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Nobody Died and Made Rick Perry King
Call it a liberal vendetta all you want. We still have a separation of powers.
Rick Perry does not need to worry that orange is the new black in Red State fashion, but not because his indictment is, as he claims, a "farce." As much as the Texas governor would like to blame the two felony counts on a drunken prosecutor, he's got serious questions to answer that could lead to his conviction. But, like Tom DeLay before him, Perry will never see the inside of a prison cell because Republicans have stacked the appellate courts in the Lone Star State. Politics won't be his undoing but his salvation.
Those Texas Republicans—and even some liberal pundits—who don't seem genuinely puzzled by the indictment are convinced that this is politics run amok, an attempt to accomplish in the courthouse what Democrats have failed to do at the ballot box. And they sincerely cannot fathom why Democrats would defend Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, whose vodka-fueled star turn on YouTube would scare Charlie Sheen into rehab. Isn't Perry allowed to veto whatever he wants? Isn't this a violation of the separation of powers?
At this point it might be helpful for the Washington punditry to take a deep cleansing breath, because virtually nothing they've heard from Perry and his legal team actually addresses the charges.
Perry can absolutely veto whatever he wants. That's not the issue. And if he thinks this is a liberal vendetta, then Perry should explain why a Republican judge appointed Michael McCrum special prosecutor. McCrum once served in the George H.W. Bush administration, and in 2009, Sen. John Cornyn, who said the indictments smacked of prosecutorial overreach, nominated McCrum to be a federal prosecutor again in the Western District. For a Democratic conspiracy, there sure are a lot of Republicans in key roles.
But just for a second, forget Lehmberg and her troubles with booze. Forget that the only thing Texas Democrats have won since 1994 is church bingo. If you focus on the facts, you begin to realize that Perry might face some legal peril.
First, Lehmberg was investigating a publicly funded cancer research agency and had indicted one official for improperly directing an $11 million research grant to a company owned by people who had given $440,000 to the campaigns of Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.
Then, Lehmberg had herself a night and should have taken a cab, and it was awful in a way that makes us all want to Windex our glass houses. Many, including me, thought she should resign, but she instead pleaded guilty, asked for the maximum sentence and got back to work after drying out.
But this all happened toward the end of the legislative session, when Perry's power was at its peak. He had a veto pen, and no one knew if he was running for re-election or not. So he told her to resign or he would veto her funding, because, according to Perry, she had lost the public's confidence. She refused, he vetoed, and that's where Perry should have left things.
Perry couldn't leave it alone, though, because he was outraged, he would have us believe, that she drove drunk—more outraged, in fact, than two other times when district attorneys had been arrested for drunk driving and he hadn't said a peep.
The thing is, though, he needed her gone. If she resigned, he could appoint her replacement with someone less interested in investigating the cancer research scandal, perhaps. So he tried to make a deal, even offering Lehmberg a job in her own DA's office if she resigned, a strange fit for someone he deemed unfit for office at any speed.
So there's really no question that Perry tried to coerce Lehmberg into resigning. But the charge of abuse of office is probably in the eye of the juror. Can a governor decide who should and should not serve in local elected offices? Show me where the Texas constitution grants him that power, and I'll drop it. I know the Democratic Party died and made him governor, but who died and made him king? This—Perry reaching into a county office and trying to overturn an election—is the actual separation of powers issue at play.
But, to paraphrase Bill Murray's epically cynical speech in Meatballs, it just doesn't matter, because even if Perry is convicted by a jury of his peers—let us pause to imagine that sideshow—Republican-dominated appellate courts stand ready to set him free. Any conviction would go before the same court of appeals that overturned DeLay's conviction. If that didn't work, there's always the all-Republican Court of Criminal Appeals. If you're looking for a farce, a one-party court system fits.


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Marutis latest assertion comes in the wake of seven major fund houses, who are shareholders, raising red flag over the planned transfer of Gujarat manufacturing plant to Japanese parent Suzuki Motor.
We are convinced that what we are doing is the right thing. We are also answering anybody who has any questions and doubts and we will continue to make efforts in that direction and thats all we can do, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) chairman RC Bhargava said.
Besides fearing that such a move could make Maruti Suzuki merely a marketing firm, the fund houses, including ICICI Prudential MF, Reliance MF and UTI MF, also fear that royalty payments to the Japanese firm would see a substantial spurt.
We have always been a marketing company. We assemble, mark my words assemble 1.2 million cars at the moment. But remember in this assembly of 1.2 million cars, 70% of the manufacturing is done by the vendors and not by us. And in any case 1.5 million units will be continued to be produced in Gurgaon and Manesar (together), so its not if all our production is outsourced, Bhargava said.
On concerns raised by the fund houses that there could be a hike in royalty payment by Maruti to its Japanese parent, Bhargava said: They will not get any more royalty than what they are getting (now). The same system will continue.
As per the fund houses, the parent firm has R7,000 crore as royalty, 5.7% of sales, and in the next four years, another royalty payment worth R8,500 crore would be made.
According to them, with this pace and assuming a 15% growth in annual sales over the next 20 years, MSI would be paying a royalty of R41,900 crore.
The seven fund houses together hold 3.93% stake in MSI, while 6.93% stake is held by state-run LIC, which has also sought certain clarifications from the company on the Gujarat plant matter.
The decision to change the plant ownership was approved by the boards of Suzuki Motor and MSI, in which the Japanese firm held a 56.21% stake on December 31, 2013.
As per the arrangement, the parent company would invest in the plant through wholly-owned unit Suzuki Motor Gujarat, which will manufacture vehicles exclusively for MSI.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Pattern Cupboard :: About Us
We are just thrilled to announce that, as of September 1st of this year, The Pattern Cupboard is under New ownership and management by DJdoodle.com, and we have Lots of new and exciting things in store for everyone - not just from our fabulous Designers and Crafters, but from management as well, so we hope you'll stay tuned, and visit us often!
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We're here to help, Mr. President
by Barry
Lately the focus in Washington, D.C., has been on our failing and fragile economy and the thousands of job losses. We have all read about the financial crisis and have been shocked about some of the problems created for our Main streets by Wall Street.
Members of Congress have been scrambling to have an economic stimulus package ready for President Obama to consider in his first 100 days in office. All Americans realize the tremendous problems he has inherited. We are asking him to lead our country and to find the solutions for these problems following his historic inauguration. We all need to offer assistance in any way we can.
In the midst of these significant economic problems, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Henry Waxman of California, recently announced he will move "quickly and decisively" to push legislation curbing greenhouse gases with a goal of passing climate change legislation by Memorial Day.
Word that these talks were ramping up came as no surprise to leaders at your electric cooperative, who have been closely watching the issue. Clearly, the decisions made in Waxman's committee and Congress will directly impact the wallets of every electric cooperative member.
When climate change legislation was first considered, virtually no one was talking about how the costs associated with solving this problem would impact consumers. If electric co-ops hadn't fought for a seat at the table, it's possible this fact would have been left out of discussions.
Today, with the focus on the economy, it would be impossible for legislators to ignore the affordability aspect of the various climate change fixes being considered. That's especially true when coupled with the 1.5 million letters and e-mails sent to legislators by electric co-op members through the Our Energy, Our Future campaign.
This effort was the single biggest factor in keeping electric cooperatives from being shut out of the discussion on climate change. Instead, Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, met four times with task forces working on the problem.
His latest was with President Obama's transition team. At that meeting, English continued to raise the need to keep electricity available and affordable for rural people, who include the nation's most economically disadvantaged.
He encouraged the president's advisers to consider all economic sectors, to recognize the need for new power plants to meet growing demand for electricity and to end uncertainties about regulation and costs. We are concerned because many legislators are offering solutions that are well meaning, but will result in drastic rate increases for you and your neighbors and further damage the economy.
A situation like this will force every family to make difficult choices for its hard-earned dollars.
We believe our Missouri congressional delegation will make sure President Obama understands the impacts climate change legislation will have on Missouri's economy and you. We will make sure they have the facts on how the different climate change bills will affect you.
I am asking you to continue your effort to ensure that our elected officials make keeping electricity affordable and reliable a top priority as they develop and vote on energy legislation. If you haven't done so, log on to www.ourenergy.coop and send your message to Congress. If you have, watch the Web site and announcements from your co-op signaling that it's time to send a new message.
Your efforts made a big difference in 2008. Let's not rest until this issue has been successfully resolved without hurting our economy in Missouri or you and your family.
Hart is executive vice president of the Association
of Missouri Electric Cooperatives.
Barry Hart
Barry Hart
Barry Hart


text:
Previous Lecture
Complete and continue
Personal Branding Bootcamp
Introduction - How to Get the Most out of This Course
Welcome instructions (2:11)
Q&A Session 1 : May 17
Watch the Q&A Session from May 17 (128:28)
Lesson 1 : Define Your Brand Identity
What is a personal brand, anyway? (10:52)
Personality, Values & Energy Assessments : Uncover the REAL You (2:38)
Write your position statement using the MVPS System (7:51)
Describe what results you deliver using the RSVP method (9:54)
Lesson 2: Identify Your Tribe & Describe Your Avatar
Start with who you know: The Good Apples (10:06)
The Bad Apples (0:58)
A winning combination (1:23)
The AVATAR PROFILE: Describe your ideal client (4:46)
Lesson 3: Define Your Core Message
Your WHY = Your Purpose + Passion (4:40)
Your PHILOSOPHY (4:03)
Your WISDOM (4:06)
Write & Rehearse Your ELEVATOR PITCH (6:19)
Write your CALLS TO ACTION (3:47)
Q&A Session 2 : May 20
Watch the Replay Q&A + Laser Coaching on the Hot Seat (May 20) (136:41)
Lesson 4: Build Your Platform
Your Platform ~ The Basics! (9:15)
Let's Get Visual: A Style Book & Mood Board with colors, images, graphics and fonts (9:24)
Freebies & Lead Magnets: How to encourage followers to join your tribe (10:50)
Email Nurture Sequence (5:25)
Build a Conversion Oriented Website for your Target Audience (10:36)
Lesson 5: Craft Your Communication Strategy
Decide which media to use: Blog, Vlog, Social Media Sites, YouTube (60:08)
Q&A Session 3 : WEDNESDAY May 24 at 7pm CEST
Watch the Replay video of our Q&A + Laser Coaching (90:21)
Q&A Session - July 3 (audio only) Pain Point Worksheet Laser Coaching & Questions
Audio Only
Your Platform ~ The Basics!
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you'll need to login
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Lackey takes loss as Sox held in check by Kuroda
Boston righty allows four runs on 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings vs. Yanks
BOSTON -- In the great rivalry often associated with names like Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez, the marquee pitching matchup of the three-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox this weekend might've been impossible to predict. Neither of Saturday's starters appears to be a future Hall of Famer. And between 17 combined years of Major League experience, they have a single All-Star appearance.
John Lackey and Hiroki Kuroda are in the middle of career years. And the matchup was every bit as exciting as their 2013 numbers suggested on Saturday afternoon, even if the names weren't typically those synonymous with ace when it comes to these two storied franchises.
Kuroda dealt mid-90s heaters and Lackey matched him for much of the game. Each seemed in total command at times. But three runners were nailed at home plate, Daniel Nava was gunned down trying to tag from first in the eighth inning and the Yankees used one solid inning off Lackey to take the second of a three-game set, 5-2.
"[Baserunning] worked against us a couple times today," said Red Sox manager John Farrell.
Nava was thrown out at home in the first inning when third-base coach Brian Butterfield gave him the go signal even though Nava had yet to reach third base by the time Vernon Wells collected the ball in left field. Mike Carp was then nailed at home on a passed ball in the fifth. And Nava's baserunning blunder came when Chris Stewart made a diving catch into the stands in the eighth and Nava was thrown out trying to tag up from first. There were two outs with David Ortiz on deck and the Red Sox were down two at the time.
"Down two with David on deck, again, overaggressiveness on his part," Farrell said.
But Lackey's solid start was the silver lining on a hot day that included a 90-degree temperature at game time, though Lackey, a Texas native, said he's played football in worse than that.
With Clay Buchholz's season in question due to lingering neck and shoulder issues, and Jon Lester dealing with general soreness and fatigue as he tries to work out of a two-month-long funk, Lackey's success has been timely.
For now, Lackey is the No. 1 pitcher.
"It's not something I'm going to back away from if it needs to happen," said Lackey, whose ERA rose to 2.95. "But the rest of the guys on this staff are really good, and we're going to be just fine."
Against a team that has given Lackey fits throughout his career (he entered Saturday with a 4.68 ERA lifetime against the Yankees), Lackey pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs while striking out seven and walking none.
The only other time Lackey had ever gotten through a start vs. the Yankees while allowing four earned runs or less without walking anybody was in 2007, the only season Lackey was an All-Star as he finished third in American League Cy Young Award voting.
"I don't know how much more I got in there," Lackey said. "I feel pretty strong right now. The last month or two have been pretty solid. I'm just going to try to keep working hard at it and trying to give us a good chance to win when you go out there."
The righty played the part of hard-throwing veteran well, while his defense played just as hard behind him.
Jose Iglesias, playing third base for the first time in weeks with the return of Stephen Drew to shortstop, snagged a hard liner off the bat of Ichiro Suzuki in the first inning and gunned it to first base, where the ball beat Brett Gardner back to the bag for a double play.
The Yankees threatened in the fifth inning, when Eduardo Nunez reached base on a single, stole second and moved to third on a bunt by Stewart. Dustin Pedroia nearly prevented the run from scoring, but a diving attempt at a ball off the bat of Luis Cruz landed inches short.
The Red Sox offense was lifeless for much of this one, as Kuroda tossed seven innings of two-run ball.
"He had everything today," manager Joe Girardi said. "His stuff was really crisp. He kept his pitch count down in the early innings. His stuff was really sharp."
The bottom third of the Yankees' lineup had 26 total RBIs on the season before Saturday, but they again got the offense going in the seventh inning, when the Yankees scored three runs on five hits.
The Sox added two runs on a sacrifice fly and wild pitch in the bottom of the inning, but the sturdy veteran combination of David Robertson and Mariano Rivera shut the door in the eighth and ninth.
Drake Britton made his Major League debut for the Red Sox, pitching a scoreless inning of relief. The 24-year-old lefty had a 3.77 ERA in 102 2/3 innings between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket this season.
"He showed good stuff," Farrell said. "He's here now, so he's going to get opportunities."


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J-Fed's Initial Proposal
Now we know that earlier this year or late last year, the Cook County State's Attorney was looking to pull out of the Round Table process because of the political heat. Some reporter and his tame professor were insisting that the Round Table was nothing more than a cover up of all the involved parties and in the midst of a hotly contested State's Attorney race, even the hint of a scandal could sink a campaign. Besides, it's easier to say that the State's Attorney's office might be prosecuting a police shooting one day, so it didn't make sense for them to be there in case it compromised the investigation, regardless of the fact that if at any time there was an allegation of criminal wrongdoing, the Round Table process (Administrative) would stop and another investigation (Criminal) would begin.
The reason that J-Fed wanted to do away with the Round Table?
- All Officers involved in a shooting were to be indicted the following day by a Grand Jury.
But if this doesn't tell you exactly what type of Department the mayor wants and exactly what type of Department that J-Fed is attempting to give him, we don't know how to make it any clearer.
Labels: info for the police


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Product 36/57
An original crochet amigurumi rabbit pattern by June Gilbank.
These baby bunnies are so adorably tiny that they can sit in the palm of your hand - just like real baby bunnies!
Yarn: worsted weight yarn in any bunny colour(s), e.g. white, brown, grey, black, beige...
Hook: US E / 3.5mm
Size: approx 4.5" (11.5cm) long
Details: Pattern includes full instructions to make 3 realistic baby bunny breeds: Dwarf, Angora, and Lop.
Note: I used real angora yarn to make my white angora bunny, but you can make a fluffy angora-type bunny with standard acrylic/wool etc yarn too. If you'd like to make a fluffy bunny, you'll need a wire pet slicker brush to brush out the pieces after crocheting (instructions are given in the pattern).
Eye size: 10mm
All reviews are entered into a monthly draw to win a pattern of your choice! More information and past winners
Looking for more info about this product? See my blog post about it!


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Hi TA,
I came across the following article
Do any of us, however ill, have the right to die?
It is about a paralyzed man who wishes to die. Now this is a sensitive issue, but what I'm just disgusted by is the author, who belittles a man so defenseless in such a low and crass manner. She suggest he should wait until an infection kills him, or starve himself to death - comparing him to a whiny child.
I'm fully for everyones right to end their own lives. And I'm not going to be as arrogant and even suggest that I could understand what this man must feel, or say something stupid like "oh he's just giving up!". So because of that I was truly shocked by how misguided this person is. How low will some of these zealous people sink? Whether or not you agree with his wish is your opinion (which should not affect him), but to ridicule the only wish of such a man as if you're somehow morally superior?
What is Think Atheist's opinion?
Views: 1214
I would counsel against bridge launching.... leaves alot of mess for other people to clean up. Medically supervised euthanasia impacts the rest of the world a whole lot less. I hope it is fully legalised by the time any of us need to consider it.
Although they don't often say it openly, the answer is: they believe your life does not belong to you, fundamentally. It belongs to God. Or, for some more secular people, it may belong to the state, to the community. Either way it is not yours to end alone. Of course I vehemently disagree with that-your life is your own, and no one else's.
We put down our pets in order to spare them undo suffering yet our own species must be made to beg for death, outrageous
I have to agree. Richard Dawkins puts it well in The God Delusion, "When I'm dying, I should like my life to be taken out under a general anaesthetic, exactly as if it were a diseased appendix. But I shall not be allowed that privilege, because I have the ill-luck to be born a member of Homo sapiens rather than, for example, Canis familiarisor Felis catus."
I didn't find the article too offensive, but I think her she paints her position with too broad of a brush. Her opinion seems to be, "if you let one person choose to die, then everyone is going to be killed." Which appears to be how the Christian folks seem to paint all positions -- with an 'all or nothing' view. Such as, "all gays are amoral raging queens" or " if a woman gets an abortion, she will start using that process as birth control". Rush Limbaugh is the king of this landslide type thinking. They don't seem to think that each person, each case, each process can be treated individually. Rational thinking countries like the Ducth seem to use that rational for their credo, and what do you know?... they are actually a more thoughtful, happy, civilized society that most of the world. Although, did you see Rick Santorum this week, who lied about the Dutch and their position on euthenasia? Frightfully embarassing.
What's embarassing is this, she's a hypocrite.
Wow. thanks for sharing that kOrsan. She plays fast and loose with her rationale.
I read the article and, while I personally side with Tony Nicklinson, the guy who would like to end his life, I don't think the article was out of line. The debate is whether to allow the high court to override a law for the sake of this one man. A public debate is healthy in such a case. A democratic society needs this kind of debate in order to advance.
The author may seem indifferent to the plight of this one person, but when trying to craft rules that apply towards everyone indifference will be built into the system.
What say you to the following?
Where the people are sovereign, they have rights no one may justly deny.
1. The universe is indifferent to our concerns.
2. Any justice that exists is a human creation.
3. No one asked me if I wanted to start my life; I demand the justice of deciding when to end it.
4. American law is not based on religious morality, no one may justly rely on religious morality to interpret the law.
5. Switzerland allows people to end their lives. So does Oregon in the US of A. Perhaps other nations do.
All of which leads to this: lawmakers and judges who base their decision on their religious views interfere with my right to end my life with dignity when I choose.
I think you have right to die, if you suffer under an incurable illness.
Views against euthanasia generally stem from Judeo-Christian morality, where the doctrine of the church can be summarized to say :'' the intentional killing of innocent people is always wrong.'' This, however, seems an absurd doctrine to push in cases in which extreme pain and/or hopelessness are present.
It seems a great contradiction to me that no church supports euthanasia: Almost all religions assert some sort of benevolence in their god-why, then, would he subject anyone to suffering? Perhaps they assign their god benevolence in words, but do not sincerely believe him/her to be so. Similarly befuddling is the idea that a church would hasten one's arrival in a post-death 'heavenly' kingdom in the face of pain. Personally, I believe it to be a sign of lingering doubt (even if only subconscious) in any sort of afterlife.
One ought to have complete sovereignty over their own body and mind, and ought to be able to do as they please within their own body and mind so long is it does not impede upon the sovereignty of another. As stated in by John Stuart Mill in 'On Liberty'(1859): " The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community , against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant.'' As such, one has the right to euthanasia so long has he is within a sane, lucid state- this is assuredly a decision one meditates deeply upon before coming to any sort of final decision, and ought to be respected.
Additionally- this author has no right to comment on this paralyzed man's position unless she has lived through EXACTLY the same circumstances as he, felt the same emotions as he, and been born with exactly the same mind as he. She is absolutely disgusting and clearly demonstrates the lack of empathy at the root of many of our world's greatest problems to-date.


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BP was slapped with the third largest penalty in the SEC's history on Thursday for misleading investors about the rate of the oil flow in the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
Additional recent actions taken by the SEC were charges filed against three executives of an electronic game card company and its independent auditor for fraud, and charges filed against an investment advisor for fraud and diversion of client funds.
BP Agrees to Pay $525 Million Penalty Over Gulf Spill
British oil company BP agreed Thursday to pay $4.5 billion to the government in fines and other charges, including $525 million to the SEC—the third largest penalty ever assessed by the SEC—over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Criminal charges account for $4 billion of that amount, according to a company statement, and BP also agreed to plead guilty to 14 criminal charges. Eleven people died and 17 were injured in the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in April 2010. Oil flooded the Gulf for three months before it was capped, contaminating beaches with millions of gallons of oil from the damaged rig. Three BP employees also faced criminal charges from the Justice Department.
The SEC charged BP with misleading investors by significantly understating the flow rate of the oil gushing into the Gulf in multiple reports filed with the SEC. Although BP repeatedly indicated in fraudulent public statements that the flow rate was estimated at 5,000 barrels per day, its own internal data indicated that potential flow rates could be as high as 146,000 barrels of oil per day.
BP executives also made numerous public statements after the filings were made in which they stood behind the flow rate estimate of 5,000 barrels of oil per day. In fact, they criticized other much higher estimates by third parties as scaremongering.
According to the SEC's complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, BP stated that the flow rate was estimated to be 5,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) in three separate Form 6-Ks filed with the SEC following the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20, 2010. In a 6-K filed on April 29, BP stated in part, "[e]fforts continue to stem the flow of oil from the well, currently estimated at up to 5,000 bopd[.]" BP filed another report the next day similarly referencing "[e]fforts to stem the flow from the well, currently estimated at up to 5,000 barrels a day are continuing[.]"
The SEC alleges that when the company made those statements, BP possessed at least five different flow rate calculations, estimates or data indicating a much higher flow rate. BP did not possess or generate any piece of data suggesting that 5,000 bopd represented a ceiling for the rate of oil flowing into theGulf of Mexicoor was the best estimate. The failure to disclose the existence of these higher estimates rendered BP's statements in its Reports on Form 6-K materially false and misleading.
According to the SEC's complaint, BP issued another 6-K on May 4 that stated, "Accurate estimation of the rate of flow is difficult, but current estimates by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggest that some 5,000 barrels (210,000USgallons) of oil per day are escaping from the well."
The SEC alleges that BP omitted from its disclosure the material fact that, by this date, it possessed at least six estimates, calculations and data indicating that the oil flow rate far exceeded 5,000 bopd. Therefore, it was no longer accurate to suggest that 5,000 bopd was the best estimate or that the NOAA estimate was the current estimate.
The SEC's complaint further alleges that BP executives made numerous public statements in May 2010 supporting the 5,000 bopd flow rate estimate and criticizing other estimates despite internal evidence showing that flow rates were likely well in excess of 5,000 bopd. Eventually on Aug. 2, the Flow Rate Technical Group, consisting of government and academic experts tasked with reaching a final official flow rate estimate, announced that the flow rate estimate was actually more than 10 times higher at 52,700 to 62,200 bopd. BP never corrected or updated material misrepresentations and omissions it made about the flow rate in SEC filings for investors.
The SEC plans to establish a Fair Fund with the BP penalty to provide harmed investors with compensation for losses they sustained in the fraud. The SEC's investigation is continuing as well.
Game Over: Execs Charged With Lying to Investors
The SEC recently charged three executives with repeatedly lying to investors about the operations and financial condition of an Irvine, Calif.-based company that purported to sell credit card-size electronic games. The agency also charged the company's independent auditor with facilitating the scheme.
According to the SEC's complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, chief executive officer Lee Cole and chief financial officer Linden Boyne orchestrated a scheme in which Electronic Game Card Inc. (EGMI) enticed investors by claiming to have millions of dollars in annual revenue, hold millions of dollars in investments, and own an offshore bank account worth more than $10 million.
In reality, many of the company's purported contracts were phony, the purported investments were merely in entities affiliated with Cole or Boyne, and the bank account did not exist.
The SEC alleged that EGMI's material misrepresentations and omissions in SEC filings and public statements occurred from 2007 to 2009. The company repeatedly reported nonexistent revenues and assets, misrepresented its business operations, and failed to disclose related-party transactions. Those misrepresentations and others like them were part of a scheme Cole and Boyne orchestrated through EGMI to reap approximately $12 million in unlawful gains.
While they were making material misrepresentations to inflate EGMI's stock price, the two also secretly funneled millions of shares of EGMI stock to entities based in Gibraltar that they secretly controlled, then directed the Gibraltar entities to sell the shares. The proceeds of those sales were transferred to people or entities associated with Cole and Boyne or to EGMI itself. Cole and Boyne bolstered their lies by providing falsified documents to the company's outside auditors.
The SEC also charged the company's outside auditor, CPA Timothy Quintanilla, with repeatedly issuing clean audit opinions about EGMI based on reckless and deficient audit work. The SEC alleges that as EGMI's engagement partner, Quintanilla and the public accounting firm Mendoza Berger & Co. issued clean audit opinions for EGMI's year-end financial statements for 2006, 2007, and 2008, even though those statements were riddled with material misstatements and omissions.
Mendoza Berger and Quintanilla, alleged the agency, knowingly or recklessly misrepresented that the firm had conducted audits of EGMI's financial statements "in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States)." Mendoza Berger's opinion stated that EGMI's financial statements "present[ed] fairly, in all material respects, the financial position" of EGMI.
In fact, Mendoza Berger had not audited critical aspects of EGMI's financial statements, and its work did not conform to the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Quintanilla had no meaningful basis to have Mendoza Berger issue an opinion on EGMI's financial statements.
Also charged is Kevin Donovan, who later replaced Cole as CEO, ignored many red flags about the accuracy of the company's public statements and the integrity of Cole andBoyneand even provided false information during conference calls with analysts and investors.
The SEC alleges that shortly after Donovan became CEO, he was notified of many red flags related to the company's public statements about its operations, finances and share count. Donovan violated the antifraud provisions of the securities laws when he led several public conference calls with securities analysts and investors in 2009, and knowingly or recklessly relayed false financial information about the company that had been provided to him by Cole and Boyne.
As a result of EGMI's false claims, the company's outstanding common stock was once valued as high as $150 million. EGMI is now bankrupt and its stock is worthless. The SEC's investigation is ongoing.
The SEC's complaint seeks, among other things, a final judgment ordering Cole, Boyne, Donovan, and Quintanilla to pay financial penalties and permanently enjoining them from future violations of the securities laws; enjoining Cole, Boyne, and Donovan from serving as officers and directors of public companies and from participating in penny stock offerings; and ordering Cole, Boyne, and Quintanilla to disgorge their ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest.
Advisor Charged With Hiding Trading Losses, Diverting Client Funds
A Miami-based investment advisor, Anand Sekaran, was charged by the SEC for defrauding his clients by concealing trading losses and diverting investor funds for personal use.
The SEC alleges that Sekaran and his firm, Wasson Capital Advisors Ltd., fabricated documents showing illusory profits after his trading strategy became unprofitable in 2008 and produced substantial losses for clients. Sekaran also misused client funds to pay various personal and business expenses, and he collected fees in excess of what he was due under the arrangements he had with clients.
According to the SEC's complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Sekaran provided investors with a spreadsheet inaccurately showing Wasson as profitable. He inflated account balances on some clients' account statements, using the letterhead of a defunct British Virgin Islands trust company for one client and the letterhead of a New Zealandfirm for another client. He also misappropriated investor money for personal mortgage and maintenance payments, restaurant and travel expenses, entertainment and event tickets, employee salaries and health insurance, and rent and office expenses.
Sekaran and Wasson agreed to resolve the SEC's charges, as well as a parallel criminal action announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
In settling the SEC's charges, Sekaran and Wasson consented to a final judgment imposing permanent injunctions from future violations of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Sekaran separately consented to an SEC order barring him from the securities industry and penny stock industry; he is also required to pay $2.3 million to satisfy restitution and forfeiture orders in the criminal matter.
Check out last week's enforcement roundup: FINRA Enforcement Roundup: Hudson Valley CEO Barred Over Sneaky Day Trading, Fraud at AdvisorOne.


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A painted house: Is it smooth or slick?
It's been nine months since Brenda Beverly moved into her house on Chippewa Lane at Lake Monticello, nine months since she walked through the house with her real-estate agent and one of the builder's employees and pointed out a number of so-called "punch-list" problems she wanted fixed. In the months that followed, she claims, she tried repeatedly to get the builder to fix them, but nothing happened.
Beverly, who bought the house from Swift Run Inc. in November 2002, had two main complaints on the walk-through: the interior paint job, she contended, was substandard, and the trim around two of the doors had noticeable gouges. There were also a number of smaller problems, such as nail-pops and shoe molding that had been split by a nail.
According to Beverly, the builder's employee– she didn't get his name– said, in response to each problem she pointed out, "I'm sure we'll take care of this."
Her attention was diverted, at first, from the interior problems by an acrimonious dispute over landscaping. When that was resolved, she says, she began urging the builder, Jim Spence, to address the paint job and the other punch-list items. She claims that after some fruitless conversations he finally said, "Take it or leave it." Spence denies this allegation.
I went through the house with Beverly on July 30 and saw the change in wall texture that irks her. The surface does appear to vary, every few square feet, from rough to smooth, and some of the wood trim does appear damaged. Two items she hadn't noticed during the walk-through, but pointed out to me, are protruding nails on the deck steps and a bathroom wall that might be crooked.
I met with attorney William Tucker, Realtor Ray Caddell, and Spence's son Jamie (Spence Sr. was on vacation) on August 5; Caddell is the listing agent for homes built by Swift Run, which is owned by his wife, Teresa, and Tucker. The three men focused almost exclusively on Beverly's failure to go through what they consider the right channels; for instance, Caddell says that she should have addressed her concerns to Swift Run instead of Spence Sr.
Spence Jr., who is president of Haden Homes, and– as he stressed several times– had nothing to do with Beverly's house, felt so strongly about the issue that he declared, "This lady is crazy."
One of the things they said repeatedly is that such problems come up routinely with new homes, which just made me wonder even harder why Swift Run seemed so reluctant to resolve Beverly's concerns. Caddell finally said that if Beverly would send the list to him, he would consider it– but added, "It's hard for us to get shot-gunned into doing it."
We met again on August 12; this time we were joined by Caddell's wife and Spence Sr. instead of Jr. Spence claimed that a list had in fact been made during or after the walk-through and the items resolved. I asked to see a copy, but, as Tucker later reported, no list could be found.
On the issue of his behavior toward Beverly, Spence denies her claim that he refused to return messages; as I can attest, he doesn't have voice mail (whether he did last winter, of course, I can't say).
In a dramatic move, Caddell announced that he and Tucker would buy Beverly's house back for whatever she paid and allow her to live there free for 30 days after closing. I was concerned that he might view this as a litmus test– i.e., "If she's really unhappy, she'll prove it by selling her house." Tucker, however, assured me that that wasn't the case.
Here's what we finally agreed on, after almost two weeks of meetings, phone calls, and faxes: On August 15, one of Spence's foremen was scheduled to go through the house with Beverly, accompanied by the worker who would be responsible for carrying out whatever repairs both sides agreed were reasonable. If Beverly isn't satisfied, I'll take another tour and report on my findings.
Tucker's final words on the subject were, "I don't want to be associated with a company that doesn't do things right."
Do you have a consumer problem or question? Email the Fearless Consumer, write her at 100 Second St. NW, 22902, or call 295-8700 ext. 406.


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How To Get Started Thinking About Online Peer Learning Communities for Nonprofit Professionals
Note from Beth: This one of my favorite photos of a workshop I designed and facilitated at SXSW called "Peer Learning Session for Nonprofit Social Media Managers." The idea was to get folks who do social media for nonprofits sharing best practices about social media adoption and culture change by balancing brief content delivery with lots of interaction. This was a face-to-face session, but the learning was extended online afterwards, albeit briefly, in an organic way on twitter using a hashtag "npsmpeer."
I've been interested in this sort of "self-ignited" peer learning or what has been called "Peeragogy" and that I experienced briefly last year as part of creating a handbook on the topic facilitated by Howard Rheingold and in many private and public Facebook or LinkedIn Groups where nonprofit professionals share best practices.
But both of the peer learning designs are for nonprofit practitioners who have fully embraced online networks and comfortable using them technology . What if you want to look at ways to create an online professional learning community that was sustainable over time to spread best practices in a nonprofit area? That was a question that Mario Morino and Cheryl Collins asked in an email thread to a couple of folks with lots of great ideas and experience facilitating online communities. That email exchange morphed into this guest post.
Is your nonprofit facilitating online professional learning? What have you learned? Please share in the comments.
Overview: Online Community Systems, Cultivators and Resources – Guest Post by Mario Morino and Cheryl Collins
The Leap of Reason team is exploring cultivating an online community to advanceawareness and increase expectations for continuous improvement and high performance for nonprofits as a pathway to increase social benefit and impact. To learn more about developing online communities the Leap team reached out to a select group of individuals who have extensive experience and expertise in online communities to ask 1) what community management services we should consider and 2) what sources/venues we should consider in cultivating/managing communities. We hope the summary of what these individuals shared, while is not exhaustive, will be of value to others working with (or considering the establishment of) online communities.
Community Management Services and Platforms
There is a wide range of services/venues upon which online communities can be built, including more generic ones such as Facebook, LinkedIn, email distribution groups, and others. The following ones were suggested as more specifically focused for online communities.
- Ning – Popular with nonprofits, reasonably priced, may require some customization
- BuddyPress – Works with WordPress but requires customization for some online groups
- Google+ Groups – Easy to use, most individuals have a Gmail address (or can get one easily), but limited feature set and potential for making some private conversations public
- YourMembership.com – Robust feature set, interface is easy for participants, ability to delegate responsibility to manage different sections, capacity to support collective resource center. Pricing may be barrier for some groups (Setup Charge + $595 monthly fee)
Community Cultivator Recruitment
Respondents unanimously agreed that the community manager, community cultivator (whatever the title) is the MOST important component of a successful online community. One suggestion was to look within an existing community to see if there is a leader with the passion and experience to facilitate because it helps with trust, perceived value, and overall traction. Another person said, "It's ideal to have a team rather than a single person. Besides the obvious advantage of being able to collaborate, it avoids creating a hub/spoke dynamic in the community where folks hang back 'waiting' for the central person to do something." The concept of having a peer from the community is called a "technology steward" in the book Digital Habitats, co-authored by Nancy White, John Smith, and Etienne Wenger.
One of the respondents suggested that "the best way to get talent in this space is to identify someone who already has skill, someone who is a natural at working this way online and does it because they love it, in their personal time, if not their professional time. It could be an 'unknown' to your community, in fact that might give your host a more neutral starting place.
"One way to go about finding the talent you seek is to go lurk online in spaces and conversations, particularly those about social change issues – of any ilk – and pull them in. Who's running the parenting/running/makers community/community org, young donors, etc. e-newsletter, Facebook group, most active Twitter persona, podcast weekly discussion channel, YouTube show (has to be one that engages and interviews people, not showcases the host)? Go get that person. Find someone who demonstrates the fluency, skill, passion, connecting instinct you want in a host and bring them in to your world! Perhaps many of these people are somewhat introverted IRL (in real life) so experiencing their tone and skill online is critical."
This is a partial list of advisors and consultants who work with organizations interested in developing online communities:
- Mitch Arnowitz, Tuvel Communications
- Michelle Groff Burling
- Rachel Happe, Community Roundtable
- June Holley, NetworkWeaver
- Beth Kanter
- Lisa Kimball, Plexis Institute
- John D. Smith, Learning Alliances
- Estee Solomon Gray, Mminddlabs
- Nancy White, Full Circle Associates
Online Community Examples
There are literally thousands of online communities, focused on a span of topics such as parenting, medical issues, education, nonprofit management, technology applications, and platforms. We're always looking for additional examples.
- Salesforce NPSP (Nonprofit Starter Pack) Users Forum – 1100+ members who use the nonprofit version of Salesforce.
- Breastcancer.org – Organized around topics and stages of disease. Provides advice, tips, tricks, questions, and support.
- BoardSource LinkedIn Group – Community with 18,000+ members dedicated to advancing the public good by building exceptional nonprofit boards and inspiring board service.
- Networking Opportunities with NTEN – Community of nonprofit and technology professionals that include options for online and off-line interaction.
Additional Resources
A brief list of some highly recommended books, articles, and website.
- Community Roundtable
- Digital Habitats by Nancy White, John Smith, and Etienne Wenger –
- Learning Alliances
- NetSmart by Howard Rheingold
- NetworkWeaver
- Trasi, an online community for conversations about social impact assessment
- "Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Quick Start-up Guide"
- "Communities of Practice and Purpose: #TChat Recap"
- Wenger-Trayer Resources
Like so many other examples, technology is not the most important part of a successful online community. Yes, it's important to find a system/platform that meets the criteria and is appropriate for the group's technology skill level, but it's the human element that makes the difference.
We'd welcome inputs and suggestions to improve on what we've shared.
Our thanks to Mitch Arnowitz, Don Britton, Beth Kanter, Lisa Kimball, Estee Solomon Gray, and Victoria Vrana for their assistance in compiling this post.
Mario Morino is the author of the primary essay and Cheryl Collins is the co-editor of Leap of Reason. Contact or follow the Leap team on Twitter.


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Estate planning requires attention to more than just children's inheritances these days, according to a report released Monday by the BMO Retirement Institute, an organization based in Canada. Aging parents, pets and digital assets are new concerns for modern estate planners. The Institute surveyed people in the United States and Canada for the report.
Traditionally, estate planning has focused on leaving money for children or charities, says Tina Di Vito, head of the BMO Retirement Institute, in a statement. "However, we need to start incorporating emerging trends, such as advancements in technology, our close relationship with pets and the ongoing care of parents if we want to minimize the burden on loved ones."
The report, "Estate planning in the 21st century: New considerations in a changing society," found that 15% of Americans provide care for a parent, relative or friend. Of those, 58% provide both personal and financial care. However, only 33% of caregivers have made plans to continue care if they die unexpectedly.
The main reason caregivers don't make provisions for continued care for a loved one after their untimely death is that they don't believe their loved one will outlive them. Twelve percent simply hadn't thought of it.
The report says 61% of Americans own a pet, and, of those, 89% consider their pets to be family member. Furthermore, 77% believe pets should be included in estate plans. Still, only a third have made plans to do so.
The report found spending on pets has been rising by about 4.5% per year since 2008, despite the economic downturn.
Without provisions for pets, some could end up in animal shelters, which may be unacceptable to some clients. To plan for future pet care, one option for individuals, the paper found, is to consider leaving a "reasonable" financial legacy to a trusted caregiver.
Boomers today have amassed a large amount of intangible digital assets, the paper found. Almost all have established an online presence through at least one personal online tool, and 85% have at least one financial tool. However, among those who have made formal estate plans, 57% haven't made provisions for those assets.
Those intangible digital assets come in many forms, according to the paper, ranging from financial statements and online investment accounts to loyalty programs, email and personal blogs or websites, and, of course, social media accounts. For example, the paper notes the concept of an "heirloom" has changed as people use digital media more frequently. Family photos that may be very important to certain family members may not be passed down in photo albums or shoeboxes, but on hard drives and flash drives.
In some cases, transferring those assets may not be considered important by clients. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they hadn't made provisions for those assets in their estate plan because they didn't think it was necessary. However, since 50% of respondents said they hadn't included digital properties simply because they hadn't thought of it, it may be worth raising the issue with clients. And, while not knowing the password to a deceased spouse's Facebook account may be inconsequential, access to online bank and investment accounts is decidedly more important.


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Devart is a Gold Sponsor of Delphi Developer Days 2011!
April 08, 2011
We are proud to announce our participation in Delphi Developer Days 2011 as a Gold Sponsor.
Delphi experts Marco Cantù and Cary Jensen present their annual Delphi Developer Days tour. Whether you use the latest version of Delphi, or develop with an older version, you will come away with information to improve your development and increase your productivity.
During the two-day event, you will be able to participate in both joint sessions, presented by Cary and Marco together and simultaneous tracks, where Marco and Cary break out into separate rooms to present individual topics.
The Delphi Developer Days 2011 tour visits two US cities and two European cities:
- US: Washington DC/Baltimore: April 11-12 and Houston: April 14-15
- Europe: Frankfurt, Germany: May 12-13 and Amsterdam, The Netherlands: May 16-17
Our press materials will be available for both European events (Frankfurt and Amsterdam).
To get more information about Delphi Developer Days 2011, please visit http://www.DelphiDeveloperDays.com.


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Brooklyn in this bitch, Nino bout to flip
Brooklyn in this bitch, you see me on my shit
This is beastly, see my joints in the streets, been on repeat now
White kids in the 'burbs see me and greet me like I am The Beasties
The way I cook up in the lab, Heisenberg
With ice, they say the purest shit around, I concur
You just caught on, I been had the flow to light up this era
Since Fresh Prince in that cab, seen the dice on the mirror (Yeah!)
Fall for my hype, and you're right, this is not an error
And fuck these flash in the pansm shit, R.O.A.M.'ll last forever
For-ever-ever? For-ever-ever?
No lie, you hate, get helicopter, propeller chopped, now ya head is severed
The best since "Thriller," none realer, no, you know Bless is better
I rep the cellar, sky's who's limit? Bitch I'm interstellar
Brooklyn's representer, who's doing what I offer?
I am to a rap fiend what, Facebook is to a stalker
I'm at these crackers' office, laughing at they offers
My endorphins, alone are worth the sacrifice of they daughters
On the road to riches, Bless is all about business
I'm tryna stack chips and raise some spoiled ass rich kids
I want friends with Illuminati connections
That don't get cash they print it, I've check off half my wish list
I got a slim chick, with an ass so out of proportion
She booty claps by accident, it just bounce when she's walking
My game gets me bitches outta my league
It's almost like they got no choice to fuck, Adam and Eve
I, make ya mouth piece obese like Della Reese
My, mind's potential peak, has me near the Devil's reach
So, Satan's tryna catch me, I got too much information
Won't be shocked when he sends Jay-Z to recruit me for the Masons, hey Hov'
I'll throw that diamond up, sign me up
Just tell me which sign is up, I like things to be defined then I adjust
Grinding and climbing up, I could see past the Andromeda
My lines are hot enough to make the toxins burst out the thermometer
That's a reminder, I'ma just cake, get my commas up
So I can rent land in Mars from Obama when our time is up
Uh!, my squad's knee deep- Down in the gutter
Ain't nothing fancy here, Kendrick Lamar's album cover
Speaking of covers, don't make me go and unload a clip or two
And switch ya view from light, to the insert of Food and Liquor 2
I flip the rules, and tell the ruler I'm a inch away
So he can anticipate that shift and when I move in his space
Watch me infiltrate, cuz it's my fate to integrate
Bars with great music, then mold my heir to sit in my place
Fix ya face, catch me slip, no way
That'll happen when 6 Hipster gays, get served Chic-Fil-A on Christmas day
The shit I say, gets respect in a big way
No need to speak Pig Latin, to know I'm 'ethay itshay'
The best display of rhymes, since the BIG days
Pick anyone, Punisher, Corleone, Chris, Kane
Insane in the membrane, Lets B-Real, I'm the next thang
I could fuck Scarlett Johansson just off my Penn game
The fiends loving that 'piff, I make it good
The flows beautiful bitch, Meagan Good


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New research by Federal Reserve staff economists Steve Sharpe and Gustavo Suarez suggests that the outlook for business investment — a notably lacking aspect of this economic recovery — has little to do with changes in interest rates.
"A fundamental tenet of investment theory and the traditional view of monetary policy transmission is that a rise in interest rates has a sizable negative effect on capital expenditures by businesses," write Sharpe and Suarez in a paper titled The Insensitivity of Investment to Interest Rates: Evidence from a Survey of CFOs.
"Yet, a large body of empirical research offer mixed evidence, at best, for a substantial interest-rate effect on investment."
In the paper, the economists examine data from the quarterly Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook survey conducted in September 2012, which asked chief financial officers across companies of various sizes questions related to their spending plans.
The main findings:
The vast majority of CFOs indicate that their investment plans are quite insensitive to potential decreases in their borrowing costs. Only 8% of firms would increase investment if borrowing costs declined 100 basis points, and an additional 8% would respond to a decrease of 100 to 200 basis points.
Strikingly, 68% did not expect any decline in interest rates would induce more investment.
In addition, we find that firms expect to be somewhat more sensitive to an increase in interest rates. Still, only 16% of firms would reduce investment in response to a 100 basis point increase, and another 15% would respond to an increase of 100 to 200 basis points.
In short, most firms wouldn't invest more if long-term interest rates were lower, and the majority wouldn't invest less as long as those rates weren't more than 300 basis points higher.
A sharp rise in long-term rates over the course of 2013 allowed Sharpe and Suarez to validate these results with follow-up questions asked in the same survey a year later:
By August 2013, twelve months after Global Business Outlook surveyed firms on their sensitivity to hypothetical interest rate changes, long-term interest rates had in fact risen substantially; notably, yields on 10-year Treasury bonds and investment-grade bonds were about 100 basis points higher. Fortuitously, the Global Business Outlook survey for the third quarter of 2013 once again included questions about interest-rate sensitivity, including a retrospective question:
"Over the past quarter, interest rates have increased by 1%. What effect have higher rates had to this point on your capital spending [also hiring, debt financing]?"
Among the 396 usable responses to this question, 9 CFOs indicated their capital spending was "reduced significantly" and 28 indicated it was "reduced somewhat". Thus, in total, 9.3% of respondents claimed they had reduced capital spending in response, closely in line with the 10% of respondents from the 2012 survey who predicted their firm would reduce investment plans in response to a 100 basis point increase.
The August 2013 survey also included this question: "If benchmark long-term interest rates increase 1% [more] by the end of 2013, will this affect your capital spending?"
"For the 91% of the sample respondents that had not indicated reducing capital spending as a result of the recent 1% increase in interest rates, their responses to the forward- looking question in principle should indicate whether a total increase in interest rates (by year end) of 2% would induce a cutback in their capital spending," write the Fed economists. "Within this group, only 15 respondents, about 3.7% of the overall sample, indicated they would likely reduce capital spending as a result. This suggests even less sensitivity to a 200 basis point increase than the results from the original survey."
So what does determine business investment?
The Global Business Outlook survey also asks CFOs for the top three company-specific concerns they face.
"The responses a firm chooses to this question might be indicative of characteristics that are likely to influence firm investment plans," write Sharpe and Suarez. "The two most commonly chosen of the standard response choices offered are concern with 'ability to maintain margins' and 'cost of health care,' flagged by about 60% and 40% of sample respondents, respectively."
Read the full paper here »
See Also:BEACONS: What They Are, How They Work, And Why Apple's iBeacon Technology Is Ahead Of The Pack 25 Awesome Things You Can Buy For Under $25 A Chemical Compound Found In Rhubarb Has Just Solved Renewable Energy's Biggest Problem


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I promised to post an update so here I go...
April: I am still searching for a job. I have sent out several applications and resumes to various places. I have applied for a few jobs through the county school system which would be ideal to have summers off, but still haven't heard back from two of them (one already got filled). I have also been looking into daycare options for Tyler as well as before & after care for the older two. There are some options out there, but everything is so expensive. Once I do get a job I am going to apply for daycare assistance through the county which will help partially pay for daycare.
Ben: Ben has been coming over to see the boys most Thursdays and then on many weekends. We are still working out scheduling for the weekends since we only have the 1 car. We are working towards an every other weekend schedule, but as things come up (such as the boys' first basketball game) we have been pretty random with the schedule for now. Ben & I are still on good enough terms to really be able to talk, work things out regarding finances & the boys, and have some family time for the boys to enjoy.
Zak: Zak seems to be the only one who understands what is going on with Ben & I. Not that he knows all of the details, but he seems to really understand that daddy doesn't live here anymore even though he gets to see him still. He is doing very good in school which is great. As always, Zak loves his baby brother and is constantly playing with him. Unfortunately, his newest obsession is video games. He asks to play games on the Wii every second that he is awake and not at school. We are having to put limits on the gaming time as well as turning it off if he gets overly competitive about it. As an alternate sometimes he is allowed to play educational games on the Leap Pad or good old board games.
Ryder: Ryder has been extremely emotional recently (started before Ben moved out). He is doing OK in school, but struggles with homework sometimes. On Monday I took him to Kennedy Krieger for a full day of testing to see if we could determine and issues he might be having that we could help with. I will get the full written report in the next 4 weeks or so. They did briefly go over a few things that they found though. His overall IQ is just below the average range so they said it wasn't anything concerning. They discovered numbers seem to be a strength for him, but memory and early literacy are his big weaknesses academically. They feel he is having lots of new skills thrown at him and he is only picking up bits & pieces, but not mastering anything which can become an issue as things get harder and build on the basics. I am hoping when I give the report to the school they will agree to offer more services to help him in those areas. I am also looking into social skills groups for Ryder to help with those skills. After lots of talking with the psychologists who did the testing I realized Ryder thrives and craves 1-on-1 time so I need to figure out a way to provide more of that for him (and Zak). Ryder feels inferior in many situations within his daily life (school, sports, comparing to Zak, etc) and he doesn't feel that way during 1-on-1 time with me or when playing with younger children.
Tyler: He is such a big boy. He is almost 8.5 months old and weighs around 21 pounds. He is wearing 18 and 24 month clothing already! He is crawling, pulling up to stand, and cruising around while holding onto furniture. I have started to use gates to block him from the steps and kitchen to keep him out of trouble. He loves to play with his brothers and enjoys to cuddle. He is becoming very talkative now and has the best laugh ever! He has his 9 month check-up on January 30 so I will update with his new stats after that.
And now for the pictures...
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
I promised to post an update so here I go...
Posted by April at 8:45 PM


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Sony Announces Global Availability of Xperia™ Tablet Z - The World's Slimmest and Lightest Tablet
25 Feb, 2013, 08:15 GMT
BARCELONA, Spain, February 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
- Xperia Tablet Z is latest addition to premium family of products
- Acclaimed flagship smartphone Xperia Z out now worldwide
At Mobile World Congress, Sony Mobile Communications ("Sony Mobile") today announced that Xperia Tablet Z - the slimmest* and lightest** 10.1" water resistant tablet available - will launch globally in Q2 calendar 2013. Additionally, Sony's flagship smartphone, Xperia Z will roll out in stores worldwide from today.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130225/595518 )
Since it was announced in January, Xperia Z has won 13 awards and received the widest ranging of any Sony smartphone to date with 140 sales channels in 60 markets across the globe. Both products combine premium specifications with the best of Sony technology, entertainment, design and connectivity.
Premium Tablet Design
Xperia Tablet Z is the most premium, high performance 10.1" Android tablet available. Built from quality materials and featuring the same stunning OmniBalance design as its smartphone sibling, Xperia Tablet Z is also incredibly slim and lightweight at 6.9mm and 495g. Available in black or white and in LTE and WiFi versions, it is the first tablet to run on Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Pro asynchronous quad core processor and has the highest levels of water resistance (IP55 & IP57) ever delivered in a tablet, making it immune to accidental spills and splashes.***
"Xperia Tablet Z sets new standards in entertainment by matching premium specifications and Sony technology with cross-device connectivity and a consistent user-experience," said Kaz Tajima, Corporate Vice President, Head of UX Creative Design and Planning, at Sony Mobile Communications. "Xperia Tablet Z reinforces our intention to be a leading player in the premium Android device market, by building on the principles established by Xperia Z and perfectly optimising them for the tablet form factor."
Integrated Sony Technology
Xperia Tablet Z includes the very best of Sony technology. With a 10.1" HD WUXGA Display, powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, it delivers enhanced colour reproduction for a brilliant TV-like viewing experience. It also draws upon Sony's camera expertise with an 8MP rear camera featuring "Exmor R for mobile" as well as a 2MP HD front-facing camera for capturing the best images in any condition. Sony's S-Force Front Surround 3D, guarantees soul-shaking audio performance alongside Sony's Clear Audio+ mode and the innovative use of two in-built speakers with four 'speaker halls' on the left and right corners delivers amazing sound no matter how it is held. Xperia Tablet Z also includes Battery STAMINA mode, Sony's unique battery management technology that can significantly improve standby time. The WiFi variant also offers up to 64GB of storage with an optional mircoSD card.
Seamless One-touch Connectivity
Xperia Tablet Z includes more connectivity options than any other tablet. It also includes Sony's One-Touch functions that let users transfer content seamlessly from HD tablet to TV, tablet to speaker or phone to tablet just by touching them together. One-touch functions are a key component of Sony's device range this year and no other consumer electronics company is bringing as many NFC-enabled products to market. The tablet's Universal IR Remote allows users to control the TV and other Sony devices - as well as products from other manufacturers - directly from the tablet placing the device at the heart of the home. TV SideView is a new application that gives users an entirely new way to interact with the TV.****
Sony's media applications
Sony's signature media applications - "WALKMAN", Movies and Album - allow users to enjoy, control and view content regardless of their device. The Sony Entertainment Network can also be accessed from these applications and includes Music Unlimited with more than 18 million songs and Facebook social integration as well as Video Unlimited with access to over 100,000 movies and TV series.*****
Xperia Tablet Z Accessories
Xperia Tablet Z will launch with a number of accessories including a charging cradle, an LCD Screen Protector and Leather Carrying Cover that comes in Black, White or Red. These will be available from Sony stores or registered retailers.
Xperia Tablet Z will launch on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and is upgradable to 4.2 after launch for the latest Android user experience.
Key features for Xperia Tablet Z
- 10.1" HD 1920x1200p WUXGA Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
- S-Force Front Surround 3D
- The world's slimmest* design at 6.9 mm and lightest** at 495g for 10.1" water resistant tablet
- Dust and water resistant (IP55 & IP57) with a durable glass front display
- Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz asynchronous quad CPUs and 2GB RAM
- One-touch connectivity with Near Field Communication (NFC)
- A unique OmniBalance design with subtly rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces
- 8 MP rear camera featuring "Exmor R for mobile" and Superior Auto plus 2MP HD front camera
- Battery STAMINA mode further improves the standby time.
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text:
Gardner leads Marquette past LSU for 84-80 victory
Golden Eagles rebound from loss to Green Bay
Davante Gardner came off the bench to score a season-high 19 points, and Junior Cadougan and Vander Blue each added 17 to lead Marquette to an 84-80 victory over LSU on Saturday.
Gardner made all nine free-throw attempts, including six in the final 36 seconds. Jamil Wilson added 11 points for Marquette (8-3), which overcame a 49-47 loss at Green Bay on Wednesday by winning its 15th straight home game.
Andre Stringer finished with a season-high 20 points for LSU (7-2). The Tigers, in a stretch of 17 days between home games, got 18 points from Anthony Hickey.
After two Gardner free throws gave Marquette an 80-76 lead with 35.2 seconds remaining, Charles Carmouche lost his dribble off his foot with Trent Lockett guarding him. Gardner picked the ball up, was fouled and sank two free throws for an 82-76 lead. He added two more for an 84-78 lead with 9.6 seconds left.
Marquette equaled its biggest lead of the second half, 74-62, on two free throws by Cadougan with 3:33 remaining. LSU managed to get the deficit to 78-76 on Carmouche's free throws with 40.7 seconds left, but that would be the closest the Tigers would get.
LSU, which trailed by 21 late in the first half, used a 27-6 run to get back in the game. Consecutive 3-pointers by Hickey and Stringer capped a 10-0 run and tied the score at 49 with 14:55 to play.
The teams then traded runs, beginning with Marquette. A one-handed floater off the glass by Cadougan capped an 8-0 run for a 57-49 lead with 12:51 to play.
LSU answered with nine points in a row. A free throw by Carmouche gave the Tigers a 58-57 lead with 9:35 left, their first since holding a 3-2 edge in the first minute. Then it was Marquette's turn for a 9-0 run, capped by another Cadougan basket for a 66-58 lead with 7:49 left.
In the first half, Marquette shot 51.5 percent from the field and held a 17-3 lead after scoring 15 unanswered points. The Golden Eagles made seven of their first 10 shots, including a 3-pointer by Lockett, while LSU missed seven of its first eight.
Two free throws by Chris Otule gave Marquette its biggest lead, 43-22, with 5:12 remaining.
That's when LSU started its comeback, as the Tigers scored 11 of the final 13 points of the half to get within 12 at the break.


text:
Hi Everybody!
How are you? This blog entry is for one of my new BFF's from Canada - Wendy Plummer! I had written her an e-mail recently and she wrote back asking a few questions - so that encouraged me to give everyone an update! The last thing I wrote, was that I was going to have a CT Scan, because after having a chest x-ray, the radiologist had said he "saw something" that he wanted a closer look at - therefore the CT Scan. After having the scan, I was told the results would be sent to my doctor. So a couple days later, I get a call from my primary care doctors office - that the doctor wanted to see me the next day and I would be worked into the schedule. Yikes! That doesn't sound good as far as I'm concerned!
I wasn't going to tell my mom and worry her - but then I figured, she is there for me to share things with, so she said she was glad I told her so she could pray for me. I had told my sister Celia as well - and both she and mom wanted to come w/me the next day for that doctors appt.
Told my in-laws and they weren't too happy about how this situation was handled. They as well as everyone else, felt that my doctor could have given me more information on the phone, instead of worrying me overnight! I even called Rhonda Sharp - Dr. Yakes Phy. Asst., to get her take on it! I wanted to know what she thought that "something" in my chest x-ray could be! Rhonda was great and spent time talking to me and made me feel better all around.
So the next day comes, Mom and Celia are w/me for my doctors appt. - and he was surprised when he walked into the exam room that I had my family w/me! Well, I told him I didn't know what kind of news I would be getting, so I wanted to make sure I had support with me! Turns out that "something" that was in my x-ray and CT Scan, was old scar tissue from an infection I had once upon a time! Geez! Here I was all worried - thinking that now that Dr. Yakes finally had my avm under control, I have an incredible husband and a precious puppy that I adore - I felt I was going to get bad news from the doctor for sure! I was happy to get good news, but it would have been nice not to have worried the night before! Oh well - just glad I'm ok!
So ... I had wound care done on Monday, January 19th, also Wednesday and Friday with Dr. Larkin @ Spohn Hospital! They are using a new "thing" called Xcell over the wound, so it keeps it just moist enough. For more information on Xcell, you can go to www.xcellwoundcare.com! That, along w/debriding and cleaning the wound have made a big difference! Dr. Larkin was not in on Friday, but Noel changed my dressing. The whole time he was cleaning it and changing out the dressing, he was singing! I said, "Wow, now that's service! I'm getting my dressing changed AND getting serenaded"! I was telling Carol, one of the other wound care nurses about how Noel was singing, and she says, "Yeah, we call him Elvis around here"!
Yesterday I had wound care therapy in the afternoon, and Dr. Larkin and I discussed Hyperbaric treatment again. She said that it wouldn't do me any good to have only five treatments - that in order to see a difference, I would need to have at least 20 treatments! We had a heck of a time (when I say we, I mean Mark) getting my insurance to pay for the hyperbaric treatment, as each session is $4,000.00! Unfortunately there is absolutely no way I can have that many treatments done! Each treatment takes 2 hours, plus the time it takes to prepare to get in the "tube" and get me out - in other words, if I had an 8:00 a.m. session, I would be done w/a session by noon! That means missing the morning part of my work day! For a month! There is no way I could do that - I'm lucky my job allows me to go to Colorado every 6-8 weeks for an embolization, plus leaving early sometimes for my wound care therapy or follow up doctor appts. that involve either my ear(I see Dr. Zane for maintenance on the T-tube I have in there)or my primary care physician or pain management doctor for avm related "problems"! Whew! I'm actually doing pretty well these days - well, I do have somewhat of a "puffy eye" lately - we think w/my avm blocking an area of my face, it isn't allowing fluids to "drain" properly and they are collecting and causing that puffiness!? I have an appt. w/Dr. Zane to check out my ear and make sure that tube is in there and isn't clogged on Feb. 12!
You know what though? My pain is under control, I haven't had a bleed, my husband loves me and my puppy Hanz is too, too cute! I'm happy and I'll just have to take it one day @ a time until Dr. Yakes is all done w/me!
Our friend Terry Schneider is having a Mass for our intention @ St. Paul in Flour Bluff on Wednesday night, 7pm on February 4th! We have so many friends and family praying for us and that's what keeps us going! Thank you all for your constant love, support and prayers! We'll keep you updated! My next trip to CO is March 4th,5th and 6th and Celia will be going with me! We always manage to have fun and she has been such a wonderful support emotionally for me! Celia is very strong and has handled everything necessary on these trips, so I'm in very good hands!
Love to all!
Mark & Cyndi Schuman
Oh! By the way - in case you didn't know - the photo includes Rulon, Hanz and Saba!
Updated for my BFF Wendy P.!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Posted by Dulce at 6:13 PM 0 comments
Monday Hyperbaric Appt.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Hi Everyone!
Well, woke up this morning feeling nauseous! Don't know if it was "nerves" thinking about the Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment, or just the way I slept on my pillows! If those pillows are not stacked right, and my head is too far forward, that causes me some strain and I get to feeling nauseous! In any case, I had to get my act together quick, because we were due to report to Spohn Hospital by 8am! Finally found the Wound Care area, and checked in. Dr. Larkin came in to see me and she met Mark for the first time. Right away, Dr. Larkin said we could not do the hyperbaric w/out having the CT Scan already done - fine by me. Anything that will prolong my getting into that darned tube works for me! So, after taking a look at my "wound area" on my face - Dr. Larkin decided to debried it herself and felt like we should go after that area a little more aggressively. It's such a fine line between keeping it "moist", but not TOO moist - and keeping it dry, but not too dry! So, for the next 2 to 3 weeks, I'll see Dr. Larkin @ Spohn Hospital for Wound Care Therapy, and sloughing off some of that scabbing will allow that area to heal better! We're going to try that before doing any hyperbaric treatment @ all!
And ... just because our puppy is just so darned cute ... here is another picture of Hanz we took yesterday!
I'll fill you in on how the CT Scan goes this afteroon, so check back, ok?
Love to all!
Oh! I almost forgot to mention - that I had been in to see Dr. Larkin once before and had give her Shalons web site address. Dr. Larkin did mention that she was keeping up with it and really liked it! Isn't that nice that these doctors support AVMers?!
Posted by Dulce at 10:59 AM 0 comments
January Update
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Hi Family and Friends!
How is everyone? Good, I hope! I've been pretty good, for the most part! Toward the end of this past week, I was feeling great! Had my pain under control, hadn't had any bleeds ... until the early hours of Saturday morning. I had asked Mark on Friday night, to put some ointment on the outer rim of my ear and on that little flap over the earlobe, because it was all getting so dry. I had gotten up about 3:30am and I like to check in the bathroom mirror, to make sure my hair isn't all sticking to the ointment. I remember having a good laugh, because our puppy Hanz had gotten loose from his cage he sleeps in, and had dragged 3 different shoes of mine and some socks into a little pile in the hallway - even one of Saba's little socks! Anyway, I had "dabbed" some of the ointment from my ear w/a q-tip and some of the scab had come off - actually an area of scab that I wished hadn't come off and I feared might bleed later. I went back to bed, hoping for the best ... and a few hours later, I felt like I had just started bleeding. Sure enough, I sat up and yelled to Mark that I was bleeding to get up and help me! I headed toward the kitchen sink and I had grabbed a tissue somewhere and was putting it on my ear and the blood was just flowing! I hollered at Mark to hurry w/the wound care bag and by this time the entire front of my pink nightgown was red with blood! I couldn't find a mirror to see where I needed to put pressure to stop the bleeding. Turns out, I wasn't bleeding from my ear, but from the wound on my face! Once Mark brought me a mirror, I pulled the dressing from my face and could see the blood just gurgling out in a thick flow from the top of the wound on my face! I was finally able to grab a wet paper towel and put pressure on my face to stop the bleeding! By this time, I was almost sliding on the floor in the pool of blood I was standing in! Mark could not believe how much blood was everywhere! He had to help me off w/my nightgown that was soaked completely and get that started soaking in the wash! I really needed to have gotten in the shower to get all the blood off my legs and feet, but @ 6am all I could think about was getting back to bed! I "checked" to see how I was doing by moving the paper towel I had been holding to my wound - and after a couple of times that I could see I was still gushing, it was finally just a fine stream of spray, so I knew the bleeding would be stopping soon! With Marks help, I got cleaned up enough and he got the wound redressed so go back to bed! After getting some more sleep, I got up, took a shower and we headed out to see Celia. She and her housekeeper were cleaning Gregs office (their regular clean up crew was out of commission). Celia had been worried about Hanz - he had been sick but was now 100% better! After visiting w/Celia, we headed to Petsmart to pick up some items for Hanz and then headed to Moms! Hadn't been over in a couple of weeks and she and Vicente needed Marks help w/a couple of things! We stayed for dinner and played a full game of Mexican Train! Hanz was so good the entire visit! He loved running around moms back yard! See photos!
Wish me luck - Monday morning will be my first time ever to have Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment @ Spohn Hospital! I had never heard of this treatment, but my BFF Shalon told me about it and had it done herself! (For more information on Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment, check out Shalons web site @: (http://sites.google.com/site/shalonsavm/Home). Hopefully, I will be allowed to take some photos and I'll post those soon! Mark took the day off to help me through this the first time, so I feel as safe as I can! Mark is the only one that can get any situation I have under control immediately, so we'll see how I do! I also have a CT Scan tomorrow afternoon. Apparently a chest x-ray I had done showed a "spot" that the radiologist wanted checked out to make sure we could rule out any problem. Here's hoping it was just "one of those things" and nothing more! Will keep you updated, so please check back!
Love all of you for all your wonderful love, support and prayers! We're all on this journey together!
Hugs & Love,
Mark & Cyndi Schuman
Posted by Dulce at 6:31 PM 0 comments
Part II of January CO Trip!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Hi again! Here are the rest of the photos I talked about! I don't know how to do slide shows like Shalon, so bear with me! Shalon, feel free to add, edit or whatever you want to improve my blog!
Cyndi- your wish is my command! So here is a slideshow from this trip!!! Hope you enjoy! Shalon
Posted by Dulce at 2:13 AM 0 comments
January CO Trip Part I
Friday, January 9, 2009
Hi Family and Friends!
How is everyone? Are we finally catching our breath after the holidays went by too quickly?! Well Mark and I just got back from a good trip to CO! I'll start by mentioning that we were taking a very early morning flight - 5:30 am! I have to back track already and tell you that my left knee had been bothering me and it was really painful over the weekend! So Monday afternoon, I went to see my Primary Care Physician that told me I had arthritis and ok'd me to get a steroid shot! Unfortunately, that meant me hobbling around the airport! My knee was stiff and sensitive and I didn't feel better until the next day!
As we put our e-ticket information on the computer screen @ the airport, one of the questions asked is whether you would mind being bumped to a later fight in case of overbooking. Mark said no problem, so when we arrived in Houston, we were asked to take a later flight (which we pretty much would have had to do, because for whatever reason, I had a seat, but not Mark!) - with the promise of each getting a $200 voucher and they upped it even more, by telling us the flight from Houston to Denver would be first class! That was such a nice luxury, especially w/me limping around - those seats in first class recline and Mark had plenty of leg room too! What a difference from flying coach! In the back they may throw you a peanut and serve you a soda, and in first class it sure was nice to be treated so well and offered yogurt, a fruit cup, juice and coffee for breakfast. I think there was a choice of an egg sandwich. Anyway, we arrived in Denver a little over an hour later - had no problems getting the car rental or anything. We checked in to the hotel, then went to see Dr. Reed - Head of Voice & Swallow Inst. @ his new office location. He feels I still have an infection and is concerned that it may affect my hearing in my left ear. So, gotta follow through w/a few things there, to make sure that doesn't happen.
Meanwhile, I'm pretty close to getting everything approved needed for the Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment here in Corpus Christi, to help the wound on my face heal! I had scheduled an appt. for that on Monday, but rescheduled for the following Monday - don't want to miss so much work right after I've just gotten back, you know?
Ok! Back to the trip - after seeing Dr. Reed @ his new location - we noticed several places to have dinner, and I wanted to try Mimi's since we don't have one here and I had heard they serve good food! So after a nice dinner we headed back to the hotel and that was pretty much our first day on this trip!
The next morning, I had to be @ Swedish @ 7am to pre-register. Did that and then headed upstairs to a waiting room until the nurses are ready for you! Of course I always ask the nurse if they majored in "IV" installing. Don't like when they can't get that IV in - ouch! The nurse did well - got it on her first try! See photo!
As Mark and I sat around waiting for me to be taken in for my embolization - I could see a lady sitting across from me in her bed! Wendy came over to talk - she also has a facial avm and has been coming to see Dr. Yakes for 6 years and is from Canada! See photo. I've exchanged e-mail addresses w/Wendy, so we'll be keeping in touch!
I was surprised to be taken in early - it was almost noon - but most times I don't get taken back for my embolization until almost 2pm! I barely remember talking to the anesthesiologist and the surgical nurse before I was in LaLa Land! I woke up to find my favorite Recovery Room Nurse Rick Smith making sure I was comfortable! I believe he was "training" a male nurse - Rick is awesome though - he makes sure you have no pain and is on top of everything! Of course there was no room @ the Inn, so I had to spend the night in Ambulatory Care. It isn't too bad, but it's always nice to have a room!
Meanwhile, some fellow avm'ers were all trying to hook up - so Shalon and her husband Josh had already met up w/Arie and her family and they all came over to say hello! See photo! Dr. Yakes had done an angiogram, so I couldn't get up for a bit and I had gotten hit w/18cc's of alcohol, so I wasn't exactly feeling my best! After talking a while, I just had to get some rest - luckily Shalon sensed that and the group started heading out. Mark had a good idea before everyone left - he wanted a photo of the three of us, Shalon, Arie and myself! Look how pretty Shalon looks! She is always sweet and cheerful! Arie is a doll too! This would be her last treatment according to her mom Jody, and then she'll have to come back for a check up in 6 months!
Mark stayed a bit longer, then headed back to the hotel. Showed up in the morning w/some White Chocolate Mochas from Starbucks and a big muffin. This time I had some swelling inside my mouth, so I had not been chowing down right away as usual - I had been on juices and pudding!
Finally, I was able to get into a shower and wash all the dried up blood from my hair! Felt so much better after that! Got all our stuff and we headed out to find Shalon, as her embolization and Arie's were the day I was discharged! On the way to find them, we ran across Dave - another of my favorite RN's! He was part of what I call The Dream Team that took care of me after my very first embolization! So, I had to pose for a photo w/Dave (he is one of those people that really enjoy what they do and they are good at it!) - then went on to look for the group of nurses that took care of me while I was stuck a week @ Swedish in November, but most of them worked evenings, darn!
Ok, we do have an opportunity to spend a little more time w/Shalon and Josh, so that is where we were headed! Also met up w/Arie's grandparents! It's always nice to meet w/the families of the patients too - we are all blessed to have great support teams!
After leaving the hospital, went back to our hotel room to repack and then head out to return the car rental and head to the airport!
Unfortunately my left eye is swollen shut right now, but it should hopefully be open by tomorrow with the Prednisone I'm taking! Ok! I think I'll end this chapter and just add photos on the next! Thanks for all your love, support and prayers!
Mark & Cyndi
Posted by Dulce at 7:23 PM 0 comments
On the brighter side ....!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Hi Everyone! Hoping that the new year is treating you well so far! Me? Not so much. A few days ago, I had decided to take a nap, got all comfy in bed w/a good book, when I felt something - yup ... blood! It was coming from the "outer rim" of my ear. Mark had to put some surgicel on there to stop the bleeding. That was New Years Day. Well, this afternoon I took a shower and was already drying off, when I noticed I was bleeding. Ugh! Instead of all the boring and gory details .... we now break off to a brighter subject!
The newest member of our family finally has a name! Come and meet Hanz! He is a Brussels Griffon, is several months old and a real sweetie! Although, rumor has it that when these puppies hit their "terrible two's", we'll have our work cut out for us! I wasn't too sure about him the first couple of days, but once Mark bathed him and he got a hair cut ... we've become inseparable! Originally, our plan was to wait until I was all done w/my procedures before getting a puppy, but we came across an opportunity we couldn't pass up and got the puppy early! Unfortunatly I'll be missing him the few days we'll be in CO, but our neighbors Keith and Gabby will be taking care of Hanz! He gets along w/their lab, Skip ... although not so much w/their cat Abby! Our cats aren't sure what to think of Hanz, I don't think they're too happy about him getting to be indoors all the time! I took Hanz outside for a bit today and he was so happy when a neighbor a few houses down was outside w/her Shitzue!
Anyway, since I have to work tomorrow, I'm off to get a few things ready and head to bed w/a good book! Here are a few photos of our little Hanz! Course that's Mark holding Hanz - taken in Moms back yard. Mom is holding Hanz on Christmas Eve @ her house, and the other one is Hanz taking a nap!
I'll blog when I get back from CO! Take care y'all!
Posted by Dulce at 10:29 PM 0 comments


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Max Makita was hungry when she walked into the kitchen. But after grabbing some cereal she gets distracted looking at pictures in a magazine. And soon after she decides to play with her hairy pussy.
Max Makita has a coworker over and is telling him what she would like to see. She senses he is tense so she strips off her clothes to make him feel comfortable and then plays with her hairy pussy.
Max Makita had to piss really bad. But she couldn't get inside, so she runs to the back yard pulls off her jeans to pee on the ground. She finally gets inside and plays with hairy pussy.
After calling her friend Max Makita decides to text instead and the conversation makes her want to play with her hairy pussy. So she sets the phone down and inserts her toy into her bushy pussy.
Sexy Asian Max Makita is on the living room floor getting ready to workout and then gets horny so she strips out of her workout clothes and fingers her warm moist hairy pussy with her long fingers.
Max Makita gets in front of the camera wearing a sexy black dress with purple panties underneath it as she gives as interview and then she strips naked and sits in front of the camera nude.