscribe to both The RPI Report and The Women's RPI Report because they know they can count on the most accurate weighted RPI for the men and the women anywhere this side of the NCAA tournament selection committees. CBN first made the Adjusted RPI ratings (which are no longer used for either the men nor the women) available to The RPI Report and The Women's RPI Report subscribers during the 1998-99 season. The NCAA used the Adjusted RPI ratings from the 1993-94 through the 2003-04 season for the men and have used the weighted RPI since the 2004-05 season, while the women used the Adjusted RPI through the 2010-11 season and began using the weighted RPI during the 2011-12 season. The weighted RPI gives more credit to teams that schedule tough opponents and that beat good teams at home and on the road. Story
AP carried CBN's Men's RPI Ratings for 16th consecutive year during the 2009-10 season
2009-10 was the 13th season that AP distributed CBN's Women's RPI Ratings
During the 2009-10 season, the Associated Press (AP) carried CBN's RPI ratings for both men's and women's college basketball, for the 16th consecutive year, for at least part of the season. In addition, 2009-10 was the 13th consecutive season that the AP distributed the women's RPI for at least part of the season. Story


text:
Blue Ridge Chair Works
Heritage Outdoor Furniture
Take A Seat
Today, Alan is the founder of Blue Ridge Chair Works, whose mission is to craft American-made outdoor furniture that's built to last. Instead of flimsy beach chairs that buckle and tear, or clunky folding chairs that don't fold very well, Blue Ridge chairs are compact powerhouses. They're made in Asheville, N.C., with kiln-dried Ash hardwood and finished with protective Danish oil. Fade-resistant polyester fabric forms the seat, and stainless-steel hardware holds the components together.
Ideal for people on the go, the two-piece Blue Ridge chair can be assembled and disassembled in seconds, and an adjustable shoulder strap makes it easy to carry to the beach, campsite, or outdoor concert. The roomy Outer Banks Chair has four reclining positions, mesh cup holders built into the sculpted armrests, and a built-in carrying handle. Comfy and sturdy, they'll be your go-to summer chairs for years to come. Read More Read Less
Grommet Launch Conversation
Hey everyone! Alan Davis here, I'm founder and "Chairman" at Blue Ridge Chair Works. I am so excited to be featured as today's Grommet. I design and manufacture high quality portable wooden outdoor furniture that is built for comfort and built to last. I'm a big guy, and I really built all these chairs and tables for me. I wanted comfort and something that would not break. It's an added bonus that the simple clean lines and solid Ash hardwood make the furniture beautiful. Best of all we are made entirely in Western North Carolina!!
Thanks so much for helping me spread the word. I will be here all day and welcome you conversation.
Hi Alan - what is the weight limit on this chair? My dad is a big & tall guy and we are always looking for well built chairs that hold bigger dudes! :o)
@Susan The XL Deck chair has a tested weight capacity of 500 lbs. It will hold more than that but they stopped testing when they ran out of weight and it still would not break. The Outer Banks Chair and the Blue Ridge Chair will both easily hold about 300 lbs.
@Alan More than just weight capacity, for a big guy(like me) the seat width is cut very generous. The Outer Banks Chair seat is 20 inches wide and the XL Deck seat is 24 inches wide. Very comfy
How comfortable is the back of the chair on your neck? I see that it isn't padded.
Hi Bonnie,
You wouldn't notice from the photos, but there actually is padding on the top where you would rest your neck. We've all tested them here at The Grommet and found them to be extremely comfortable. We've even taken them outside for an afternoon of work!
@Amy ok, thank you!
The launch day conversation has ended. Please direct further questions about this Grommet to our Community Experience Team.


text:
Simple Chicken Stew/Soup
Recipe by Nasseh
A wonderful meal for a cold night. (I hate cooked carrots. Cooking them this way makes them fall apart & become part of the broth. You still get the nutrients without actually biting into them.)
Top Review by Annacia
Great flavors in this. The only pressure cooker I have is a HUGE canner so I had to use a regular pot. It only real change I made was to skip the tomato paste because I so hate to open a can, use a small bit and toss the rest out (which always happens). I added a bit of chopped fresh tomato to help replace it. My onion was so fine that it pretty much dissolved into the stew. My potato's were tiny, one bite size, Yukon Golds. I love the cumin and turmeric. This is a yummy, easy, one pot meal.
See Discussion:1 Review
Ingredients Nutrition
- 3 skinless chicken pieces (2 leg quarters & 1 breast)
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 medium garlic cloves, cut in half
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
- 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 carrots, bite size
- 1⁄2 medium onion, chopped
- 3 -4 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 inch pieces
Directions See How It's Made
- Sprinkle a small amount of salt, pepper, cumin, & paprika on the chicken. (About 1/2 teaspoon of each spice for all 3 pieces of chicken).
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the pressure cooker. Add the olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, & the rest of the spices into the pot. (Don't forget 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper, cumin, & paprika).
- Note: If you are using a regular pot instead of a pressure cooker the cook times are tripled & you may need more water.
- Place the chicken into the cooker & add the onions & carrot. Cook for 10 minutes, after it begins to hiss. (Regular pot, roughly 30 minutes).
- Remove chicken & place on a plate. Put the potatoes & 1 1/2 cups of water into the pot & cook for 4 more minutes, after it begins to hiss. (Regular pot, 12-15 minutes).
- While the potatoes are cooking break the chicken into small pieces (disregard the bones).
- Once the potatoes are done add the chicken back into the pan & stir. Pour into a serving dish & serve with warm bread.


text:
Rogers to release the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 soon
This article contains unofficial information.
The rumor has it the powerful Android smartphone will become available at a price of $149.99 for anyone willing to sign up for a three-year agreement, while unlocked, SIM-free units will set you back with $549.99 each, which is rather inexpensive alongside of the price of the handset across Europe. Still, keep in mind the information is unofficial and it's not unlikely that Rogers surprises us with a steep price-tag that is, well, drastically different from the one mentioned above.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Specifications | Review
source: MobileSyrup
4 Comments
1. Mateo8326 (Posts: 472; Member since: 15 Jul 2009)
if it is $149.99 that would be great $549.99 unlocked is exceptable for me...but when its it coming to ATT for the $199.99, does anybody know?!
2. rarewolf (Posts: 2; Member since: 08 Nov 2008)
Rogers first offered us the Xperia X1, but not the X1a that would have worked properly with Rogers UMTS 850 ... and now they want to sell us the X10, and it won't work with UMTS 850 either.
3. zerglisk (Posts: 544; Member since: 09 Feb 2010)
$149.99 but with 3yr contract, wow, that's is really a LONG contract, lol. Poor Canadians If it goes here 199.99 with at&t with 2yr contract, it will sell due to it's a SONY. However, the outdated OS without a promising upgrade to support multi-touch is really a big downer for this impressive phone. Still loving my HD2 over this!
4. ktonlai (Posts: 12; Member since: 29 Mar 2010)
It was unfathomable, but Rogers has done it, its officially retailing for $550. This is ridiculous, i JUST paid $480 for my SE Vivaz Since when has SE priced their handsets reasonably? much less cheaply. argh what a bad time for SE to come to their pricing senses :@


text:
Belly dancers from across west Wales will gather on Cardigan this weekend for the fourth annual Belly Dance Festival.
Held at Small World Theatre on Saturday and Sunday (August 9-10), the festival will provide a range of belly dance of workshops and displays, with a show featuring professional performers on Saturday evening.
"This is the highlight of the belly dancers' year," said organiser Rose Barter, a dance teacher from Rhydlewis.
"Belly dancing is becoming more and more popular. The classes in Ceredigion have doubled in size this year, with women of all ages attending. It's excellent for your health and a fun way of getting fit and becoming more mobile.
"The show on Saturday night is open to all and is a great way of finding out more about belly dancing and seeing it in action."
The festival provides a 'pick and mix' of workshops and opportunities to dance in front of an audience. It is aimed at absolute beginners and experienced dancers alike. Each session is priced separately so you can do as much or as little as you wish. There will also be three workshops on stage make-up by professional make-up artist Dominique Flook, which will be suitable for both actors and dancers.


text:
Arlene's Costumes for adults, children, pets for any holiday or occasion.
They were amazing in helping me find a costume for my daughter's school event. They have all different sizes and styles - and my daughter is picky! Their service was fabulous - even over the web and by e-mail!!! i will be contacting them again for a charity disco that I am going to later this year!
These adorable boots features faux leather, knot decor side, ankle length and easy slip in. 4" heels.Tags: ankle boots, casual boots, hiking boots, leather boots, lace-up boots, WOMEN'S DRESS SHOES, Costume Shoes, womens sexy boots, fashion dress BootAdded 8 Years Ago from AmiClubWear
These adorable boots features faux suede, zipper bottom side, ruched shaft and round toe front. 13 1/2" back bottom to top & 1" heel.Tags: ankle boots, combat boots, casual boots, fur boots, hiking boots, over the knee boots, cowgirl boots, fashion boots, lace-up bootsAdded 8 Years Ago from AmiClubWear
I love the daisy detailing on the Mary-Jane pumps~Added 8 Years Ago from Partycity
I hope these don't fall off when you fly away Tink!Tags: shoes, heels, costumes, high heels, Halloween, halloween costumes, Tink, tinkerbelle, tinkerbelle shoesAdded 9 Years Ago from Partycity
Great way to add the finishing touch to your 80s costume. These White 3-inch heels are fabulous with a 80's pop costume!Tags: shoes, high heels, Costume Shoes, halloween costumes, 80s Costume, 80s Costume Accesories, girls costumes, Halloween AccesoriesAdded 10 Years Ago from Amazon.com


text:
The children, aged from seven to 14, had been travelling inside a metal container usually used for fish.
It's thought the children were being taken to do domestic work - like cleaning - in the city of Lagos.
Child trafficking is against the law in Nigeria but there are problems cracking down on it because it's quite common.
The rescued children were taken to a police station, where they were given water, food and clothing.
The International Labour Organisation estimates that at least 200,000 children are trafficked in West Africa each year.


text:
Mirabella Dress by Debbie O'Neill
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see 2 projects made from this pattern and much more? create a free account What am I missing?
Mirabella Dress
This pattern is available for $9.00 USD
buy it now or visit pattern website
buy it now or visit pattern website
Another showstopping piece from Cherry Tree Hill, using a most intriguing combination of easy and interesting techniques. The skirt is worked modularly; the garter waistband supports and elongates the waist; and the top reverts to good old st st, with back and front worked separately then seamed at the sides. Sleeves are picked up around armhole edges and worked down after the shoulders are joined with a three-needle bind-off. Fun, sporty, and exceptionally pretty.
For more information, see: http://potluckyarn.com/shop/index.php?main_page=prod...


text: Muro Sayoko Name Name Muro Sayoko Profile Gender Female Professional Status Personal Status First Appearance Voices Japanese Voice Wikipedia: [v · t · e] " " Contents[show] AppearanceEdit Image Gallery PersonalityEdit Powers and AbilitiesEdit TechniquesEdit HistoryEdit Appearances in Other MediaEdit TriviaEdit Site NavigationEdit Retrieved from "http://otokojuku.wikia.com/wiki/Muro_Sayoko?oldid=4720" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: Females Characters Add category Cancel Save


text:
Alliance Police Chief Larry Dordea said the main possible source of operational irritation locally w
Current subscribers have full access to all online news content as part of their subscription. If you are a current subscriber, please log in with your website account information for full access. If you are a current subscriber, but have not yet registered for access to the website, please call our Circulation Department at (330) 821-1200


text:
Sorry, the book that you are looking for is not available right now.
We did a search for other books with a similar title, and found some results for you that may be helpful.
Somewhere along the way someone - a publicist, a record company promo person, a deejay - labelled the Rolling Stones the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band. For 50 years, the Stones have backed up that claim with remarkable consistency.
Written by noted rock historian Howard Kramer, The Rolling Stones : 50 Years of Rock celebrates a half-century of rock greatness. Highlighting key artistic events and achievements, including significant singles, albums and tours, the book is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of amazing photographs of the Rolling Stones from throughout their triumphant and often tumultuous run.
About the Author
Howard Kramer has been the Curatorial Director at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland since 1996. He joined the museum after working in the music industry for more than 15 years.
Audience: General
Format: Paperback with Flaps on Inside & Back Covers
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 272
Published: 10th October 2011
Country of Publication: US
Dimensions (cm): 29.6 x 25.5 x 2.1
Weight (kg): 1.393