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Security Whitepapers
With more and more employees downloading free, consumer-grade apps to access work files from mobile devices, your enterprise may be at risk for a security breach. Learn the requirements to ensure mobile file sharing does not jeopardize your organization's data security or compliance mandates.
Unmanaged cloud-based services can put organizations at risk for a data breach or non-compliance. Learn about the factors you should consider for deploying an enterprise-class secure file sharing solution in the cloud—including the benefits and risks of public, private, and hybrid options.
Without policies, education, and officially supported alternatives for sharing files securely, end-users will often overlook security in favor of getting the job done by using free, readily available alternatives. Read this Aberdeen Group report to learn how top-performing organisations support business objectives of end-users while meeting security requirements and: The "Dropbox Problem" defined; Research findings on the changing characteristics of data; Characteristics to look for when evaluating enterprise-class secure file sharing solutions.
Consumer file sharing and synchronization apps like Dropbox have caught on with business users. But these apps lack the security, centralized administration and management of enterprise solutions. Learn about the requirements you should look for in an enterprise-class mobile file sharing solution.
An enterprise mobility strategy needs to include more than the provisioning and security services available through mobile application and MDM solutions. To meet the mobility and security requirements of mobile users, enterprises need to look at deploying a solution for mobile content management (MCM) that supports BYOD policies. Read this whitepaper to learn: Why provisioning for mobile users has become more complex; Ten requirements to consider when selecting a mobile content security solution.
To secure mobile devices while enabling employees to share data securely, organisations need a comprehensive and flexible solution for secure enterprise content mobility. A secure enterprise content mobility solution complements Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions and enables mobile workers to easily share data with other authorised users, while ensuring that data is always secure and IT operations are always compliant. Read this whitepaper to learn: How the popularity of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is creating new security challenges; Why MDM is useful, but not sufficient; How enterprise content mobility provides an essential layer of security and control for organisations with mobile users.
Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) are easily the most exciting development in computing devices in the post-laptop era. By combining portability near to that of a phone with a larger screen, it is possible to interact with much larger data sets and to perform previously inaccessible computing tasks. From the user perspective, one set of credentials is used on all devices, including MIDs. However, only corporate-owned devices have access to the corporate network. Personal devices can be restricted to only Internet access, or can be given access only to a restricted set of resources such as a virtual desktop infrastructure. Read on.
As the world becomes increasingly hyperconnected, the opportunities for innovation are virtually limitless. At the same time, the complexity and risk associated with those opportunities is great. Security threats have the potential for enormous ramifications, but so does deploying a security strategy that compromises the user experience, performance, and the ability to innovate online. This paper will profile the emerging disruptive players, and identifies the essential steps to establishing a secure environment without compromising performance or experience.
Organizations today operate in a Faster Forward world, as they experience a shift towards an increasingly mobile workforce. Following this, an evolving stream of attackers are now targeting mobile devices where they can more easily access a larger number of high-value corporate and government assets. This paper will guide you through finding the right Web security partner that can improve efficiency while reducing risks and improving web experience.
As the world becomes increasingly hyper-connected, the opportunities for innovation and new business models are virtually limitless. However, with so much business-critical information at stake, the need to protect a company's IT assets is more important than ever before. This paper aims to profile the emerging players who comprise today's emerging threat ecosystem; today's trends and the latest insights into the future.


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Crestwoods is a longstanding destination for custom framing in the Fort Wayne area. Our mission is to elegantly display and preserve your pieces. We continue our commitment to quality framing and apply that same standard of excellence to our professional digital printing service. We value your art as much as you do. It deserves to be printed and presented with the highest quality materials. Additionally, it is our pleasure to announce we have moved to a larger space that houses a gallery featuring the work of local and regional artists.
Crestwoods is located at 314 N Main in Roanoke, IN. Hours are 10am to 5pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. We hope to see you soon!
Super high-quality, high-resolution digital prints available in large sizes, up to three feet by six feet.
Click on Larry Hampton's "Bugsy" below to view our June newsletter.
Submit your email address, and we'll add you to our mailing list. Stay up to date on gallery events, workshops and sales.

subset: commoncrawl


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text: I've got a couple of friends who do loads and loads of track days every summer and now they have started pestering me about coming along on a few next year. As a 21" front wheel don't really give much option for tires I am thinking about converting to 17" front wheel, and also I don't have the cash for a pure trackbike however much I'd like to get one. It looks pretty awesome if you ask me. Anyone done this? If so what are your thoughts?


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Statement by the International Monetary Fund, Delivered by Mohsin S. Khan, Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department -- At the Pakistan Development Forum
March 19, 2004
Delivered by Mohsin S. Khan
Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department
At the Pakistan Development Forum
Islamabad, March 17-19, 2004
1. The 2004 Pakistan Development Forum (PDF) provides a timely opportunity to discuss Pakistan's recently finalized Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) "Accelerating Economic Growth and Reducing Poverty: The Road Ahead." Last week the IMF Executive Board endorsed Pakistan's PRSP as a comprehensive and feasible poverty reduction strategy, and a good framework for further reform after the expiration of the Fund program. The Fund staff appreciates this opportunity to comment on Pakistan's economic developments and outlook.
2. The Pakistani economic reform program has been supported by the IMF with a three-year arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). This program was approved by the IMF Executive Board in December 2001 and it will be completed in December 2004. Since its approval, seven program reviews have been completed successfully and discussions for the eighth review are scheduled for April.
3. In light of the considerable improvement in economic fundamentals during recent years, the authorities have indicated to us that they will not request a successor arrangement to the current PRGF. This will be a very important milestone for Pakistan following a long history of financial assistance from the IMF. The authorities should be commended for adhering to their commitments under the PRGF and for the impressive economic achievements. Of course, the IMF will continue to work closely with the Pakistani authorities, but in a different mode. As part of our surveillance mandate, we will offer advice on macroeconomic stabilization and reforms, and particularly on how economic growth could be strengthened further over the medium term. We will also provide technical assistance in the monetary and fiscal areas, as requested by the Pakistani authorities. In this context, a Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) is currently underway, and the results are expected to be published later this year.
4. Pakistan has come a long way in a short period. By the late 1990s, Pakistan was facing a very difficult economic situation. Intermittent attempts in the past to carry through adjustment and reform programs were too often followed by policy reversals and thus failed to generate positive results. Economic growth averaged an historically low 3 percent in the late 1990s, barely exceeding the population growth rate. For years, the fiscal deficit remained well above 6 percent of GDP. This caused a continuous increase in public sector indebtedness and required a growing share of government resources to be used for interest payments. Eventually, the country experienced a debt crisis.
5. Against this background, the main objectives of the current PRGF program were (a) to extract the country from a debt trap; (b) to accelerate economic growth; and thus (c) to contribute to an improvement in social indicators.
6. Pakistan's public debt burden has been reduced considerably. Key to this has been the reduction in the government deficit, which has been lowered by more than 2 percentage points of GDP since FY 1999/2000, as well as the rescheduling of Pakistan's external debt. The ratio of public debt to GDP declined from almost 110 percent in 2000/01 to an estimated 85 percent in the current fiscal year. Pakistan's external public debt has fallen from 55 percent of GDP in FY 1999/2000 to an estimated 42 percent of GDP in the current year. Combined with an improved external position that has allowed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to rebuild its international reserves to over $10 billion, Pakistan has become much less vulnerable to external shocks. But it is not out of the woods yet. Debt indicators are still high and reducing these further to sustainable levels will require continued fiscal adjustment and strong economic growth.
7. Growth has recovered. Growth has picked up significantly in the last few years and is expected to reach 5½ percent this fiscal year. The recovery has been broad-based, and is driven in part by strong export growth.
8. Key to restoring growth has been the authorities' determined implementation of sound financial policies and structural reforms. In the macroeconomic area, the crucial elements have been the sizable fiscal adjustment and a monetary policy geared first toward achieving and then maintaining low inflation.
9. Meanwhile, considerable improvements have been made in the past several years in establishing a more favorable business environment to foster private sector development.
In this context:
· Tax reform has been geared toward reducing top tariff rates, while eliminating numerous exemptions. A fundamental reform of the tax administration is underway. Self-assessment has been introduced, and audit functions are being strengthened.
· Financial sector reform has resulted in a healthier and more competitive banking system. Key to this reform has been privatization and strengthening of bank supervision. As a result, financial intermediation has deepened, and consumer and mortgage lending are supporting the current recovery.
· Enterprise reform has made major public enterprises more accountable through the adoption and publication of financial improvement plans. Impressive results have been achieved by some enterprises, such as Pakistan Steel. However, other enterprises, notably in the power sector, still have a long way to go. To enhance competition and transparency, various regulatory authorities have been set up.
These policies have reduced distortions and increased efficiency, and also lifted uncertainty about the future course of economic policies. Thus, they have established a solid basis for future economic growth, though improving the environment for private sector activity is essential in this context.
10. Unfortunately, the available data show little evidence of a reduction in poverty. The most recent poverty data are for 2000/01 and thus fail to reflect the increase in economic activity in recent years. But there is no question that a large part of Pakistan's population still remains below or close to the poverty line, and that many do not have proper access to health and education services. Thus, while Pakistan has come a long way, there are considerable challenges ahead to translate stronger macroeconomic indicators into lower poverty.
11. Pakistan's PRSP provides a solid framework for the country's efforts toward sustainable growth and poverty reduction. It appropriately puts poverty reduction at the top of the policy agenda. Moreover, it recognizes that economic growth is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition to reduce poverty. The PRSP also emphasizes that poverty reflects social, political, and economic exclusion. A lack of access to basic public services, markets, and institutions impedes the ability of the poor to improve their living standards. Thus, apart from growth, the second main condition to reduce poverty is greater social inclusion, including through human development and devolution. The PRSP sets out a comprehensive agenda to attack poverty, although we are looking forward to a more specific implementation plan as part of the next progress report.
12. To help lift a significant share of the population out of poverty, economic growth will need to continue at rates of at least 5-6 percent annually over the medium term. This is ambitious, but achievable. For 2004/05, a growth rate of 5½-6 percent could very well be realized, building on the current momentum, provided that external demand and local weather conditions remain favorable. But maintaining growth rates of 6 percent and higher over the medium term will require a substantial increase in private and public investment, accompanied by significant improvements in productivity.
13. Private investment requires macroeconomic and financial stability, as well as stable security and political conditions. Recent developments in this area, such as the agreement on the Legal Framework Order and improvements in the relations with India, are most welcome and encouraging.
14. Investment also requires the continuation of economic policies that are conducive to growth. In this regard, we welcome the authorities' commitment to further reduce Pakistan's debt overhang through continued fiscal adjustment, as well as the SBP's commitment to maintain the hard-won gains of low inflation. Given the expected key role of private sector activity in generating growth, the PRSP also identifies key reforms necessary to reduce the cost of doing business. These include ongoing tax and financial sector reforms, deregulation, labor market reform, and improving governance. In addition, the PRSP envisages a large increase in public sector investment that is intended to address infrastructure bottlenecks and improve the delivery of services such as power, telecommunications, and especially irrigation.
15. Beyond achieving more rapid economic growth, poverty reduction also requires substantial investment in human capital and an improvement in public service delivery. This entails not only an increase in social expenditures, but also an increase in the effectiveness of those expenditures. The latter involves building adequate institutional capacity and improving governance at the local level. Looking at the 2003 UNDP Human Development Indicators, one area that jumps out as being a major factor in holding back Pakistan's development is poor education. Improved public service delivery is particularly needed in the rural areas, not only to achieve universal primary school enrollment, but also to ensure an effective delivery of basic health care.
16. The fiscal framework presented in the PRSP balances the need for increased social spending and further debt reduction. Both of these objectives can be achieved with the right mix of fiscal policies. Provided growth remains strong, a fairly modest improvement in the overall fiscal balance in percent of GDP should suffice to further reduce debt ratios, as envisaged in the draft Fiscal Responsibility Law and in the PRSP. This will lower the claim of debt service obligations on scarce government resources. At the same time, fiscal policy will need to focus on strengthening revenue collection and reducing subsidies to loss-making public enterprises by improving their performance. These actions combined are projected to create the fiscal space to increase social and development spending, by 1½ and 2¼ percentage-point of GDP, respectively, during 2003-08. In the revenue mobilization area, given the generally low rate of revenue collection, we would encourage the authorities to intensify efforts to strengthen tax administration and to set a more ambitious revenue path than envisaged under the PRSP.
17. Crucial to creating adequate fiscal space for increased social expenditures will be further power sector reform. Reducing the power sector's reliance on budget transfers, while improving service delivery, will be a particular challenge. In the short run, the authorities will need to ensure that the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) meet the targets for 2003/04 and that subsidies do not exceed their budget allocations. The unbundling and corporatization of WAPDA needs to be completed swiftly to better localize structural problems and clear the way for gradual privatization. In addition, the framework for setting electricity tariffs will need to be strictly maintained. We welcome the authorities' intention to formulate a medium-term Power Sector Recovery Plan directed at improving governance and accountability, including by accelerating privatization, reducing costs, reforming tariff and subsidy policies, and establishing a policy framework that ensures that investments are fully funded. Implementation of this plan should place the power sector on a path toward financial viability and expand access to reliable power supplies.
18. Successful devolution will be key to achieving the authorities' objective to improve the quality of and access to public services at the local level. The PRSP incorporates a fundamental change in the relationship between decision makers, public service providers, and the population. Significant progress in implementing political devolution has already been made. As a result, provincial and local governments now share a greater responsibility for the achievement of the poverty reduction and development goals. But successful devolution will require the clear alignment of roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities between the different tiers of government. This can only become possible when political devolution is followed up by administrative devolution, combined with the transfer of adequate financial resources to provincial and local governments.
IV. Conclusion
19. Pakistan is clearly on the right course, though significant gains in the fight against poverty are not yet visible. Given the authorities' track record over the last few years, we in the IMF are optimistic that strong growth will continue, setting the stage for a reduction in poverty. Ultimately, Pakistan's growth outlook will depend on the authorities' ability to continue with sound fiscal and monetary policies and to maintain the momentum of advancing broad-based structural reforms to foster private sector development. Strengthening implementation capacity will be crucial to improving public service delivery to the poor as well as adequate resources being provided to key social sectors. The PRSP provides a strong and credible strategy for the coming years to achieve a lasting reduction in poverty. We wish the authorities continued success and assure them that the IMF is committed to work closely with the Pakistani authorities in the future.
|Public Affairs
|Media Relations


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Tricia Helfer posted a new lovely picture of her and Summer Glau at the set of the new TNT pilot Scent of the missing, which currently being filmed in Hammond, Louisiana.
The pilot is based on the book by Susannah Charleson. The book is about her adventures with the dog named Puzzle as members of a canine search-and-rescue team. Tricia Helfer plays the adrenaline-junkie leader of the team and Summer plays Sedona a beautiful and very wealthy woman that recently joined the team.
We will keep our fingers crossed that TNT will pick up this pilot for series.
Visit our forum thread for more info: Summer Glau joined TNT's new pilot 'Scent of the Missing'
Like our Facebook fan page below to stay connected to the latest Summer Glau news!


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2005 Bentley Continental GTEnlarge Photo
The story would then shift to the present tense. On a narrow, winding road wending its way across the ancient fields and hillocks of Welsh sheep country. That same journalist would be seated behind the wheel of the new Bentley Continental GT. The same car he'd been given a glimpse of 18 months before.
This is no movie. And there was good reason for all that secrecy. After nearly three-quarters of a century, the marriage of sporty Bentley and stately Rolls-Royce was coming to an abrupt end. Once given up for dead, Bentley had staged a surprising rebirth during the 1990s, unexpectedly eclipsing its long-standing partner. Soon it would be on its own, but rather than simply maintain course, Bentley was planning a dramatic shift in direction, one it was admittedly uncertain about.
That darkened room held the first clay model of the car that would redefine the British brand. But if company officials went in worried, their fears were soon put to rest. The reaction among the select few given the opportunity to see the new car was overwhelming. And so, with the help of its new parent, Volkswagen AG, Bentley raced to put prototype into production. This coming November, the first Continental GT will reach English showrooms, with a U.S. debut scheduled for early next year.
2005 Bentley Continental GT
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Performance rules
No matter how sleek, or bold, or striking, a clay model is still little more than a sculpture, of course. So TheCarConnection could hardly ignore an invitation to test one of the first running GTs, taking the car for a long day's drive from the factory in Crewe, up through the mossy green countryside of Wales.
You hear the term "DNA" a lot in the auto industry these days. It's become a catchphrase on the order of "jeweled headlights." So, use the word heritage if you prefer, but whatever you call it, the Continental GT sports the elegant lines and aggressive shoulders of the legendary 1952 R Type Continental. If you're really up on your Bentley background, you might also pick up a few cues from the '28 Speed Six.
The GT belongs to a relatively new class of automobiles, the affordable supercar. Of course, affordable is a relative term. If you're used to spending $300,000 for a Bentley Arnage, or $250,000 for a Lamborghini Murcielago, the Continental GT is a veritable bargain. Bentley's also betting that for those who might otherwise opt for a top-line Porsche, Mercedes-Benz AMG, or maybe the new BMW 760, the GT won't be all that much of a stretch.
2005 Bentley Continental GT
2005 Bentley Continental GT
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Yet for those who expect Bentley to be synonymous with bespoke, the new car won't disappoint. Like the massive Arnage, it boasts some of the most elegant woodworking ever put on the road, each car requiring 20 hours of skilled craftwork to complete the carefully honed and polished matching pieces. That's more time than it takes many mass manufacturers to build an entire car. All told, each GT involves 200 man-hours of labor. Equal care goes into preparing the car's leather, which uses as many as 17 matched hides. Even the steering wheel cover is hand-finished, a task requiring no less and no more than 234 eye-crossing stitches.
If you can keep your own eyes sharply focused, you might notice a couple of interior details that reveal Bentley's new parentage. Under the leather skin, the basic steering wheel is shared with VW's new, top-of-the-line Phaeton sedan. So are some of the control systems in the GT's center stack — though their knurled aluminum knobs are even more elegant. Other interior features, such as the pull-stop air vent controls, are pure and classic Bentley.
By Bentley's estimation, there are more than a billion separate build combinations available for the big Arnage. The number might be a bit less for the Continental GT. You'll likely not see a rear-seat DVD entertainment system. But surprisingly, there is a real backseat, and not just the sort of cramped compartment even kids would complain about. You wouldn't take two adults cross-country back there, but they'd certainly approve of the ride to your country club.
There's also an unexpectedly spacious cargo bay, 370 liters according to European specs, enough room for that foursome's luggage if they don't pack everything they own.
All-wheel pavement shredder
Significant in the fundamental concept behind the Continental GT is that this car is designed to be a daily driver. Its all-wheel-drive powertrain — a first for Bentley — is even meant to handle a snowy Michigan winter. But first and foremost, this is a serious sports car, as TCC quickly discovered during its journey.
2005 Bentley Continental GT
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As with a fast horse, it requires a few minutes to learn how to handle all the GT's power. It takes a simple squeeze of the accelerator to launch you up to freeway speeds. Tip the pedal to the proverbial metal and you'll find yourself pressed into the well-bolstered seat as if you were being launched off an aircraft carrier catapult. Let off suddenly and you'll shift forward noticeably in the subtly firm seat.
You'll also be greeted with a burble that sounds a bit like the snort of a racehorse being reigned in while in mid-gallop. One of the more subtly pleasing features of the car is its resonant exhaust note. It's something of a cross between that elegant precision of a Ferrari V-12 and the pure muscle of an all-American muscle car. One disappointment was the unexpectedly high level of tire noise, especially on rough pavement.
The car's paddle shifters, a pair of rabbit ears mounted behind the steering wheel, is likely to prove controversial. Whether you opt for manu-matic mode or simply operate the six-speed as a conventional automatic, we found the transmission to be surprisingly intuitive. It seemed to shift before we tipped into the throttle, quickly under hard acceleration, but almost invisibly during more normal driving.
To put some numbers to the Continental GT, the car will blast from 0 to 60 in just 4.7 seconds. And if you don't ease up, you'll feel that acceleration all the way up to a top speed of 198 mph. That's despite the car's surprising heft, about 5500 pounds, or as much as some large SUVs.
Swift responses
You don't feel the weight, though. "Spry," and "nimble" are two words that immediately come to mind. So does "responsive." Throttle and steering wheel become linked almost as one as we blast through dense woods and into open farmland. The blind hills and curves that might intimidate a driver in most cars only beckon one to push the GT a bit harder. The sense of confidence is further inspired by massive, 16-inch vented brakes.
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While Bentley avoided the temptation of loading every possible piece of technology onto the Continental GT, the driver is given plenty of options and backup. There's an unobtrusive stability control system, for one thing. You really need to be over the edge before it kicks in and even with the AWD, the stability system will actually let a good driver hang the rear wheels out a bit while cornering hard.
During hard driving, we did switch the adjustable suspension to its firmest mode. The difference was marked in terms of handling, yet it didn't require too much of a trade-off in terms of comfort. Of course, those well-padded seats help.
Franz-Josef PaefgenEnlarge Photo
The automaker's aspirations are nothing if not ambitious. Even with just the one body style, Bentley is aiming to sell 3500 to 4000 of the new cars, and it could build 5000 if demand is there. That'd be more than double what both Bentley and Rolls-Royce together sold during their best-ever year combining all of their various models.
Can the newly divorced Bentley pull it off? Initial orders suggest Bentley's onto something with the GT, though it will need to sustain demand for more than one or two years. Where once there were few cars in the $150,000 price range, that niche is getting crowded in a hurry, with everything from the GT to the Lamborghini Gallardo, the new Ford GT and others vying for attention.
If a first drive is any indication, the car from Crewe should draw its share of consideration. The Continental's classic lines are striking and timeless. It's unexpectedly roomy and every bit the driver's machine the automaker has promised. So for those who have the money, it'll be hard to ignore Bentley's new offering.
2005 Bentley Continental GT
Base price: $149,990 (U.S. est.)
Engine: 6.0-liter, twin-turbo W-12, 552 hp/479 lb-ft
Transmission: Electronic six-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts for manual mode, all-wheel drive
Length by width x height: 189.1 x 82.7 x 54.7 in
Wheelbase: 108.1 in
Curb weight: 5258 lb
EPA City/Hwy: N/A
Safety equipment: Dual front airbags, dual thorax side airbags for front seat and full-length (front and rear seat) head curtain airbags, load-limiting seatbelts with pretensioners, ABS, traction control, stability control
Major standard equipment: Electronically adjustable suspension, electric memory seats, navigation system, leather and wood interior, auto/manual ride height control, rear seat ski-snowboard sleeve, Breitling in-dash clock, CD changer
Warranty: Three years/unlimited miles
The Car Connection Consumer Review
in your area
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Used Toyota Land Cruiser461 cars
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Klobuchar bill fights synthetic drugs
ST. PAUL - Sen. Amy Klobuchar is among sponsors of a bill written to make it easier to prosecute cases involving the sale of synthetic drugs.
The Minnesota Democrat said that synthetic drug ingredients change slightly whenever a synthetic drug becomes illegal, and the process to make the new one illegal must begin from scratch.
The bill would apply to drugs similar to those that already are illegal. Current law forbids federal officials from prosecuting if a substance is "not intended for human consumption." However, law enforcement officials say many of the drugs are labeled that way, but everyone knows they are meant for people to use.
The bill would establish several factors to consider when determining if a substance is designed to mimic an illegal drug, making it easier to prove a drug is meant for human consumption.
"This bill will make it easier to crack down on new synthetic drugs by closing a loophole that allows drug dealers to flout the law by pretending that these dangerous drugs are not intended for human consumption, when really they're endangering the lives of teenagers and families every day," Klobuchar said.
Joining her on the bill are Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Diane Feinstein. D-Calif.


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Rory Partin's family said he died Sunday doing what he loved -- racing motorcycles.
Leading the first lap of the 600cc Superstock Novice race in Savannah, Ga., Mr. Partin lost control of his sport bike on the first turn in front of 20 other racers, according to RoadRacingWorld.com. The 30-year-old Martinez resident did not survive the injuries from the crash.
"He was a wonderful kid with a passion for racing motorcycles," said Mr. Partin's mother, Debbie Rearden. "He just had a passion for speed."
Though Mr. Partin grew up in North Augusta, he lived in Martinez for seven years, where he was the manager of an Enterprise rental car branch.
Mr. Partin started racing with Western Eastern Racing Association Motorcycle Roadracing in 2005, according to the Roadracing World Web site. He was ranked third in the points standing in the B Superstock Novice division.
A strong competitive nature fueled Mr. Partin's need to excel in racing, his longtime friend Marcoldin Rials said.
"If he was going to the gym, he had to get there first," Mr. Rials said. "He had to be the first one to the couch to grab the remote. He had to be the first one to the fridge to grab a beer.
"He had a lot of pride that he got from winning in no matter what it was. He loved the speed and the adrenaline rush."
Mr. Partin took up motorcycle riding many years ago, his mother said.
"Rory lived his whole life with a passion and doing what made him happy," she said. "He not only raced sports bikes, but he also rode dirt bikes on the weekends."
Area racers and Mr. Partin's friends have embraced Ms. Rearden during her time of bereavement, she said.
The closeness her son felt with other motorcycle enthusiasts was part of the draw for him to race, she said.
"He loved the camaraderie he had with the racing community," she said. "He was really well loved."
Mr. Rials echoed Ms. Rearden's sentiment.
"He was more than just a racer," he said. "He was loved by everyone who knew him."
A memorial service for Mr. Partin will be held at 6 p.m. today at Posey Funeral Home in North Augusta. A private family interment will be held later.
Memorials for Mr. Partin may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Reach Donnie Fetter at (706) 868-1222, ext. 115, or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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ALBANY — A biggest-in-the-nation convention center would mean a bigger racino at Aqueduct.
Gov. Cuomo said yesterday the Genting Group will seek more gaming machines at the racino it runs at Aqueduct Racetrack as the Malaysian-based gaming giant pours $4 billion into what would be the country's largest convention center there.
A bigger racino would mean renegotiating the state's cut from video-lottery-machine revenues, Cuomo said on Albany's Talk 1300 AM radio. A source said that would mean more money for the state from expanded operations but a smaller percentage of the take, although Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto said it's too early to say, with discussions ongoing.
Genting now gets 21.5 percent of video-lottery revenues, with 44 percent going to education, 10 percent to the state Lottery Division, 14.5 percent to racing operations and 10 percent to marketing.
Cuomo said state costs for the proposed 3.8 million square-foot center would be "minimal."


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[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
First off, no this is not the worst team in proffessional sports history, and maybe not even the NBA's history, but for sure is the worst team in Knicks history.
Key points to the article: Isiah has no respect from the rest of the NBA.
The Knicks are known to have the smallest playbook in the league.
There are spies in MSG (boy is Malik lucky this article wasn't published Pre Walsh era!)
Steph has "dirt' on Isiah (I think Isiah smashed the St. Johns intern too)
David Stern without question appointed Donnie Walsh
We are screwed as far as cap for the next four years, because no league Exec wants Randolph (there is a quote that supports that) and Curry's heart is weak in every sense of the word.
Curry has a personal Chef and trainer to monitor his meals, and he still put on weight this season.
Oakley thinks Curry is fat
Kaman thinks Curry is slow and fat
Q has a temper
Jamal is Robin, not Batman
David Lee conducts interviews nude, while Steph makes sure he is fully dressed first before talking to reporters!
Walt and Mike Breen's opinions would have gotten them fired had they not been so popular (mainly Walt)
Gus Johnson will soon be fired ."Pause" LOL
And finally, a Western scout (Scott Layden most likely) says a lot of people in the league are having fun watching this happen to Isiah, although not the Knicks.
Anyways those are the cliff notes, enjoy the reading it is pretty accurate to our season!


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The Ebola virus recently killed 84 people in just three days, bringing the global death toll to 1,229, the World Health Organization said this morning.
The death toll, which passed the 1,000-mark over a week ago, soared higher from last Thursday to Saturday.
The number of confirmed infections jumped by 113 over the three days, bringing the total number of cases to 2,240, the UN health agency said.
The epidemic, which has hit four west African nations since it broke out in Guinea at the start of the year, is by far the deadliest since Ebola was discovered four decades ago in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Liberia was the hardest-hit country in the latest figures, with 48 new cases and 53 deaths.
That lifted its total count of cases to 834, with 466 deaths.
The new WHO toll predates an attack overnight Saturday on a quarantine centre in the Liberian capital Monrovia that caused 17 Ebola patients to flee.
Liberia's information minister said all 17 were later found and transferred to the JFK Ebola specialist treatment centre.
He also said three infected African doctors who had received the experimental Ebola drug Zmapp were showing "remarkable signs of improvement", quoting an assessment by the doctor overseeing their treatment.
Sierra Leone recorded 38 new infections and 17 fatalities, the new WHO data showed.
As a result, Sierra Leone's total case count increased to 848 and its death toll to 365.
Guinea counted 24 new cases and 14 new deaths. That lifted the total number of cases to 543, with 394 deaths.
Nigeria, meanwhile, recorded three new cases but no deaths.
All told, Nigeria has now seen 15 cases and four fatalities, the data shows.
German health authorities have quarantined a 30-year-old Nigerian woman who showed symptoms consistent with the Ebola virus.
Dozens of visitors and staff at a Berlin employment office building were stopped from leaving for several hours as emergency services sealed off part of the street.
A number of people who were with the woman inside the building in the north eastern district of Prenzlauer Berg were also taken to hospital for tests.
The Bild newspaper said the woman had fainted and later said she had recently been in contact with people infected with Ebola.


text: Standout offensive lineman Paulay Asiata (Honolulu, Hawaii./St. Louis) took official visits to Arizona and Washington over the last two weeks and will take one more visit before making his decision. Asiata is the top offensive lineman from the Islands this year and a national recruit. He could play guard or tackle in college and has the physical toughness to play early at the next level. "I was at Arizona two weeks ago and that was a great visit," Asiata said. "They lose a lot of offensive linemen so the chance to play early is there. I had a chance to watch the team practice and that was pretty cool. The coaching staff, especially coach [Mike] Stoops, has a lot of passion for football and you can tell he really loves the game.


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AARP Attorneys File Lawsuit on Behalf of D.C. Residents Fighting Institutionalization
AARP Foundation Litigation (AFL) attorneys brought a civil rights class action against the District of Columbia on behalf of residents of Washington, D.C., nursing homes who want to live in their own homes.
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) gives individuals a right to receive long-term supportive services in the most integrated setting appropriate and requires states to reform policies and practices that cause unnecessarily segregation or isolation in nursing homes and other institutions. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court found it a violation of the ADA to unnecessarily segregate a person with a disability in an institutional setting (Olmstead v. L.C. ex rel. Zimring).
Eleven years later, the court's decision is not being honored by many state and local governments. AFL attorneys have participated in lawsuits around the country that challenge states to provide home- and community-based alternatives to institutionalization.
In December 2010, AFL attorneys — in conjunction with University Legal Services and the private law firm of Arent Fox, LLP — filed a class action lawsuit against the city on behalf of residents of Washington, D.C., nursing homes. The lawsuit alleges that as many as 2,900 city residents with disabilities are institutionalized in nursing homes despite the ability to live independently if provided information about and access to home- and community-based services. The lawsuit seeks to order the city to provide these services and inform residents of their rights and choices.
The lawsuit alleges that because of the District's failure to fund and make available sufficient community-based alternatives, individuals with disabilities often have nowhere to go but nursing facilities. Indeed, many people are forced to choose between living out their lives in an institutional nursing facility or homelessness.
"It's like you're stripped of all your adulthood," 46-year-old Vietress Bacon, one of the lead plaintiffs, told The Washington Post. Lead plaintiff Edward Day explained: "Once you get inside that gate, you're inside a jail."
Despite efforts to resolve this problem without litigation, and a federal grant making more than $26 million available to help transition older and disabled residents from institutions, thousands of residents in nursing homes continue to languish there against their wishes. Ultimately, a lawsuit was seen as necessary to protect the residents.
What's at Stake
The lawsuit alleges that between 500 and 3,000 D.C. residents with disabilities are unnecessarily institutionalized. Eleven years after Olmstead, the lawsuit alleges, the D.C. government still does not have a comprehensive, effective plan to implement that decision. Implementing the decision is not only a civil rights issue, but a fiscal one. Through its Medicaid program, D.C. spends on average $60,000 per year per person in a nursing facility and $230,000 per year per person in a psychiatric hospital; many of these residents could instead receive community-based mental health services for approximately $25,000 per year.
In Day v. District of Columbia the court rejected the District's motion for summary judgment and ruled that governing legal standards and undisputed facts undermine the District's claims that it complies with the ADA and Supreme Court's Olmstead decision.


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As the horrified Dowager Countess might ask, "What is a job?"
The 1920s finds the denizens of "Downton Abbey" fighting a changing world, gloved fists clenched. It's the new generation against the old. Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) is trying to save the estate from financial ruin against the strenuous objections of his father-in-law, Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville). Widower Tom Branson has persuaded the family to let the first Crawley grandchild be baptized a Catholic. Most dramatic of all, the jilted-at-the-altar Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) has rejected her grandmother's advice to take up a charity to keep herself busy — and has gotten a job as a newspaper columnist. She's a working girl now.
The middle child of the Crawley clan, Lady Edith is the family misfit. The last to be married, first to be jilted (at the altar), she is the dull relative no one knows what to do with. The character has been the butt of jokes since "Downton Abbey" premiered three years ago. In a Spike TV spoof, the Crawley sisters were described as such: Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) was "Hot." The recently deceased Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) was "Way Hot." Lady Edith? She was dismissed as "The Other One."
Lady Edith's stock fell even further when, in Jimmy Fallon's "Downton Sixbey," the role went to none other than Fred Armisen, referred to in the skit as Hedith. She plays the drums, and her five o'clock shadow was something of a concern for the servants. "Did you shave, Hedith?" Carson asked.
Tumblr.com posted its own weird tribute: EdithwithGooglyEyes, which takes the viewer on a retrospective of scenes from the show. In every scene, her eyes are bulging out of her skull.
Carmichael has been a good sport about the ribbing, telling the British magazine, Love, that playing the role has made her own life that much easier.
"I am so lucky to be doing this job," she says. "And I probably end up with more confidence than anyone because when people meet me they say, 'Oh, you're nowhere near as dowdy as we thought you were,' or, 'Oh my God, you look so fat and old on TV but you're not like that at all.' "
"They think I'm going to be really thrilled to hear that," she says. "I just smile and say thank you."
Despite her unsuitability for society, Lady Edith might be the last Crawley standing. The financial crises in the 1920s that hit houses just like Downton severely derailed the aristocracy. Even in all their finery, the Crawleys are really dinosaurs.
"Keep your eye on Lady Edith," says Rebecca Eaton, "Masterpiece" executive producer. "She kind of backs into feminism. She goes to the paper for personal reasons. She's mending a broken heart. And she's very bright and very bored out at Downton."


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Uncommon Answers to Common Questions (Gujarati)
"In my personal research I realized millions of people in the world suffer and create more and more complicated patterns of creating suffering for themselves and others without knowing the simple solutions and truths.
That is why here I am opening up and sharing myself with the world making myself available freely without any economical commitments to all of you to live and radiate the joy of life.
So that is the reason I want to reach out to people and stop creating more and more suffering."
- Paramahamsa Nithyananda
Product Description
Have you ever seen a little child worry about what people will think of him? But as we grow, society teaches us to evaluate ourselves by the ideas and opinions of others - parents, teachers, friends, even strangers. Then we begin to believe less in ourselves and depend on social 'certificates' for all our actions. We are unable to live a joyful and courageous life.
This unique collection of Q&A reveals simple yet profound Truths about life.


text:
I want to stop ZAX from scanning my downloads, it corrupts every file without exception, how can this be done?
I found the setting in the CheckPoint Browser settings for scanning downloads for spyware and un-checked it, but that did nothing.
This is my version info -
ZoneAlarm Extreme Security version:9.1.008.000
TrueVector version:9.1.008.000
Driver version:9.1.008.000
Anti-virus engine version:18.104.22.168
Anti-virus signature DAT file version:999144960
AntiSpam version:188.8.131.523
ZoneAlarm ForceField 22.214.171.124
ZoneAlarm ForceField Spyware Scanner 126.96.36.199
ZoneAlarm ForceField Anti-Phishing Database 126.96.36.199
ZoneAlarm ForceField Spyware Sites Database 04.020


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Jonathan Pivnick has been Camp Director from 1986 - 1988, and since 2008.
Dear Parents, Welcome to Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa. I'm both proud and fortunate to say that this camp has been a part of my life since I attended as a camper in 1969. While there have been many changes at CBB of Ottawa over the past 40 years, all geared to improving this wonderful place, some things have thankfully stayed the same. Our mission and culture has never wavered. We take pride in making CBB of Ottawa your children's "home away from home" by providing a safe, inclusive and loving environment that helps develop important social skills, builds confidence, and instills a sense of pride and ongoing commitment to our Jewish culture and community. Oh, and let's not forget the lifelong friendships that are built here at CBB of Ottawa.
While our camper numbers have increased consistently over the past few summers, we have always maintained that "small numbers camp" feeling that keeps CBB of Ottawa a "family" in every sense of the word. There is something very special about our camp where everyone knows everyone, whether you're seven or seventeen.
While we know that it's the friendships that bring your children through our front gate summer after summer, it doesn't stop us from continually looking for ways to improve our facilities and programming. As I mentioned above, we have seen a number of changes over the years. Camp B'nai Brith boasts an Olympic size swimming pool, an outdoor, regulation size ball-hockey arena, showers and toilet facilities in all of our camper cabins, an indoor gymnasium, a mini-putt course, two soccer fields, lighted tennis courts and much more. And that's just half of the fun. Our large sandy beach on the shores of the Ottawa River leads to a fully equipped waterfront that encompasses a full range of water activities, including water-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing and kayaking.
I believe that the key to a truly successful camp season rests with the quality of our staff. You can have the best and most modern facilities going, but if you don't have a mature and dedicated group of individuals caring for and teaching your children, all you've got is a camp with nice "stuff". Well, at CBB of Ottawa, we've got both! I consider the selection of our counselors, supervisors and specialists to be one of, if not my biggest responsibility as camp Director. With staff and specialists coming from as far away as Australia, England and other parts of the world, we truly leave no stone unturned when it comes to making sure your children have the best summer of their lives, year after year after year.
I want to thank you so very much for trusting me, my wife Heidi and the entire CBB of Ottawa Board and Staff with your children. Their happiness and well-being are our primary focus. We promise not to let you and your most prized possessions down.
Jonathan "Piv" Pivnick
Camp Director
Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa
P.O. Box 23108
Ottawa, Ontario
Year Round:
Ottawa: (613) 244-9210
Montreal: (514) 396-7091
Toronto: (416) 607-6529
Fax: (613) 226-2227
Camp Season Only:
Phone: (819) 458-2660
Fax: (819) 458-3183
© 2015 Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa Inc. All rights reserved.
Web development and web design by Envision Online Media Inc.
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy


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Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman speaks today during a visit to The Boston Globe. (Essdras M. Suarez/Globe Staff)
Focused on N.H., Huntsman says he can bridge country's gaps
By Glen Johnson Globe Staff / November 16, 2011
Text size – +
Republican Jon Huntsman said today Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and other Democrats have spoken favorably of his presidential candidacy not because he lacks a conservative record, but because he has a moderate temperament and the other credentials they know the White House demands. Nonetheless, Huntsman said his fellow Republicans should not be misled into thinking he is a moderate. He cited his opposition to abortion rights, support for gun ownership, his tax-cutting record while serving as governor of Utah.
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text:
Smokey Robinson To Receive Library of Congress Gershwin Prize"It gives me such joy and gratitude to be included among the past recipients of this most prestigious songwriting award."
Mary Wilson, Dennis Edwards and More to Honor Smokey Robinson at Tribute ConcertThe 20th annual Music Masters tribute concert will take place Nov. 7
Smokey Robinson to be Honored By Rock and Roll Hall of FameThe Music Masters Series is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's other big annual honor.
Today's 101.9 Welcomes Smokey RobinsonMusical superstar Smokey Robinson is performing at The Lyric on December 12, 2014 and tickets are still available.
"Stars" At The Star Spangled 200 The President and Vice President will be in Baltimore to commemorate the 200th birthday of our National Anthem. The Who's Who from Hollywood (screen, TV, stage and music) will be in town this weekend. Where can you catch the "Stars"?
Listen To Smokey Robinson & Elton John's Update Of 'Tracks of My Tears'Elton John thinks "Tracks of My Tears" is the greatest pop song ever written. Lucky for him, he's on a new duet of the song with the man behind the hit, Smokey Robinson.
Smokey Robinson Recruits Mary J. Blige For 'Being Without You': ListenR&B legend Smokey Robinson is gearing up to release his new album Smokey & Friends, which consists of the singer's classics re-recorded with contemporary artists, and now he's shared the second taste.
Listen To 'Quiet Storm,' Smokey Robinson's Duet With John Legend Smokey Robinson is preparing to release Smokey and Friends, an album of duet updates on some of the man's greatest songs.
Ten Smooth Songs To Keep You Cool
The Beatles... Your Favorite Recording Artist Of All Time? We Thought So.


text:
Tiny Software Firm Defies Economic Odds
There is, under the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn, New York, a small company that is defying the odds. Despite the sluggish economy, this high-tech startup is hiring.
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Eric Alterman, Founder and CEO of Flow Corporation, explains:
"Our expectation in the next year is you know double and triple probably at least in the next 12 months and we also think there will be a lot of affiliated companies that will be doing a lot of hiring around our platform as well."
The company is creating a data exchange for mobile, web and enterprise applications to communicate with one another in real time and share data, so a real estate application may show home buyers new homes but would also draw information from other apps on the local schools, restaurants and culture.
The Flow has added seven positions in the past year and a half. Steven Fleisher is one of those new hires.
"I had heard you know the economy was bad and there weren't a lot of jobs but in my search for a job I found that there was a lot of jobs out there, I found the industry where I was heading to be very rich."
The latest read on the jobs market also offers some optimism for job hunters. Employers added 117,000 jobs in July, well ahead of estimates.
A separate government survey shows the unemployment rate fell slightly to 9.1%. But it may be too soon to say the job market is back on its feet.
JP Morgan's Chief Economist, Anthony Chan, says:
"We have to essentially feel a big sigh of relief that the economy is not falling off a cliff. That it is still growing, that is the good news. The bad news is that it's not growing fast enough to really put a real dent in the unemployment rate moving forward."
While The Flow, which plans to launch its consumer service and platform in a few weeks, is optimistic that high tech will create a wealth of jobs in the coming years, it won't be enough to put all of the 13.9 million unemployed back to work.
Bottom line: Despite the rocky economy a Brooklyn, New York-based tech startup plans to double in size this year… just as the government reports stronger job growth in July.


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Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Abba's Eurovision triumph, hit stage show Thank You for the Music is coming to Martlets Hall, Burgess Hill on Saturday, February 15 at 8pm (tickets 01444 242888).
We have teamed up with the promoters to offer three pairs of tickets to the show.
Producer Michael Taylor said: "It's an all-new, Spandex and sequins spectacular for 2014. The cast take live music fans back to 1974, to the night when Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida arrived as pop music superstars by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with their self-composed song Waterloo.
"The win catapulted Abba to worldwide fame. Waterloo was a number one hit in ten countries and even a top ten hit in the States. There followed singles and albums with sales totalling 370 million, a record-breaking movie, a smash-hit West End musical and now the UK's number one concert show, Thank You for the Music.
"The ultimate tribute concert show revives all of Abba's chart topping hits, including Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, Mamma Mia, Thank You for the Music, Take A Chance on Me, The Winner Takes It All, Chiquitita, I Have A Dream, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme and, of course, Waterloo.
"Now in their 21st year, the superb, all-star cast have entertained the nation with Lycra-tight harmonies and superb musicianship for longer than Bjorn, Agnetha, Benny and Frida did during the 70s and 80s."
To win tickets to see them in Burgess Hill, simply email firstname.lastname@example.com giving your name, address and day-time phone number and putting Abba in the subject line. Or write to Abba competition, c/o Phil Hewitt, Chichester Observer, Unicorn House, Eastgate Square, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1JN.
Only the winners will be contacted. All entries will then be destroyed.


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On a day that was supposed to be as quiet as they get, the now traditional spike in FX vol that we have been observing for the past two months (even as the VIX has plunged to year lows) is back like clockwork. As the chart below shows, the EURUSD is now well over 100 pips higher on the day, and is back to early December levels. The reason, according to some, is that the various global banks, mostly French and US, who have been buying the billions in EURs sold by assorted central banking cartels in the past few months, starting with the BIS and going down, are engaged in some good old fashioned window dressing. There was a time when window dressing applied to stocks. With that now completely priced in, it is time to move on to FX, and shortly thereafter, gold. And speaking of the latter, with the yellow metal at $1,417, and just dollars away from the all time high, it would not be too surprising to see the best performing asset class tracked by Reuters to close the year at an all time high.
FX Wi(n)dow Dressing?
- Printer-friendly version
- Dec 31, 2010 11:18 AM
- 23
easiest way to boost every asset class.....especially on what would be a very low volume day.
Currentseas will begin inverse relationships with PM "Value" in 2011.
Let it be so. It is time the circus ended and the curtain was pulled back.
Let's see it all, naked, harsh, real.
Truth is not bitter, it just is.
I thought the plan was crash them all together.
That doesn't occur for another 6 months minimum. This fun up is for EOY accounting and nothing more. Have no fear, this will fall within a week.
I keep getting this mind picture of stampeding a herd arcross a field. And then stampeding them back. Rinse, repeat.
That is all one needs to picture to get a sense of the markets. What I am waiting for is the stampede of the weak out of gold/silver and into fiat. That way I can add to my pile on the cheap.
I wish I was stupid enough to use 100X leverage on my EUR bet today, but then again marginal gains is better than gargantuan losses.
Wow...look at the "bang for the buck" good old B. Bernanke got when he intervened on behalf of little Miss Euro last Friday. Impressive.
But all good things must come to an end, and it is pretty difficult to convince a bimbo to not be a bimbo, and so I am guessing this little crap sandwich is about to go into the trash can...because I don't know anyone that believes in this particular currency cross.
So make a New Year Resolution folks...and short the bimbo before she finally releases her first adult movie, for God's sake.
Note to Bernanke: quit burning my dollars by swapping them for Euros so that you and criminal syndicate bankers everywhere can keep your jobs. It is over already. Let's try not to make this thing any more painful or expensive than it has to be. DUH! And you taught at Princeton?
Note to self: do not send the kids to Princeton.
It's been insane today . USD is getting smashed across the board . Today's ATR for GBP/USD was fairly close to double the monthly ATR for December . AUD/USD is at fresh record highs . USD/CHF is at fresh record lows . The Kiwi is soaring , the Loonie is at levels against the Dollar not seen since 2008 . I'm attributing it to year end flows , and quite frankly the fact that all these moves have occured in a week of very thin liquidity has led me into contrary positions . Basically I'm long USD in all these pairs ( except USD/CHF ) going into 2011 . In practically every case these recent surges have absolutely no fundamental backing at all .
I am long dollar and short euro at 1.3420. One thing I watched for a bit was the EURCHF, now that was a surprising run up as well.
Across the board...well, that makes more sense [than the EUR/USD cross] when you think about how criminal syndicate Wall Street bankers were really, really hoping for more champagne money on the whole long oil to $100 trade.
So what do you do when you are a criminal banker and you get pants'd by the whole supply/demand thingy....ah shucks, you just go out into a thin FX market and blow up the dollar. Then you send your buddies out onto the Blow Horn [CNBC] to pimp the message that you must own oil because of the weak dollar.
Presto...champagne money o plenty. And after giving Average Joe $3 per gallon gas for Christmas, you give him $3.50 gallon gas to start his new year.
But have heart...for January is almost here...and with any luck, lots of pink slips will be going out through the criminal syndicate Wall Street banker mail system....soon.
And right on cue, L. Blankfein ramps oil despite supply demand information that once again, and for more than a year now, indicate that oil should cost about half of what it is priced at now...as it ramps for no other reason than L. Blankfein and company really want to try out the "trillionaire" label next year.
Good grief [and by that I mean fuck you Goldman Sachs]
What is fundamental about long USD?
And why the even longer CHF? In Feb 1985 the Swiss Franc was all of 35 US cents.
Everybody is scrambling trying to position themselves for Armegeddon.
Word is leaking out from Ashton Kutcher's Twitter feeds, the end is nigh.
Hugo Chavez just devalued the Bolivar 40%.
Second devaluation this year. Highest inflation in the world.
Raided Broker offices to prevent currency exchanges.
Venezuela exporter of oil, but oil business is off 2.2% YOY.
I though it was because the Estonian banks were forced to buy EUR
A hard rain is gonna fall ... DAX sells off over a percent, EURUSD takes that back and more into the ETFs.
On a happy New Year note, Brian Ferry does Dylan ...
AUD what a joke.
This is exactly what is happening and answers yesterdays question of why Dudley was meeting with GS FX desk. This boosts S&P EPS so the stock market doesn't tank just yet.
Run, Gold, Run! :)
The fear of inflation is sweeping the nation!
The hold of gold is about to get bold!
I don't understand the purpose of the window-dressing unless there is a swap or option coming to a close today. The amount of money required to move the FX market is extraordinary, the payoff would have to be extraordinary too.


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Hi, I was wondering how onerous the ICANN registrar accreditation process really is, in practice.
The Rules require proof of financial solvency as well as technical proficiency, but can't a lot of the technical aspects be outsourced?
If you were getting into the business of researching/buying/reselling a large volume of domain names, wouldn't it make sense to just become a registrar yourself? Thanks!


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Morning State Sports Briefs: State prep baseball tourney begins today
APPLETON - Sun Prairie is the only defending champion to return, as the 66th state high school spring baseball tournament begins today at Fox Cities Stadium near Appleton.
Sun Prairie kicks off the Division-One quarter-finals at eight this morning against Waunakee. Neenah will then play Stoughton. The other quarter-finals in the state's top division will be played this afternoon. Bay Port takes on Hartford, and Stevens Point plays Kenosha Bradford. Today's winners will square off tonight in the Division 1 semifinals. Semis in the other three divisions will be played tomorrow. Portage, the Division 2 titlist from a year ago, did not return. And neither did champions Prescott in Division 3, and Coleman in D-4.
The Green Bay Packers will return to their voluntary organized team activities today, after last week's mini-camp that was mandatory for the players. Among other things, the Packer defense has spent a lot of time countering the "read option" and pistol offense which burned them in last year's playoffs. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers says his unit will be ready, when San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Washington's Robert Griffin III employ the read option in Green Bay's first two regular season games in September. Capers says a number of Green Bay's opponents will use at least a little of the read option - which burned the Packers in last January's divisional round loss at San Francisco. Capers said the 49'ers ran much more of the read option than he expected. The entire Green Bay defensive staff went to Texas A-and-M during the off-season to learn ways to mute the read option. Capers also spent time with Badgers' defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who coached against Kaepernick in college.
As you might expect, Wisconsin baseball fans have a lot more faith in Ryan Braun than fans of other teams throughout the country. The un-scientific "Sports Nation" poll from ESPN shows that only nine-percent of fans around the country believe the Brewers' slugger when he blamed handling errors for his positive drug test in 2011 - and again this spring when he denied buying performance-enhancing drugs from Miami clinic director Tony Bosch. 57-percent of the "Sports Nation" said they did not believe Braun either then or now. But of the one-thousand Wisconsinites in the survey, 42-percent said they believed Braun both times - and only 27-percent said they did not believe him either time. Braun and at least 20 other big league players face possible suspensions of 50-to-100 games, after having their names on financial ledgers of Bosch's former Bio-genesis clinic. Braun said he used Bosch only as a consultant in his successful appeal of his original 50-game drug suspension. Baseball has stepped up its investigation, after Bosch reportedly agreed to tell investigators what he knows.
Tyrone Taylor of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers is the Midwest League's position player-of-the-week. Taylor, Milwaukee's second-round draft pick a year ago, was batting .500 in his first eight games this month - and he had three hits against Beloit both on Wednesday and Friday of last week. Taylor went 12-for-23 for the Timber Rattlers last week with three RBI's, three doubles, a homer, a triple, four walks, six runs scored, and a stolen base. Kramer Champlin of Lansing is the Midwest League's pitcher-of-the-week.
In the Northwoods League, the Wisconsin Woodchucks dropped to second place in the South Division, after losing to Green Bay 6-5 in 10 innings last night. The Woodchucks are now 7-4, a half-game behind first-place Battle Creek which is 8-4. Wisconsin hosts a double-header tonight in Wausau against Green Bay. Wisconsin Rapids hosts Battle Creek again, after a 7-5 Rapids defeat on Monday. Madison will try to make it two-in-a-row at Lakeshore, where the visiting Mallards won 5-4 in 11 innings last night. Eau Claire plays at La Crosse again, on the heels of a 10-7 La Crosse victory. Also, North Division co-leader Willmar plays at Mankato tonight. Waterloo, the other co-leader, is at Rochester. Thunder Bay hosts Saint Cloud in Canada. And Duluth is at home against Alexandria.
Vince Lombardi was born 100 years ago today. The former coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers won three NFL titles in the 1960's, at the stadium located along the street that now carries his name. The Super Bowl trophy was also named after Lombardi, just days after he died from colon cancer in 1970. He led the Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls in 1967-and-'68. Lombardi spent his final season in Washington, where he was the coach, GM, and part owner of the Redskins. In his only season there, he led the 'Skins to their first winning campaign in 14 years.
In the Midwest League...
Beloit 5, Burlington 1
Wisconsin 8, Clinton 2
Cedar Rapids 6, Kane County 2
Peoria 5, Quad Cities 1
Great Lakes 5, South Bend 3
West Michigan 1, Lansing 0
Fort Wayne 14, Dayton 4
Bowling Green at Lake County, canceled by rain
In the Northwoods League...
Green Bay 6, Wisconsin 5 in 10 innings
La Crosse 10, Eau Claire 7
Madison 5, Lakeshore 4 in 11 innings
Battle Creek 7, Wisconsin Rapids 5
Mankato 5, Duluth 0 in Game-One
Mankato 3, Duluth 2 in Game-Two
Rochester 4, Saint Cloud 3
Willmar 13, Alexandria 5
Waterloo 5, Thunder Bay 2


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Universal Insurance names Pietrangelo to board
by The Associated Press
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Universal Insurance Holdings Inc. said Friday attorney Michael A. Pietrangelo has been appointed to its board of directors.
Pietrangelo, a Memphis, Tenn., attorney, also serves on the board of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp., and SurgiVision Inc. He also has served as an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission. He had served on the Universal Insurance board from 1993 to 1997.
His appointment expands the board to seven members.
Universal Insurance provides property and casualty insurance in Florida and has started operations in Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina and South Carolina.


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For Day 3, I married my love of blazers and preppy skirts with color in a printed cardigan from Zara along with a Karl Saatchi pleated faux leather mini skirt.
I slipped a simple Helmut Lang tank underneath it all, and accented with a J.Crew necklace, my fave Stella McCartney Falabella bag, and my Kurt Geiger pin heel sling backs (previously worn here).
I really haven't been studying my Youtube braid style tutorials like I should, so pulled my braids into an unimaginative low ponytail.
Chic, simple, and slightly saucy. Just the way I like it:)
What do you think?
Photos by Marta McAdams, who is awesome.


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Hopefully realizing the futility of relying on U.N. actions to constrain North Korean belligerence, on June 30 the Obama Administration imposed unilateral U.S. sanctions on two North Korean companies engaged in proliferation. The U.S. action marks a commendable first step in using financial constraints to address the North Korean WMD threat. These sanctions will augment efforts to curtail the North Korean regime's ability to develop and sell weapons of mass destruction and missiles. For these sanctions to be as effective as possible, however, the U.S. must aim for both ends of the proliferation pipeline.
Washington should implement a comprehensive program to impose sanctions on any company, bank, or government agency complicit in North Korean proliferation, particularly those in Iran, Syria, Burma, and China. Washington should also lead a multilateral initiative (not necessarily through the U.N.) calling upon other nations to similarly target North Korean and foreign proliferators, as well as those engaged in North Korean illegal activities, such as currency counterfeiting and drug smuggling.
Obama Administration Takes Action against North Korea
This week, the Treasury Department announced it imposed sanctions against Hong Kong Electronics, located on Kish Island, Iran, for having "transferred millions of dollars of proliferation-related funds" from Iran to North Korean companies already on U.S. and U.N. sanctions lists. The firm also facilitated the sale of North Korean missiles to Iran.
Concurrently, the State Department sanctioned Namchongang Trading Company, based in Pyongyang, for being "involved in the purchase of aluminum tubes and other equipment specifically suitable for a uranium enrichment program since the late 1990s."[1] The company is also suspected of being involved in North Korean assistance to Syria to build a covert nuclear reactor.[2]
Financial Sanctions Effective Against North Korea
These new U.S. sanctions on North Korean companies mirror actions taken earlier by the Bush Administration. In September 2005, the U.S. Treasury designated Banco Delta Asia (BDA), a Macau-based bank, as a "primary money laundering concern" assisting North Korean companies involved in counterfeiting and drug smuggling. Acting under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, Washington banned all U.S. banks from dealing with BDA.
Macau banking authorities subsequently froze 50 North Korean accounts worth $24 million. The seizure had a devastating impact on North Korea's ability to engage with the international financial system, since it was Pyongyang's principal conduit for both legal and illicit financial transactions. Washington estimated that the bank may have been responsible for laundering hundreds of millions of dollars from North Korea's illicit activities.
The U.S. public action, taken in conjunction with a sub rosa effort by U.S. officials meeting privately with foreign banks and businesses, had a chilling effect on the North Korean regime's financial status. Foreign businesses and banks became unwilling to engage with North Korea, even on legal business ventures, for fear of later being designated complicit in North Korea's illegal activities.
The law enforcement initiative was derided at the time by critics who characterized it as a neoconservative attempt to undermine the six-party nuclear negotiations. Senior Obama Administration officials, however, now privately--and accurately--characterize the BDA initiative as very effective and the Bush decision to rescind it as "a mistake that eased pressure on Pyongyang before it took irreversible steps to dismantle its nuclear program."[3]
U.S. Action a Welcome Development
The use of "smart sanctions" that target the regime while seeking to minimize collateral economic damage to the populace can be an effective tool for combating North Korean proliferation and illicit activities. By themselves, however, the newly announced U.S. sanctions will be limited in effectiveness, since they only allow for the seizure of any U.S.-based assets of the two named companies and prevent any U.S. citizen or company from conducting business with them. It is uncertain whether either company currently has any assets in the United States.
However, if these sanctions, and the recent establishment of a new interagency sanctions team under Ambassador Philip Goldberg, are the precursor to more extensive U.S. and multilateral efforts, it would provide a means to cut off the regime from a key source of funding. A definitive assessment of the extent of North Korean illegal activities is not possible; some estimates believe it may constitute as much as 35-40 percent of all North Korean trade and an even higher share of total cash earnings.[4]
Expand the Initiative
The U.S. should learn from the mistakes of the Bush Administration and not rescind the sanctions until the North Korean behavior that triggered them is irreversibly halted. Enforcement of U.S. and international law, implementation of U.N. resolutions, and efforts to combat proliferation should not be negotiable or politicized for the sake of perceived advancement in the six-party talks.
Washington should also begin re-enforcing U.S. and international law against North Korean illegal activities, including counterfeiting of currency and pharmaceuticals, illegal production and distribution of narcotics, and money laundering. The U.S.-led Illicit Activities Initiative effectively died after the Bush Administration agreed to return the seized BDA money despite the Treasury Department not having rescinded its ruling.
China remains the weak link in international efforts to impose punitive measures on North Korea for its violations of U.N. resolutions. Beijing has straddled the fence between condemning Pyongyang and preventing an effective response for fear of triggering a regime collapse. The advantage of U.S. sanctions is that they are not dependent on Chinese acquiescence. Washington should therefore use unilateral U.S. sanctions to target a more extensive list of North Korean entities--as well as those from other countries--engaged in proliferation and illegal activities, as well as call upon other nations to fulfill their obligations to enforce laws and U.N. resolutions.
Bruce Klingner is Senior Research Fellow for Northeast Asia in the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation.


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PUBLIC READING, featuring Rob Williams and Fergal O'Doherty, 10:30 a.m. today, Museum of the Living Artist, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. $5 members; $10 nonmembers
KWEI QUARTEY – "Wife of the Gods," 2 p.m. today, Mysterious Galaxy, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego.
KEVIN STARR – "Golden Dreams," 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Warwick's Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla.
JAMES HUSTON – "Marine One," 7 p.m. Tuesday, Barnes & Noble, 810 W. Valley Parkway, Escondido.
KIM STANLEY ROBINSON – "Sixty Days and Counting"; DAVID WILLIAMS – "The Burning Skies," 7 p.m. Tuesday, Mysterious Galaxy.
JACK BALLENTINE – "Murder for Hire," 7 p.m. Wednesday, Barnes & Noble, 810 W. Valley Parkway, Escondido.
JANIE LANCASTER – "Julie and the Lost Fairy Tale," 5 p.m. Thursday, Readers, Inc., 8219 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa.
PAULA MARGULIES – "Coyote Heart," 2 p.m. Saturday, Barnes & Noble, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa.
BOOK DISCUSSION – "A Bad, Bad Boy" by Judith Moore, 7 p.m. Saturday, D.G. Wills Books, 7461 Girard Ave., La Jolla.


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Greg Towsley of Grundfos North America will speak at the event
Grundfos will lend its perspective to the second annual Governor's Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas, Oct. 24 to 25 in Manhattan, Kan.
The conference will highlight the latest policy and research developments of water issues in the state, covering topics such as drought resilience, the value of water and the challenges of meeting Kansas' water needs.
Greg Towsley, director of regulatory and technical affairs for Grundfos North America, will speak at the event, providing attendees with a detailed understanding of the applied technologies available for water and energy efficiency.
"Here in Kansas, we're currently fortunate enough to have adequate amounts of inexpensive water and electricity," Towsley said. "That won't always be the case, however. In the future, Kansas will need to rely on innovations in water management technology to use its limited water resources more efficiently."
Towsley will address conference attendees in a technical session on irrigation and water management solutions that have been successfully applied in other regions, explaining how Kansas could use such technologies to maintain high-quality water resources at low costs. He also will provide an overview of the water research currently in development.
A gold sponsor, Grundfos will have an informational exhibition at the event, where attendees can learn more about the company's innovative and efficient products. On display will be Grundfos' CUE variable frequency drive, which is designed to control pump speed in heating, pressure boosting, water treatment, and commercial and industrial applications.


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My Nonprofit Reviews
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Review for Concert for the Cure Foundation, San Antonio, TX, USA
Concert for the Cure is a great foundation that raises money for a really good cause. They work so hard and for so money months to put this together so that they can raise money to send children to Camp Discovery. Each year they raise their goal of how much they are trying to make in order to send more and more children to the camp and raise more and more money for the American Cancer Society.
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Role: Volunteer


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Focus on Travel Photography
» See the tips and sample pictures
Lightning, like rainbows, produces a dramatic but unpredictable show in the sky. Unlike the sweet prettiness of a rainbow, the connotations of lightning are of danger, power, and gloom. As those who are careless about being outdoors in an electrical storm sometimes find out, lightning can deliver on its threat of danger. You should photograph lightning only from a distance and preferably from inside a building or a car. If you're outdoors, seek shelter the minute a storm begins to approach. You'll probably also need to concern yourself with keeping your camera and yourself dry if you're outside.
You can photograph lightning day or night, though night shots are generally more productive. In daylight, the technique is simple: With your camera on a tripod and aimed at a likely sector of sky, wait for a large bolt and fire. Base your exposure on the existing light conditions, using a small aperture and the longest shutter speed available. The odds are slim that you'll catch a spectacular streak, but it's possible.
Your chances of creating a thrilling lightning shot increase dramatically after dark. You can make exposures ranging from several seconds to several minutes and record a series of bolts. An upper-floor hotel window with a city view is a good and safe vantage point. The method is simple but requires that your camera have a B setting and that you use a locking cable release and a lens cap or a small sheet of black cardboard. Here's how it works: With your camera on a tripod, compose around a simple foreground with a large area of open sky. Set the camera's shutter-speed dial to the B position and lock the shutter open using your cable release. Keep a lens cap or the black cardboard over the lens until you see a flash, uncover the lens and then recover it, and wait for the next flash. Once you have several bolts on the same frame, close the shutter, advance to the next frame, and try it again. Exposure isn't critical; use an aperture of around f/5.6 (with the ISO set to 100 or 200) to start, and then bracket by changing the aperture.


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Almost a year ago, Glen Gardner, a speed-skating fan who owns an executive-search firm in Columbus, dreamed of working as a volunteer at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
He went through screening and online training process and learned he had made the cut not long before the start of the Games. Then, the fear factor hit.
A Chechen separatist group threatened to attack the Games with "maximum force," and the U.S. State Department issued travel warnings to Americans en route to Russia. Two Olympics had been hit with terror attacks – Munich in 1972 and Atlanta in 1996 – but never before had brand-name terrorists issued a clear threat to turn the Games into a blood bath before the events started.
At that point, Gardner seriously considered bailing out. "A lot of Americans did," he said. "That's why there's so few of us here."
Gardner and some 25,000 other volunteers have been at Sochi for a week. He feels safe. The sun is shining and he loves the sports and his friendly colleagues (if not the volunteering itself).
After seven days of competition, the early assessment is the Games are a logistical, sporting and audience success, even if the unusually warm weather threatens to turn the alpine courses into porridge.
Canada's cross-country ski coach, Justin Wadsworth, who has attended a half-dozen Games as competitor or coach, was ready by last Wednesday to declare Sochi an all-round winner. "Everyone was coming into this with a lot of fear and nothing has really materialized," he said. "It's been well-organized. … I think it's [too] easy to want to come down on a country like Russia."
Ditto, says Paul Piccininni, a Toronto dentist who is a member of the Olympic medical commission at Sochi and who has worked at every Games since Atlanta. He says the Sochi Games have been pretty much glitch-free on the medical-services front and complaints about psychotic security measures have been overblown.
"In Atlanta, I was close to where the bomb went off and in Athens [in 2004], we were sitting near a battery of missiles," he said. "The security here is no more troublesome than it was in Vancouver [in 2010]."
It wasn't supposed to be this way. To read the press, Sochi was destined to land in the grey zone between comedy festival and outright disaster, given the Russians' Olympics inexperience (Sochi is their first Winter Games), their well-deserved reputation for epic corruption and the endless tales of laughter-inducing incompetence. (Indeed, the most memorable image of the Games immediately before the flame was lit was the one of the side-by-side toilets.)
Given the near hysteria in the Western press in general – the American press in particular – the dwindling, though still large, number of viewers around the world who care about the Winter Games can be forgiven for thinking Sochi was on a hell ride to disaster.
It never was, of course; when you have the equivalent of $50-billion (U.S.) to spend – Sochi is the most expensive Games in history by a long shot – you can buy your way out of a lot of problems.
Another 10,000 soldiers to guard to the Olympic sites? Come on down, boys! Worried about traffic congestion? Here's $9-billion to build a 50-kilometre highway/railway link from the Black Sea to the alpine villages. The opening ceremony? How about your own purpose-built stadium, Mr. Artistic Director?
To be sure, Russian President Vladimir Putin set himself up – and Sochi by extension – as a political target well before the Games.
He sided with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to the anger of many Western countries who argued al-Assad's autocratic rule was intensifying an already savage civil war. Putin granted asylum to Edward Snowden, the former U.S. National Security Agency employee whose security leaks turned into a gusher.
Incredibly, Putin allowed the passage of an anti-gay law shortly before the Games, ensuring Sochi would become the focus of human-rights protests. Then, there was Ukraine and Putin's attempt to bring the country back into the Russian fold, a geopolitical manoeuvre that has taken Ukraine to the edge of civil war.
The Olympics are always political, of course. They have been the scene of boycotts, protests and excessive jingoism. They are theatres where the bravado of the host country's leader is put on full display. Putin puffed himself up like a rooster – Sochi was very much his show.
Fears about security risks, perhaps hyped up by the Americans, only added to the geopolitical drama surrounding the Games. If they were to fail for whatever reason – terrorism, incompetence, corruption – the West would be happy to see Putin suffer the embarrassment.
So far, the script has not gone according to plan.
The Sochi Games are working rather well. The geopolitical story is fading fast, along with the hunt for more twin toilets. Sport and the athletic drama that goes with it is taking over – higher, faster, stronger.
Putin is said to be happy, gloating even. Why not?


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Whale-Sized Gambles, Lies, and Empty Apologies
Wall Street is the apex of legal gambling. It always has been. It's not called gambling, of course, but we should understand that that's precisely what it is. Perhaps the question for those of us living in a free market economy ruled by this astronomically lucrative gambling is, "Should we trust the gamblers to do anything except … More Whale-Sized Gambles, Lies, and Empty Apologies


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We have updated our Privacy Policy and encourage you to read it by clicking here.
Following the regulatory trend of making a patient's clinical information available to that patient upon request, HHS is implementing a new rule allowing patients direct access to their lab results without having to go through their provider.
After issuing a proposal in 2011 and an enforcement delay in 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published its final Rule on February 6, 2014, by setting a national standard for patients (and/or their personal representatives) to directly access test results when created by laboratories subject to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). The final Rule amends both the HIPAA Privacy Rule and CLIA regulations.
CLIA and its implementing regulations set national quality standards to ensure the accuracy, reliability and timeliness of clinical laboratories' test results. Under CLIA regulation, covered clinical laboratories could only share lab results with "authorized" individuals (42 CFR § 493.1291(f) as defined at 42 CFR § 493.2). The regulatory definition left it up to states to determine who is "authorized" and as such, many states excluded test subjects (i.e. patients) from the list of people who could access test results directly from the lab. In these states, patients must request access to lab results from the provider who ordered the test.
While lab tests have usually been available to individuals upon request to the ordering provider, HHS believes removing a regulatory barrier (45 CFR § 164.524(a)(1)(iii)) to allow direct access to lab results is necessary to empower and encourage patients to more actively engage in their healthcare.
The final Rule also tweaks the CLIA regulations by expressly requiring covered clinical laboratories to provide access to lab reports to individuals or personal representatives upon request (labs must authenticate requesters' identities prior to providing access).
Organizations impacted by these regulatory changes will need to comply by October 6 2014.
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USA Gymnastics Names Perry President & CEO IOC Involved In Prep For Intel Esports Event Ticket Sales Still Slow For PyeongChang Games Ticket Sales For '18 PyeongChang Games Are Weak Salt Lake City Forms Exploratory Olympic Committee USOC Officials Call Out IOC On Curruption USOC Moving Ahead PyeongChang Prep South Korea Prez Downplays Oly Safety Concerns Bach: IOC Corruption Won't Impact '28 Games Wasserman To Help Guide L.A. Organizers
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SBD/July 31, 2012/Olympics
LOCOG Puts Additional Tickets On Sale Nightly To Defuse Empty Seat Furor
Published July 31, 2012
ROLL CALL: In London, O'Connor & Brown write the IOC "confirmed yesterday that 105 of its 109 members had arrived in London with their families." An IOC spokesperson said, "Just four members out of 109 have absented themselves for good reason. Attendance at that level would be considered very good for a national organisation, let alone an international one." However, news of their non-appearance "will compound frustration among British sports fans unable to get tickets." The availability of seats will also "increase the number of schoolchildren and teachers on the park from 150 to 400" as they are accredited and can be "moved into empty seats at short notice." Troops will also "continue to be used as seat-fillers on breaks from security shifts." Swiss tennis player Roger Federer said, "Obviously there are many areas that are reserved for athletes or VIPs, so it's a bit of a different feel to Wimbledon, where you feel every seat is taken at all times. That takes some getting used to." Although the sponsors and their guests were said to be "turning up to events, the issue for many was the blanket approach to setting aside seats for federation chiefs, athletes and technical officials" (LONDON TIMES, 7/31). French President Francois Hollande, whose country lost out on the '12 Games, said, "The problem is that there are simply too many corporate seats. It will be up to French organisers to sort out this problem if a bid for a future games is to be successful." He added, "The London Olympics have been very well organized. I'm not here to be a killjoy or to give lessons to the British" (London TELEGRAPH, 7/31). MARKETING magazine's Rachel Barnes writes, "Several times this weekend I was accused of being an apologist as I defended sponsors on this issue; but what do sponsors have to apologise for? They have not been gifted these seats, but paid a heavy price tag in commercial deals set by LOCOG and the International Olympic Committee. The idea that sponsors would simply leave masses of valuable seats empty seems self-defeating" (MARKETINGMAGAZINE.co.uk, 7/31).
NOT READY FOR A CLOSE-UP: In Toronto, Joseph Hall wrote LOCOG has tried to "deal with the situation with a simpler solution -- keeping the empty seats out of television camera shots." IOC VP Craig Reedie said, "They are not huge banks (of empty seats) and we tend to put them, if we can, out of camera range" (TORONTO STAR, 7/30). In a special for the FINANCIAL TIMES, former IOC Marketing & Broadcast Rights Dir Michael Payne writes, "London has done better than most hosts. In Seoul, organisers struggled to fill the stadium even for track and field events. Athens and Beijing had swaths of empty seats early on." Payne: "The real story is that London is the most popular games of all those I have experienced. The huge crowds for the cycling road race was the highlight so far but events such as handball and the canoe slalom have also seen record attendance." Empty seats "fill column inches, but they shouldn't get in the way of the really big story: the British public is loving the games" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 7/31). In London, Ben Rumsby notes the British Olympic Association today called on the IOC to "completely revamp their ticketing policy for future Games." BOA Chair Lord Colin Moynihan said, "It's time to stop the blame game and also to recognise that this is such a major and complex issue. Moving forwards, this is an issue that I hope the IOC will take a lead on. This is an opportunity for the IOC to put in place an overall ticketing policy that can be improved at each Games." He added, "This requires huge investment. ... The IOC have now got to take the lead and make sure the investment is in place for a state-of-the-art ticketing policy" (INDEPENDENT.co.uk, 7/31).
BOUNCING BACK: A FINANCIAL TIMES editorial states, "Many things have gone much better for the London 2012 Olympic Games than there was reason to fear." One thing that has disappointed is an "unseemly quantity of empty seats even for highly popular events such as gymnastics and aquatics." While the empty seats are "distressing," they "should not be surprising." LOCOG is now "acting to recycle unused tickets in accredited seats." The move "seems to be paying appropriate, if overdue, attention to the problem." It would have been "better if it had prepared measures in advance -- and the scandal would never have got off the ground," but the actions taken "seem good ones" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 7/31). In London, Natalie Haynes writes, "Here's hoping LOCOG mans up and starts selling or giving away Olympic Family tickets that go unused within 30 minutes of the starting time: if you can't be bothered to get there on time, even using your fancy Olympic lanes, limos and the rest, you don't deserve a seat" (London INDEPENDENT, 7/31). In N.Y., Andrew Das noted the British media have begun to "focus on the empty seats, charting them by venue or delighting in publishing photos of different events" (NYTIMES.com, 7/30).
FAMILY MATTERS: The GUARDIAN's Owen Gibson noted organizers have "promised to overhaul the system for distributing tickets to friends and families of competitors, after complaints that some had missed their events as a result of queues and confusion." Under a system developed by Ticketmaster, the ticketing partner of London Games organizers, athletes are "obliged to log their request for tickets online, then pick them up at a box office" in the Athletes' Village. However, there have been reports of "long queues at the box office," which is also selling other tickets. There have also been "cases where parents have been told to collect their tickets at the venue -- only to find that they are not there." LOCOG Dir of Sport Debbie Jevans said that it had "opened a new dedicated queue for the collection of tickets for athletes, which would help solve the problem" (GUARDIAN, 7/30). In L.A., Bill Dwyre writes, "The empty seats are only a sideshow, an early-Games aberration solved when the blue bloods get interested. More serious is the reality that most people couldn't afford those seats, or many others, even if they were made available." LOCOG Communications Chair Jackie Brock-Doyle said, "The way people bought the tickets -- the stadiums are jampacked -- means our pricing was correct" (L.A. TIMES, 7/31).


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KEREMEOS - An Osoyoos man has been arrested for theft from mailboxes.
Michael Minchau of Keremeos was charged with mischief, theft of mail and possession of stolen property related to mailbox thefts that happened on Meadowlark Drive in Osoyoos.
To contact a reporter for this story, to send photos or videos, email Shannon Quesnel at email@example.com, call 250-488-3065, or @InfoNewsPentict.


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An inappropriate sense of familiarity? Entitlement? Disrespect? These are all issues that plague many African Americans who manage fellow African Americans in the workplace, according to a recent article in The Atlanta Post. There are few concrete examples of this behavior given, but one anonymous nonprofit executive reportedly confided, "An African-American manager asked his black subordinate to schedule travel arrangements. … The employee felt it could have been done by the manager. You could tell from her tone, which was entirely too familiar for the workplace. It's challenging on the management side because you can't respond as you would to a family member, and that's where tension comes in. An African-American manager needs to be able to lead in such a way that's going to cultivate the support and respect he or she needs to get the job done." Reading this article, one might think there's widespread insubordination wherever there's a black boss and black employees, which can't possibly be true across the board. But if this is a serious problem, what is the solution?
Read more at The Atlanta Post.
Lauren is a former Deputy Editor of The Root.