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is the unique
-layered cube that will challenge and improve your intellectual abilities. You will need to discover intelligent strategies, tricky combinations and sophisticated techniques, in order to solve this masterpiece!
has an edge length of 72 mm and weights 315 grams.
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Customer Reviews
Melvin Holida (firstname.lastname@example.com)
I can solve it.
Tony Fisher
Just arrived this morning. Fantastic puzzle. Quality is unbelievable. Buy this puzzle! You won't regret it. Thank you to the Verdes family for making this dream come true.
Today arrived to my house. Incredible quality ......the best!!! . Thank you very much to the Vertes family for making this fantastic puzzle
Jake Martin (email@example.com)
hey just wondering if anyone has recieved theirs yet who is from australia,
I'm waiting for mine lol
Ricardo Luís Hartmann (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Can I pay it by PayPal?
László For (email@example.com)
Today arrived. It's a fantastic puzzle. Thank You.
Tom van der Zanden
Amazing puzzle. Turns smooth, and can even cut corners to a degree! If you can only get one V-Cube, I think this is the one you should get.
David Calzone (email@example.com)
I've waited a long time for this puzzle to be released. It was worth it! Thank you.
Cameron Almasi (email@example.com)
Ive been dieing for these cubes. The 5x5 is by far the best 5x5 known to man. The 6x6 not so great in turning but is still fun. and the 7x7: i can never stop playing with it. No matter how much they cost get them. there worth spending especially if you try getting good times on big cubes
Alexander Kristoffersen (email@example.com)
The best puzzle I ever have encountred. it takes some time to solve and then its really important that the cube turns without a problem, something this cube does with excelennce.
It will not hurt your wrists, it will only bring you joy and inprove your intelect:)
cal louie (firstname.lastname@example.com)
I just finished both the 6x6 and 7x7. Both are awesome! However, the 6X6 did pop on me and I was not going fast by any means. The 7X7 is UNREAL! Everyone that sees it can't believe how cool it looks! Thanks v-CUBES.COM !!
P.S after solving the 7x7 and looking at the cube for a long time, the normal 3x3,4x4 cubes look so bizarre and microscopic to me lol!
Tristan Buckley (www.youtube.com/jorickhorn)
Absolutely incredible. Not only a working 7x7 that turns like butter, but one that cuts corners! I love the pillowed shape. It's both practical and aesthetic. Sticker quality is low, so I recommend cubesmith stickers when they come out. Pops are occasional, usually limited to the edge of the centres, and easy to fix. I've solved it three times and I love it.
Corey Barnes (coreybbarnes/at/gmail.com)
I just got mine this evening. I've solved it a few times now - it's great fun. This is a quality puzzle, though I've had a center edge pop completely out of the cube three times now. It's not hard to pop back in, but is worrisome considering the cash I dropped on the thing. The cube is heavy, but not uncomfortably so. You will like it, so just buy it already!
michael hartman (email@example.com)
i have no idea when mines coming i ordered it on june 25. does anybody know when it should get here cuz is in like greece or watever???
Garrett Ong (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Beautiful cube. Turns amazing and I just love it. Its pillowed shape actually helps when solving it. I just can't get over how good it is.
robert bahret jr (firstname.lastname@example.com)
this cube is truly awesom , fun to solve and impressive to look at , some popping but not as much as the 6x6 , no pices have fell off yet with 5 solves under my belt so i reckomend this cube highly. but the sticker quality seems poor ?
carlo salgado (email@example.com)
Mark Lieberbaum (email@example.com)
I'll start by saying 4 day shipping to the US! That was QUICK!
I opened the cube, and gave it a solve. Very smooth turning. The edges are a bit easier to turn than the centers, whick makes the 3x3 stage much easier. Incredible! Except for a bubble under a few stickers, there seems nothing wrong with the stickers. Turns amazing, looks awesome, Thank You Mr. Verdes!!!
Jean Berg (email@example.com)
I disagree with Harold Rivera. Except for the fact of the packaging, with not much protection in the DHL bag, it is at risk of breaking. But, this cube is amazing none the less. The turning speed is not high, but it has rare lockups and is the smoothest thing out of the box that ive encountered. Who cares about a stand? the stickers are very high quality and not the cruddy stickers like ES and Rubiks comes with. As well the curvature does not effect the overall handling of the puzzle, which is a great thing. my best so far is 6:47, and in my solves, there has been rare pops for one particular center piece, but that is on the rare side.
All i can say is GOOD JOB V-CUBES and thank you for supplying us with 3 ubelievable quality puzzles
Alex Seidler (email@example.com)
Very great quality, originally I planned only to buy this puzzle, but because of how impressed I was, I'll more likely purchase the others.
Matt (United Kingdom)
It's simply brilliant. Smooth, no lockups... a marvel! Got it 2-3 days after placing my order, shipping happened in 1 day. Verdes Innovations is now shipping with bubble wrap too and so my box was is good condition. Thanks
Filip Konieczny (email@example.com)
The cube arrived few hours ago, 1st solve ever took me about 50 mins(figuring out how to solve 2 last centers and 2 last edges) and I must say it's amazing! Everything is so clear, no pops, it just moves so good, it is worth those money.
Another surprising thing is that I get cube after 3 days of buying!!
The cube traveled through Italy, Germany and arrived at Warsaw(Poland) in ONE NIGHT!
It's incredible, thank you Mr Verdes!!
Ps.: I'm waiting for V-Cube 6b, and as it comes, I'll buy both 6b and v-cube 5 :)
Filip, Poland
Chris Bordenca
I received my 7x7 today and it's great! I'm eagerly awaiting the 8x8 to come out. Thanks again.
Nick Carney (email@example.com)
HOLY CRAP THIS THING IS GOOD! I love this cube with a passion, it is such a challenge and it turns so well and cuts corners amazingly. Thank you Mr. Verdes.
Erick Anderson (email@example.com)
This is an incredible puzzle. It's hard to believe that something with this many moving parts can turn this smoothly. My only real gripe with it is that it's hard to get the rows lined up to turn in a new direction, but that's unavoidable with a complex puzzle like this.
Now if only it was available in black.
Angel Cordero (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Can't wait to get one
Matt Sexton (firstname.lastname@example.com)
This cube is a technological masterpiece. Incredibly sturdy, easy to turn; truly the new standard. I love it!
If V-Cubes 8 through 11 are as good as this then I need them now! :) When, Mr. Verdes?
Man, you have to buy this cube. It is truely amazing. I bought the 6a and the 7, and I love this one so much better. It is more structurally sound and doesn't pop often. Highly recommended. Waiting for the next ones to come out. Solving is breeze because of it's smooth rotations. Just a beautiful piece of work.
And to all my people from the U.S. 3 day delivery to NY from the shipped date!!!!
Tom Cassidy (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Took 4 days to come! Amazing service and likewise with the cube! Its unbelievable that something thought impossible can be so good! If you can afford it, buy it!
JT Wood (email@example.com)
I can't wait to get my hands on the 8-11. HURRY!!!!
Ryan Plante (firstname.lastname@example.com)
I love this cube guys
Arrived in 2 and a half weeks to New York! The cube turns so smoothly I can hardly believe it. Its so much better than the Rubiks cubes. Fastest solve was 43 minutes. I hope I can get better. I cant wait for 8x8 to 11x11!
Tyler Jacob (email@example.com)
im getting my soon and i bet my dad that i wouldnt use the computer to solve this one. i hope mine comes this week!!
Russell Andaya-Batalona (firstname.lastname@example.com)
I mean my god man.... This is a very freaking awesome cube, pops on ocasion but you can still solve it with out shattering to oblivion! Thanks Mr.Verdes!!!
Rey Victor Torres (email@example.com)
guys.. do they really deliver it and not scam your credit card? pls reply.. thanks!
alec bucklin (email@example.com)
just arrived about and hour ago.
super fast shipping, took only 3 days. the puzzle is also fantastic! amazing quality. buy this puzzle!
great cube! said it was going to come in 14 days, but to my surprise it came in 4! incredible turning! but the 3rd most layer is a little sticky on the turns. besides the stickers it is the best quality cube i have ever seen and the only thing they can do is lower the prices. thanks Mr. Verdes!!!!
ralph andrada (firstname.lastname@example.com)
I love this cube, it is amazing.
It is much smaller than I thought it would be.
I have popped it 3 times, but It was my fault.
Can't wait for the 6B.
Chi Shing Ip (email@example.com)
I am waiting for 8 9 10 and 11.
Paul Mansavage (firstname.lastname@example.com)
I ordered this cube last week Thursday, August 21st, 2008 and I recd my cube TODAY August 26th, 2008!! 5 days!! Shipped from Greece!
Best Shipping time out of ANYTHING I have ever ordered over the net.
Cube is constructed Magnficiently!
I can't wait to get it broken in!
Thanks to MR. V!!!!!
Ben Sorensen (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Very very nice puzzle. shipping time was only 36 hours.. ! from greek to the netherlands.. amazing.. thanks.. And I can solve both. 6x6x6 and 7x7x7
brian anderson (email@example.com)
I would just like to say thank you for giving me this amazing v-cube you couldnt have emailed it to me any faster 2 days has to be a world record p&p excellent communication excellent price excellent think of it this way you pay once to have fun the rest of your life and with the v-cube it delivers it in abundance i cant wait for 8 9 10 and 11 no matter what the price is its worth it once again thank you :)
Peter Schoffhauzer
Shipment: Got it in 3 working days (Greece to Hungary), excellent service!
Mechanism: Excellent, this cube is very well built. Ships pre-lubricated, layers move fairly good despite it's size, right out of the box. Solved it two times, no pops, no lock-ups so far at all! Amazing quality for something with so many pieces.
Stickers: There are some minor flaws - air bubbles under stickers, and some marks visible only in certain light angle. The color scheme is nice, I think stickers are easier to locate on white background, than with black.
Overall: Excellent cube, nearly perfect! 5/5. Recommended.
Billy Hansen (http://www.youtube.com/user/MeMyselfAndPi)
This cube is a beast! It's so massive!
It's got smooth rotation! It was a little difficult to play with at first, but as the cube got broken in & I got used to it, it became awesome!!! It's so easy to handle!
It does pop, but is very rare. Not as much as the V-Cube 6.
If you have the money, I highly recommend you get one!
huckleberry (firstname.lastname@example.com)
great, wonderful, fantastic cube.
and quality is very good.
let's cubing, hurry~
Tam Yun Cheong (email@example.com)
It is really a great cube! I highly recommend that you buy it! Thank you Mr.Verdes.
It is better than the 6x6x6. I can't wait for the 6b!!:)
alex shepard (firstname.lastname@example.com)
omg my cube came so fast i didnt think it would make it in time for christmas. i ordered it on a friday and it was here on tuesday im so happy even though i can use it until tomorrow. and the packaging was great too the box it came in kept it protected which is good since it went throught like 5 countries. i did spot a couple bubbles in the stickers though (my dumb dad left the package open on the table wen i came home so i already saw it. and its so smooth expecially considering the amount of layers i dont see it popping a lot in the future thanks v-cube
Just got it for Christmas! Fantastic and love it yet can't solve it yet, lol. Quality Rating:
Sticker Quality: B = Will change to a tile type sticker if they come out from cubesmith
Piece Qualtiy: A = One piece appears split for some reason but has no problems with the pieces.
Sliding Functionality: A = Great slides wonderful great feel not too bulky just fantastic!
Great stuff!
tormartin JENSEN (firstname.lastname@example.com)
hei alle
Dennis Snyder Jr. (firstname.lastname@example.com)
This Is awsome dude!
Angelo Alulod (firstname.lastname@example.com)
how can i order a 7x7x7 Vcube?..im just a 18year old noy..from the philippines...and i dont know the different process on the proper way on how to order...but i have a cash that i can convert to dollar to buy the 7x7x7...please give a specific advise...thank you so much...
Polydoros Tzagkarakis (firstname.lastname@example.com)
The 7x7 VCUBE ,kicks ass.It was a bit stiff at first but after 3 or 4 solves it was superb.It\'s very entertaining solving it.It doesn\'t seems to pop and the quality again ,as the V5 and V6, it\'s simply top class!
Peter Valente (firstname.lastname@example.com)
i orderd mine last sunday and its been 9 days now i hope it comes tomaorrow
Jason Nguyen (email@example.com)
I am still w8ing for my cube to come but from the looks of all of the comments i bet i will love it marvelously! Thank You Verdes Family!
daniel Shaw (email@example.com)
i cant wait to get my v cubes i will probably buy the whole collection at once so i dont waste any money on the extra shipping for 15 dollars each when i can just buy the 3 in a set for only 18 bucks shipping total. i heard on youtube that people said that the vcube 6 pops alot. is there anyway to reduce the amount of times it pops per solve? and also why dont they figure out a way to create a cube with no pops? but overall i cant wait to get my vcubes :D
Patrick Hand (email@example.com)
Received it in the mail and arrived at my home today. The 7x7x7 V-Cube is a great puzzle. I didn't think that a Rubik's Cube this big with 7 layers was possible until now. Pay no attention to the user who said V-cubes.com sucks. He's probably a complainer with a negative attitude who doesn't know how to use or solve a V-Cube. It is a great puzzle and is really durable if you are real careful not to handle it roughly. The V-Cube is a great invention.
Alexander Burlingame
I had a dream about the V-cubes. That my friend had them. I fell in love. I have to buy them now.
Nick Rushing (firstname.lastname@example.com)
i love it
i love it
i love it
thats all i can say about this beast
LIEU KELVIN (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Please send me a best quality of V-Cube!! TQ
Jake Schnetzer (firstname.lastname@example.com)
I just ordered mine and im sooo exited!!! Very impressed that the company is in greece and here i am in Kennewick Washington with them saying it will take at maximum of 8 days! WOW! Keep it up Verdes!
john smith (email@example.com)
it's amazizing even though you fuckers wont give me one for free
Dharminder Kumar (email@example.com)
Quick question: About how long does it really take for a V-Cube (7) to arrive in the U.S. To be more specific Minnesota???? It's been (counting the day that we ordered it) 5 days????? Thanks.
Reply back at email@example.com
Thank you so much.
Adriana Siahaan (firstname.lastname@example.com)
i'm satisfied with this cube, i got this cube to jakarta a few days ago(what a long way to go), and i can solve the cube 2 days ago but i still can't go faster, my best time for now is 17 minutes 40 seconds
i wonder how come yu nakajima do sub 4 minutes, hahaha
Mr. S
This is an absolutely amazing puzzle. I have a rubiks band 2x2x2-5x5x5, and now the v-cube 7 as well, and am awaiting a v-cube 6.
All I can say is how impressed with the v-cube I am. Not only is the 7x7x7 an amazing puzzle, but the v-cube technology makes this cube feel extremely solid and smooth. I almost never get any lockups or pops, and even if I do, they are extremely easy to fix quickly. The large radius spherical faces are not only brilliant design, but they look very good, and more importantly make the cube extremely easy to handle. Although it is a large puzzle, these faces make solving easy, and I never have to stretch my fingers when solving. Going to a regular cube afterwards just feels awkward most of the time in fact, because the wide radius spherical faces are so good.
It took me an hour and a half to figure it out the first time that I tried it, and I have cut that time down to about an average of 30 minutes. Once again, the craftsmanship and feel of the v-cube 7, along with it's brilliant technology, are amazing. I hope to see v-cubes 8-11 sometime in the future, and hopefully a 6b too! Or maybe even a 5b!
Finally, thank you very much Mr. Verdes, this is an amazing cube.
Mason Swain (email@example.com
I just got my V-CUBE 7 for my birthday, and now I have 2x2-7x7! 2x2-4x4 is Rubik's Brand, and they seem to be very stiff, but still good cubes. 5x5-7x7 are V-CUBES, and, I don't even know where to start with my V-CUBE 7! Even though it takes pretty long to solve it, I love it! The pillow like shape feels good in my hands. I hope Mr. Verdes releases 8x8-11x11 soon! If you have the money, get a V-CUBE 7!!!!!
Justin Parrish (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Just ordered a few hours ago. I am so excited. I have heard many great things about this puzzle. I have a V-Cube 5 and it is of the greatest quality. I can't wait to get my hands on the V-Cube 7 :)
Omg, this puzzle is AMAZING! So much of a challenge at the beginning... The quality is great. I don't regret a singl penny I paid for it. Just.. love it...
The 7x7 is the best cube I have ever owned. Despite my rather slow PB for this cube (due to inability of me to do fast and accurate complex pattern regonisition) of about 36 minutes, I love this cube and I would buy the 9x9 cube when it comes out and I expect to take over 1 hour to solve it though.
I have ordered the 5x5 as well from this site too. But I'll hold off on buying the 6x6 cube as I've heard some bad things about this cube on the internet. You can "mod" the V6 to turn it into a speed cube if you want to.
Justin Widdop (email@example.com)
V is for Very Awesome
C is for Crazy Fun
U is for Unique
B is for Be Strong Forever
E is for Ever Lasting
SEVEN LAYERS makes it fun!!!!!!!
BJ Roberts (firstname.lastname@example.com)
i orderd mine 2 days ago i want a time macine so i can go 3 days in the future
Cameron Dennis (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Amazing product. I was at first a little disappointed at first with the way it turned, but after 2 solved it improves tremendously. It is absolutely awesome. I can't believe how high the quality of it is. The stickers aren't perfect, but they are adequate. Thank you Mr, Verdes,
Alex Smith Smith (firstname.lastname@example.com)
I've heard that the V-Cube 8 will probably come out in November this year! I hope this is helpful and also, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, by the way, James Choi, it should take less than 10 days because I live half way across the planet and it takes 5-8 days.
Arnau Esteller (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Es la ostia ya tengo regalo de navidad
Aunque tardare un monton en hacerlo
Brenda Rupert (email@example.com)
Hey i was just wondering how long does it take for me to get the 7x7 cube? I ordered it sunday :) Thanks if you can help
Christine CONSTANT
I have just buy it. I think the V-7 is the best puzzle ever. Thanks to the Verdes Family.
Buy the V-7, this cube is really, really fantastic !
Michal Hanusek
it's amazing just only pleasure ;]
Justin P. (http://www.youtube.com/PkGam)
I got this cube as a gift when they were first released, I'm just now writing a review on it.
I think this is a pretty good cube, but the more I used it, the more it's performance seems to degrade. At least in my experience. Let me explain.
When I got this cube, it performed VERY well. It cut corners excellent right out of the box (Up to 1 whole piece)... All 7 layers stayed aligned easily no matter what turn I did so I could continuously chain turns together without a problem... It never popped pieces... It's pillow-like shape also made the puzzle look really good.
However, the more I used it, the more it loosened up. Which is what I would expect from any puzzle. However, the loosening of it has made my times get worse, not better. In the first month of owning it, my times stayed consistent and got slightly better... but after that, it went downhill, yet my other cube times from 2x2-5x5 kept getting better. Which I found strange.
While the pillowed shape looks nice, when the cube loosens up, I think the pillowing makes it harder to handle. I understand the pillowing is necessary for the cube's design so the corners can hold themselves in, but I feel if this cube isn't stiff enough, it's hard to consistently to keep all of the layers aligned enough for the next turn and smoothly chain moves together without locking up. I have big hands and I am even having trouble keeping them aligned. But, that's how I feel about it.
Also, when my cube loosened up, it went from no popping, to popping around 4 times a solve for some reason.
Overall I think this cube is "OK". But it might just not be the cube for me. Like a classic case of personal preference. Which may be why I have the above problems with a fully broke in cube. Or perhaps I wore it out really quickly. I'm not sure.
I score this cube: 5/10
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Additional Species: Black Bullhead – Coot Pond Sauger – Pelican Pond Common Carp – Mallard, Sandpiper, Killdeer, Coot, & Pintail Ponds Grass Carp (Sterile) – Pelican & Bald Eagle Ponds White Sucker – Coot & Pintail Ponds Gizzard Shad – Pintail, Coot, & Bald Eagle Ponds Which Pond is Which? It's important to know which pond you're fishing at – not only so you catch the right fish, but so you know you're fishing legally too! Click here for a map of the park Beginning where you turn off Highway 119 onto County Road 7, you'll see the new Blue Heron Reservoir on the right, and a handful of other ponds on the left. This entire area is currently closed to the public, for the safety of both visitors and wildlife. Parking is not allowed on the side of the road anywhere within park boundaries, beginning just off Highway 119. Then you'll bear right onto County Road 24 ½, which divides the park into northern and southern halves. The big pond on the north side of the road is Sandpiper Pond, with little Killdeer and Avocet Ponds at the west end. Mallard Pond is right behind the Camper Services Building, and huge Pelican Pond spans the whole northeastern corner of the park. On the south side of County Road 24 ½, the first big pond you'll see is Bald Eagle Pond. Bald Eagle has a large skeletal cottonwood tree on an island in the middle of the pond, which makes it easy to remember. Bald Eagle Pond has two special fishing regulations – you can only fish with artificial flies and lures (no bait of any kind!) and if you catch a bass, you cannot keep it and must return it to the water immediately. The smaller pond south of Bald Eagle Pond and the campground road is Red Tail Pond. Further west (behind Coot Camp Loop) is Coot Pond, with little Yellow Legs Pond to the southwest and Pintail Pond to the northwest. For descriptions of each individual pond, see the last section of this page.
Fishing Regulations Most of the ponds at St. Vrain follow the standard Colorado fishing regulations, including:
See the 2012 Colorado Fishing Regulations for more details. You can also get your own copy of these regulations from the park entrance station or from any fishing license sales agent. Two bodies of water at St. Vrain also have specific, more restrictive fishing regulations. These can also be found in the regulations booklet, and on signs posted around the border of the ponds. However, in case you miss the signs... Bald Eagle Pond:
Blue Heron Reservoir: (not yet open to the public)
Fishing with Children Children under 16 years of age are not required to have a fishing license. However, all other fishing regulations - including the second rod stamp and bag/possession limits - still apply. Parents or other adults who do not have a fishing license are permitted to assist children to fish, such as putting bait on a hook, helping a small child hold the pole, and helping the child cast out. Children must be actively fishing and attentively monitoring thier own fishing pole. If the adult is the only person holding the pole, casting the pole, or watching the pole, then this is illegally fishing without a license or fishing with too many poles, not "assisting" a child. Please ask a ranger if you have any questions about the fishing regulations. What Kind of Bait Should I Use? Trout: When recently stocked, trout will bite on almost anything: flies, spoons, spinner, crank baits, worms, power bait - even chicken liver. If it has been a while since the last stocking, it's best to take one of two approaches:
Panfish (Bluegill, Redear, Perch, Crappie, Green Sunfish): Similar tactics to trout, but even smaller. Tiny jigs tipped with worm or wax worms under a bobber are the best bet, but flies, small spoons and spinners will also catch gills when the trout leave them alone long enough. Small minnows can also be productive when searching for larger sunfish. Large and Smallmouth Bass: Spinnerbaits, plastics and crankbaits tend to be the go-to lures for bass, but don't be afraid to try a top water, fly, or even worms for bass. Catfish (Channel and Bullhead): - Bait on the bottom is your best bet. Worms are a favorite, but stink baits, liver and corn all work well. Carp: Most carp are taken incidentally by bait fisherman or by bow fisherman. Some people do bait fish with carp baits sold in stores or corn with some success. Saugeye/Sauger: Most are taken incidentally by bait fisherman by fisherman using jigs, crankbaits, spoons or spinners. Protect Our Ponds! Only hand-propelled craft, sailboats and boats with electric motors are permitted on the park's publicly-accessible ponds. Many fishermen also use waders or belly boats to get out into the water. But did you know these accessories can spread aquatic nuisance species? Eurasian watermilfoil is an invasive plant that can quickly spread and choke out the aquatic life in a pond. This plant has been found in Mallard Pond, and we need your help to prevent its spread! It only takes a single piece of a milfoil plant to snag on your boots, get dropped into another pond, then grow and reproduce. Before you take watercraft or equipment into a pond, check it thoroughly for mud and plant particles that could introduce new unwanted species into our ponds. Then, after you remove equipment from the water, check it again and clean off any plant debris to be certain you don't carry anything to your next fishing location. There are native milfoil plants found in several of the ponds in St. Vrain, which look very similar to Eurasian watermilfoil. The safest measure is to make sure you never carry any plant material between any bodies of water. Handicap-Accessible Fishing Piers St. Vrain State Park offers a number of handicap-accessible fishing piers around Sandpiper, Mallard, and Pelican Ponds. These fishing piers are available for all visitors to use, but please be courteous to your fellow fishermen and allow space for those with disabilities or limited mobility.
Sandpiper Pond has two concrete piers, on the southern and western shorelines. Both are located near parking spaces, and are connected to the parking area by a paved footpath. The southern pier has a restroom close by, but the western pier does not. Mallard Pond has a concrete boardwalk with a safety rail circling the back side of the Barbour Ponds Camper Services Building. Parking and restrooms are available close by. Pelican Pond has three handicap-accessible fishing piers. One is located in Pelican Camp Loop, across from Sites 12 and 13, with its own parking spaces and a restroom nearby. Two more fishing piers are located off the Pelican Pond Trail - one is just a few hundred feet up the trail from the eastern trailhead, while the other is about a quarter-mile in along the northeastern corner of Pelican Pond. Fishing Conditions, Stocking Reports, & Biologists' Fish Survey The ponds are typically stocked in late fall (before ice-over), and in early spring (after ice-melt). The most up-to-date stocking information can be found on the park's Conditions page, or on the division's Stocking Report page The annual Fish Survey is performed by fishery biologists who use a variety of methods like gill-netting and electroshocking to sample the number, size, and health of the species of fish in a given pond. The Fish Survey is analyzed for future use in stocking and maintaing the fishery, and it is published for the public to see. Click here for more details about how and why a fish survey is performed. Click here for the most current Fish Survey.
Fish of the Month June 2013
9-inch caught in Killdeer Pond by Braden Blochowitz in late June 2013 30 to 32-inch Tiger Muskie caught in Bald Eagle Pond by Erin Mauch on June 15th, 2013 23-inch 4lb Channel Catfish caught in late June 2013 Very nice largemouth bass caught in mid-June 2013 19-inch 4-pound Largemouth Bass caught in late June 2013 This impressive catfish was caught in Mallard Pond on 5-27-13 by Mike Pugh Bass from Bald Eagle Pond - Remember, bass from that pond must be returned immediately!


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Posted: September 30, 2013 Provided By: UnityPoint Health - Des Moines
We all know that dog is man's best friend, but did you know that the unique bond between humans and their dogs can be more than just companionship? Studies show that dogs, as well as other animals, can provide important benefits to our health.
Come meet our "paw-fully" cute pet therapy dogs from UnityPoint Health - Des Moines at this week's Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market. These loveable canines provide hours of comfort to patients in our hospitals and will be ready to give you some attention, too!
Animal assisted therapy, also referred to as pet therapy, is a growing field that uses dogs and other pets to help children and adults recover from or cope with a range of health problems. Registered therapy dogs are tested for good health and temperament to safely visit patients during their hospital stay. These patients have the opportunity to pet, play, and interact with the dogs as well as talk to their handlers, giving them something to look forward to each week.
In addition to providing a welcomed distraction from their ongoing medical issues, research suggests that pet therapy causes people to feel less pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue. Animal assisted therapy to comfort a variety of patients, including:
UnityPoint Health - Des Moines has a team of 44 certified dogs, whose handlers bring them to our hospitals several times a week through Volunteer Services. Our pet therapy services are available to patients and their families staying at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Blank Children's Hospital and Iowa Lutheran Hospital.
While you are out and about exploring The Market, stop by our tent located at 3rd & Court to meet our friendly animal assisted therapy dogs and collect doggie trading cards to keep the fun going all day long.


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The owners Kadek and Wayan are so friendly and although the place was full, they were not stressed at all.They went out of their way to help me eg taking me into Ubud when I couldn't find a taxi. The pool was lovely and never crowded.It is a family run business and my bungalow was very spacious. The paint was... More
- Also Known As:
- Gerebig Bungalows Ubud, Bali


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- With Mayo Clinic preventive medicine specialist
Donald Hensrud, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Donald Hensrud, M.D.
Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Dr. Donald D. Hensrud is chair of the Division of Preventive, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine with a joint appointment in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic. He is an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Hensrud directed the Executive Health Program at Mayo Clinic for more than 10 years.
He received his B.S. from the University of North Dakota, M.D. from the University of Hawaii, M.P.H. from the University of Minnesota and M.S. in nutrition sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed residency training in internal medicine and fellowship training in preventive medicine at Mayo Clinic and completed a clinical nutrition fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Hensrud is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Preventive Medicine and the American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, of which he is a past president.
His career interests have combined nutrition, weight management, and prevention. He is the author of many scientific articles and book chapters and was editor of Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody; The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, which won a 2005 James Beard Foundation award; The Mayo Clinic Plan: 10 Essential Steps to a Better Body & Healthier Life; and The Mayo Clinic Diet, published in January 2010.
Dr. Hensrud says healthy lifestyle habits in diet and physical activity are extremely important as evidenced by a large body of scientific evidence. He also says implementing these lifestyle habits is realistic, sustainable and enjoyable. A primary goal of his work is to help people achieve this.
Latest entries
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The Mayo Clinic Diet blog
Sept. 6, 2013
Individualization key in weight loss program
By Donald Hensrud, M.D.
2 comments posted
Unless you're looking for a quick fix (that usually doesn't exist), remember that losing weight and maintaining weight loss requires lifestyle changes in diet, exercise and the behaviors associated with these habits.
While ultimately weight loss is dependent on those main areas, there are many different challenges we all face. For example, some of you may have challenges because you eat out often, you don't know how to cook healthy meals, or you don't like vegetables or fruits very much. Others may have different challenges. And a few don't have any challenges.
Because most of us have different challenges, individualization is extremely important in a weight management program. "One size fits all" doesn't apply. When you're designing your weight management plan, do an inventory of your strengths and challenges. Write down what you do well, such as eat plenty of vegetables. Recognize and rely on your strengths.
This will give you confidence and help you carry out your plan. Also, write down your challenges and obstacles. Then do some problem solving and come up with specific strategies to help deal with these obstacles. The more honest you are with yourself, both in recognizing your obstacles and coming up with realistic strategies, the greater the likelihood you'll succeed.
In "The Mayo Clinic Diet" book there's an Action Guide that lists many different obstacles and strategies on how to address them. This may help you on your weight loss journey. We're designing a new healthy living program at Mayo Clinic that will include a weight management component.
This will be a 2-3 day onsite intensive lifestyle change program, and one of the key features will be individualization. Everyone is unique in their own wonderful ways. And everyone who undertakes weight loss should tailor their plan to their own unique circumstances.
2 comments posted
November 22, 2013 9:54 a.m.
Thank you Dr. Donald for the post. It is all about individual metabolism. That is what I kept telling people all the time. And again that is why different people get different outcomes for a particular weight loss program.
- Monicko
November 12, 2013 5:02 a.m.
Its very informative and i am sure it will help many other people like the way it helps me. Thanks for the information.
- richardsmith
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With the All In Photo Widget you can have your images presented in exceptional shape on your smartphone or tablet. You can download the All In Photo widget often placed anywhere on your system. Placed on each All In Photo Widget you can define which images should be presented with what kind of frame and what kind of picture effect. Additionally you can define the time interval to change the picture and the type of the changes. If you liked a preview picture you can also save it on your SD card (This only in the Pro Version available).
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Posted Jul 30, 2013
ByTwo years after it was built, Mary Casey Black Elementary School finally opened to students in Brentwood Tuesday. The school houses 450 young students.
After 27 1/2 years, Rick's on Second a popular downtown lunch spot in East Contra Costa County will be closin
About a dozen volunteers helped refurbish donated computers at Camara, a non-profit, in San Jose on Saturday. Camar
A firefighter reaches out, a cold snap envelops the Bay Area and the 49ers get a crucial win in the Bay Area News G
The Fitzgerald and Hufford households offer a sneak peak into what is in store for the upcoming annual Clayton Home
A 25-foot Christmas tree was lit at the sixth annual Light up the Night celebration held in downtown Pleasant Hill.
New poll shows that a majority of California voters approve of marijuana for recreational use.


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Air traffic will continue to grow in the foreseeable future, increasing the workload of air traffic controllers. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have been examining what would happen if air traffic controllers started to view German airspace as a whole, rather than continuing the current practice of viewing it as small areas known as 'sectors'.
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cannot log in to the main website for Heroes of Newerth, but i can log in to the forums site.
I dont know why but nothing happens when i try to log in except that the web page refreshes.
Try and clear your browser cache and clear your cookies. This usually works if changing your browser doesn't help. Recently, Chrome has been hating on our website, so Internet Explorer or Firefox might be able to work. If that doesn't help, let us know and we can reset your forum permissions. Doing that, then clearing your cache again fixes the issue.


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Recipes in this Collection
A warm, sweet baked apple is the perfect ending to any meal. Carbs: 49.2g | Fat: 4.3g | Fiber: 3.9g | Protein: 0.3g | Calories: 223.5
Like a banana split without all the calories Submitted by SRNDR46 Carbs: 25.5g | Fat: 0.4g | Fiber: 2.9g | Protein: 1.1g | Calories: 100.3
Submitted by ABAUSTIN Carbs: 19.4g | Fat: 1.8g | Fiber: 1.8g | Protein: 0.3g | Calories: 88
a Jell-O Classic Submitted by TRAVELCHICK67 Carbs: 31.8g | Fat: 1.4g | Fiber: 0.9g | Protein: 4.8g | Calories: 208
Yummy, Fast, No Fat and Lo Cal dessert Submitted by VIRGOGAL72 Carbs: 34.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Fiber: 0.4g | Protein: 3g | Calories: 147.7
I adapted this recipe from an old children's Novel; Mrs' Coverlet's Magician's. Submitted by CLUTTERBUG51 Carbs: 28.6g | Fat: 8.9g | Fiber: 1.6g | Protein: 7.8g | Calories: 217.1
Yellow Cake w/light cool whip/pudding and pineapples Submitted by HAPPYIS Carbs: 22g | Fat: 5.2g | Fiber: 0.3g | Protein: 2.8g | Calories: 143.8
Submitted by KIMZIE Carbs: 37.1g | Fat: 3.1g | Fiber: 1.2g | Protein: 3.1g | Calories: 187
Submitted by MKC31455 Carbs: 55.9g | Fat: 3.9g | Fiber: 1.6g | Protein: 2.1g | Calories: 267.5
Moist oatmeal cookie with craisins and white chocolate chips. Submitted by KRISKOE Carbs: 32.9g | Fat: 7.6g | Fiber: 2.1g | Protein: 2.7g | Calories: 196.5
This tasty & attractive dessert is a crowd-pleaser! You could substitute lite cream cheese & lite cool whip (with a bit of taste reduction). Submitted by SPYCE47 Carbs: 29.9g | Fat: 5.2g | Fiber: 0.4g | Protein: 1.2g | Calories: 173.5
Submitted by GLIDDMEL Carbs: 37.6g | Fat: 0.2g | Fiber: 1.2g | Protein: 2.8g | Calories: 213.3
This is a fantastic dessert to curb the sweet tooth and its packed with protein...It's very light and refreshing... Submitted by HNYDEW Carbs: 16g | Fat: 4g | Fiber: 0g | Protein: 12g | Calories: 145.3
This is a GREAT summer recipe to bring to a cookout! It looks so pretty in a trifle bowl ($10 Bed Bath & Beyond.com), takes no time at ALL to make and no one will guess its a healthy treat! Submitted by ASHLEY82083 Carbs: 29.5g | Fat: 3.5g | Fiber: 0.6g | Protein: 3.4g | Calories: 159.4
This is a delicious, light, refreshing dessert. It's low cal and sugar and can be made with the lite pie filling in any flavor. Note that this needs to be made the night before to soften the graham crackers. Submitted by HOCKIMAMA Carbs: 16.2g | Fat: 0.3g | Fiber: 0.4g | Protein: 2.8g | Calories: 80.1
Submitted by SEV1993 Carbs: 26.3g | Fat: 2.9g | Fiber: 1.1g | Protein: 2.4g | Calories: 133.1
Submitted by JACINDA222 Carbs: 11.8g | Fat: 1.8g | Fiber: 0.5g | Protein: 0.3g | Calories: 62
This healthy apple crisp recipe is sweet and simple to prepare but uses very little added sugar. Submitted by JLCROMP Carbs: 25.2g | Fat: 3.5g | Fiber: 2.5g | Protein: 1.5g | Calories: 127.4
These are cute and delicious! Also, they are a great recipe to make with kids, even young children. It's easy and fun, and they will love their own personal pie! Submitted by KDA1981 Carbs: 19.6g | Fat: 0.7g | Fiber: 1.6g | Protein: 1.6g | Calories: 85.1
Taste just like Girl Scout cookies - seriously!! Super simple recipe, perfect for the holidays or just a household munchie; perfect for those times of the year when you can't get the real thing. :o) Submitted by LORELEI_2 Carbs: 16.4g | Fat: 6.8g | Fiber: 0g | Protein: 0.4g | Calories: 126


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How To Install a Chandelier
Mario shows you step by step how to install a Chandelier.
A refined elliptical center column drapes down to softly curved arms holding generous alabaster glass shades in our new Del Amo collection chandeliers. These design elements seen throughout the collection offer cool and sophisticated lighting to complement today's architectural trends. Two finish combinations available offering unique lighting presentation options.
- Burnished Bronze comes with Tea Stained Glass Shade
- Matte Pewter comes with Alabaster Glass Shade
- 5x100W Edison Base Bulb (Not Included)
Additional Designers Fountain Links
- View Manufacturer Warranty
- Shop All Designers Fountain Products
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Our SKU: Designers Fountain 82885
This product is listed under the following manufacturer number(s):
- Designers Fountain 82885-BNB
Burnished Bronze - Designers Fountain 82885-MTP
Matte Pewter
*Denotes a finish or option that has been discontinued
Product Specifications
Bulb Base | Medium (E26) |
Bulb Included | No |
Bulb Type | Compact Fluorescent, Incandescent |
Energy Star | No |
Finish Application | Matte |
Height | 26 |
Light Direction | Up Lighting |
Number of Bulbs | 5 |
Number of Tiers | 1 |
Style | Traditional |
Suggested Room Fit | Dining Room, Foyer, Kitchen, Living Room |
Theme | Traditional |
Wattage | 500 |
Watts Per Bulb | 100 |
Width | 26.25 |


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Agricultural economics students focus on the application of economics to the analysis of resource allocation, productivity, investment, and trends in the agricultural sector, both domestically and internationally. This includes instruction in economics and related subfields as well as applicable agricultural fields.


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98 Meetup Groups match "Happy Hours" near Naperville, IL
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Welcome to The PARK RIDGE Happy Hour group! My name is GREG and I am your humble Happy Hour facilitator. The PARK RIDGE Happy Hour group is a unique meetup group created to provide singles and socialites with a fun after-work opportunity to meet people and make friends while exploring the PARK RIDGE drinking establishments--all of them! (But we won't technically limit ourselves to the PARK RIDGE. There are some great places a few blocks away in Chicago Edison Park Area Events will rotate from ba …
Welcome to The Chicago Loop Happy Hour group! We're Bryan and Tom, your humble Happy Hour facilitators. The Loop Happy Hour group is a unique meetup group created to provide all of us in the Loop with fun after-work opportunities to meet people and make friends while exploring the Loop's drinking establishments--all 72 of them! (But we won't technically limit ourselves to the Loop. There are some great places a few blocks North of Lake, West of Wells, East of Wabash, and South of Van Buren.) Ev …
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One Brick provides support to local non-profit and community organizations by creating a unique, social and flexible volunteer environment for those interested in making a concrete difference in the community. We enable people to get involved, have an impact and have fun, without the requirements of individual long-term commitments. What makes us even more unique is that One Brick chapters are 100% volunteer-run! We have no employees...we don't even maintain offices! In fact, on a National level …
This is a social and networking group of professionals in the western suburbs of Chicago near Oak Brook, IL. We will meet every few weeks for happy hour to relax and have a little fun after work at some of the great restaurants in the area.
Let's all go to happy hour! We can meet up at various bars around Chicago for happy hours and get to know everyone! We'll try some bars with trivia, maybe we can bring some board games to other places, and/or just hang out and chat it up! We're all in our 20s-30s, fun, social, young professionals looking to meet awesome like-minded people. Come on by and pull up a bar stool!
Hey everyone! Let's get together and bowl! We can bowl a few games and then we'll head out to a nearby bar for happy hour after! It's a great way to make awesome new friends in a low key and relaxed environment, especially if you're new to the area!
Come meet people and make new friends! Join us at dinner parties, dining events, gourmet dining out, potlucks, bowling, picnic, hiking, short hiking, movies, concerts, board games, networking professional events, photography, kayaking, dancing, salsa, happy hours, fitness, sports, tennis, cooking, camping, coffee socials, women's socials, food (yea, we like eating), wine tasting and other activities like movies.
312 SOCIAL/AFTER HOURS: WHERE YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SINGLE PEOPLE MEET,MINGLE AND SOCIALIZE AFTER-WORK & AFTER DARK This is a group where people can meet, mingle and socialize in pressure free upscale environments. We know you like to hang at cool spots so we make sure that we are meeting at some nice venues the city has to offer. 90 % of the group is between 25-49. If you are thinking about joining the group, these are some of the activities that we will be engaged in from Late October till March …
Meetup details are available only to members.
Welcome! We are a group of 30-50 something professionals that enjoy after work Happy Hours/Dining throughout the Northwest Suburbs. This is a welcoming, fun group where ideas are shared, new friends are made and the vino is flowing! We do request you attend what you sign up for. If you cannot attend, please send us an email at least 24hrs before the event. That is most appreciated. 3 no-shows and you may be removed from the group at our discresion. It takes a lot of planning to create these even …
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Welcome to "Chicago Singles" The Happy Hour Singles Group dedicated to providing fun opportunities for Chicago Single Professionals looking to mingle with others of the like! Grab a cocktail, make some new friends and have fun looking for the 1! (whether it be the NEXT 1 or THE 1!) Of course we will not limit the fun to Happy Hour! We offer all types of events ranging from mixers, wine tastings, tours, travel, theme parties, and MORE! JOIN now if you are looking for something FRESH & fun in C …
There are no upcoming Meetups.
Are you looking to expand your network and want to avoid downtown chicago?? Chicagoland Connector has an event for you. Chicagoland is too great a town with beautiful skyline not to connect with NEW people, do something DIFFERENT and have FUN. This group will expand your horizons to so many things you may never even knew existed. The best part is that this group holds interesting things for singles, divorcees, widowers, couples, all age ranges maturity level is a must, first timers, or the expe …
Would you like a new way to network after work? We've all done the early morning exchange of business cards over bagels - same place, same time, and same format. And while that might be what some professionals expect from networking, what's been missing is people wanted more: a fun event with a chance to unwind, interact with other entrepreneurs and professionals in an enjoyable, stress-free setting and the opportunity to show off their business, find jobs, and make real connections after hour …
Meetup details are available only to members.
Are you WAY past the bar scene and looking to make some quality friends your own age while exploring some great venues?! Let's explore the neighborhoods, restaurants, pubs, BYOB's, festivals, theatre, coffee shops, brunches, bands and all that the Northside of the city has to offer! I am a professional living in Lincoln Square and I would like to meet other professionals who are social, friendly and down to earth... like I am! :) Please be a college educated professional in your 30's or 40's...s …
Have an idea for an event? Suggest it! The awesome group........Targeting, but not limited to, those who are new in town and mainly in their 20's or 30's, here is a group designed for getting together to enjoy events/shows in the Chicago area. Events include sporting, concerts, happy hour, and whatever else that attracts interest. Meet at bars, parks, baseball/basketball games, rec-leagues, or anywhere that sounds fun. Be social. Come hang out.
Meetup details are available only to members.
What happened to us??!! If your like me, your single or divorced, busy with a full time job, and with commitments at home which don't allow you much time for yourself. I find myself spending way too much energy on the daily grind instead on having fun, staying active, and investing some time in myself. I started a new Meetup for those of us in our 30's and 40's who find themselves single and looking for an opportunity to meet new people, start new friendships, and get out and have some fun. It …
This social group is for people in their 20s and 30s, in the Chicago metro area, who enjoy dancing, dining, pubs, clubs, the outdoors, dinner parties, and other local activities. This group is for married people, single people, new-in-towners, and people who have been in the Chicago area for a while and are simply looking for a new group to go out with. Membership is FREE, and you only have to be friendly and fun to join! Join the social circle that you can really get to know and hang out with o …
If you're single, in your 20s-30s, and want to get out of the usual bar scene to meet other fun 20s-30s singles, join this group! We're a fun group of single young professionals that are tired of the same ol' bar scene. Let's get together to create real friendships/relationships in fun and interesting ways. Yes, we'll still go out for happy hours, but we'll also do other fun things as well. We can attend launch parties, restaurant openings, networking events, outdoor activities, adventures - you …
Life is about having fun and great times... Don't sit on the couch because you have no one to go out with! This is why they have meet up groups. If you find yourself sitting around with nothing to do, then your wasting your youth.. The group is intended for people in the West Suburbs or Chicago area from 25 to 35 years old....but we welcome any age 20 to 39! This is a social co-ed group. We do like to work hard, play harder and truly enjoy life. Our group focus is on FUN events, it doesn't matt …
We are an adult ski/snowboarding/social club with year round activities like: biking, camping, hiking, boating, racing and skiing. We also gather for picnics, pub crawls, happy hours, charity events and banquets. Check us out on the Internet at www.piccadillyskiclub.com or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Meetup details are available only to members.
A group to make friends with other women new to Chicago, have a cocktail or dinner, a good laugh, and enjoy an interesting read. We currently meet once a month to discuss a book selection, but are also branching out for happy hours, movies, festivals and other adventures. Our members tend to range in age from 20s to mid 30s, but all are welcome!
!All Things Fun ! North & NW Burbs 30s - 40s Our group is focused on getting fun people together to do fun things! We are a social group comprised of singles, couples, childfree or parents of all shapes, sizes, colors and creeds,who are 30 to 40 something. Members of our group are very friendly! NO MORE seeing and doing things alone. When you attend one of our events, you'll be greeted with a smile. Some of the events we will host: Comedy Shows Cooking Classes Day Trips Dining Out Ethnic Resta …
Is it possible to make a close new friend (or two) in your 30's? I really hope SO! That is why I am creating this group.... Meaningful friendships are often built - or at least started - based on common interest. So little bit about myself, I am 32, I am a marketing professional, a new Chicagoan as of 6 months ago, from Houston (where I have friends to keep me busy every night for a week or two - but they are friends I made between the ages of 14 and 24). I live with my boyfriend (who is amazing …
This group is for everyone new to Chicago or people that've been here for a while and want to help us all find awesome places to check out! We're mostly in our 20s-30s, young professionals, and super social! You're welcome to bring your friends to our events, or meet a bunch of cool new ones with us! We'll do a ton of awesome stuff, like going to Happy Hours, checking out new bars and restaurants, going to festivals and concerts, and anything else we can think of! Come join our group if you want …
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Who: Professionals in Healthcare Information Technology What: Fun and Professional Networking When: The third Thursday of each month Where: Bars Downtown Chicago (TBD) This group hosts a monthly happy hour so that professionals in the growing field of Healthcare information technology can meet, have fun and network. Those outside the industry may not understand the rapid acceleration and change in HIT. This meetup is to bring together the professionals who do understand the demands, subject area …
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Meet local Spanish language and culture lovers for conversation, cultural exchange, and fun in Chicago! Come to a Spanish Fanaticos Meetup event and make new amigos while speaking in Spanish, learning new vocabulary, putting your grammar knowledge into practice and/or simply brushing up your Spanish skills! Some of our events include: Spanish Grammar and Literature Workshops, Social Networking Events, Happy Hours, Dinners, Coffee Time, Hikes, Picnics, Movie Nights, Dancing and more. All ages and …
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Imagine if there was a place, where at one table an entrepreneur meets her next $100,000 investor. A designer meets a new client, a web developer with a great internet startup. A Ruby engineer meets a charismatic founder that excites him with her vision, so much so that he can picture leaving his day job for the exhilarating experience of working tirelessly for technology stock options that could be worth millions one day... We're building this community. --- Part of the Tech Happy Hour Allia …
Are YOU Looking to meet new people around town? Are you new to town? Kinda shy? Need a ice breaker? Looking for ways to meet more friends?? If you are, This is the way to do it!! Speed Friending Events are for you!! Spending too much time looking for your next friendship? Save time by attending our super fun events packed with like-minded, interesting people already looking to build new friendships and connections just like you! Speed Friending is a new, super fun, very low-pressure, easy wa …
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SPOT On The Magnificent Mile is a social club that will be hosting events in the city of Chicago. We will have networking events, wine tastings, golf outings, fundraisers, black tie events, after hour socials, evening events, business events and much, much more! This group caters to professionals who live or work in the city of Chicago. We look forward to meeting you!
The Quirky Girls Group is for professional ladies between 25-35 years old who live in the western suburbs (Aurora, Naperville, Lombard, Downers Grove, Westmont, Wheaton, Bolingbrook, Oakbrook, Willowbrook, Woodridge, Darien, Plainfield, etc.) who are quirky…(obviously!), unique, adventurous, energetic, multicultural, personable, and oh-so fashionable!! We (Gina & Sarra!), the organizers of this group, have been close friends for years (a really long time, indeed) and we both thought-hey, what no …
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¡HOLA estudiantes! Soy Profesora Allison. Me encanta la cultura hispana y me alegro de compartirla con ustedes. One of our favorite events each semester is the night we go out for tacos. We have a great time and learn a lot about food and friends. There's a fun group of us who have been studying together and let's open our welcoming group of all-level speakers to make new Spanish speaking amig@s! Let's get together 2x a month at a different taquería in McHenry County. We'll start at our favorite …
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This is a group for Single Cougars (Women ages 30+) and Single Cubs (Men ages 18 to 45) in Northern IL and Southern WI. Members from the Chicagoland to Milwaukee area are welcome to join. We will have a variety of events and activities to get to meet other singles and to just get out and have fun. Looking forward to meeting other Cougars and Cubs.
Michigan Avenue Toastmaster (MAT) members learn by giving speeches in a group setting and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical MAT meeting is made up of 25 to 40 members who meet once a week. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice and learn how to get over your fear of public speaking and hone your public speaking skills. Upon joining Michigan Avenue Toastmasters, each new member receives a variety of manuals and resources on speaking. They also are assigne …
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- 110 W. Illinois St., River North
Billy Dec, Brad Young and Arturo Gomez, the trio behind hotspots Rockit Bar & Grill and The Underground are also behind this River North new Asian spot where Je... READ MORE
Billy Dec, Brad Young and Arturo Gomez, the trio behind hotspots Rockit Bar & Grill and The Underground are also behind this River North new Asian spot where Je... READ MORE
Seafood lovers will get a kick out of watching as squid, eel, sea urchin and many other sushi delicacies are prepared to individual taste at the sushi bar. This... READ MORE
Ai (translates to "love") is from Agnes Chua Yoshikawa and Gene Chua, the siblings behind Lincoln Park's Ringo Japanese Restaurant. Look for creative cocktails ... READ MORE
CoCoRo (meaning "heart" in Japanese) is distinctive, according to management, on two fronts: It offers ramen noodle dishes and, more importantly, is one of only... READ MORE
Like its siblings in New York, Miami and Las Vegas, this spacious and splashy River North spot offers a chic scene complete with a year-round rooftop deck with ... READ MORE
Chicago mega-operators Levy restaurants are behind this respectable seafood spot that touts great downtown views, especially when the spacious river-facing outd... READ MORE
Acclaimed chef Takashi Yagihashi -- the force behind Bucktown's Michelin-starred Takashi, who is also a James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Midwest award winner -... READ MORE
This River North neighborhood spot blends Japanese cuisine with a distinctly American flair. A full sushi menu with maki and nigiri shares space with a barbecue... READ MORE
CLOSED Chef Laurent Tourondel is behind this casual American eatery on the northern edge of River North in the former Brasserie Ruhlman space. He describes it as... READ MORE
Firing up the 16-foot robata grill with 100% Japanese charcoal, former Japonais chef Gene Kato's menu features yakitori-style skewers, sashimi and features a de... READ MORE
The downstairs neighbor of Sumi Robata Bar, Charcoal is headed by mixologist Matthew Lipsky, with the cocktail program featuring Japanese spirits. Cocktails are... READ MORE


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Stage Manager for the production of Charlotte's Web at Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre in Fargo, North Dakota.
Duties included typical stage manager duties for a period of 6 weeks - from casting to strike. Stage manager is responsible for attendance, all notes and blocking, and running of show when in production. Ask for more specific information about this production. Prompt scripts are available upon request and various other documents.
Children's Theater with special matinee's and performance for regional area schools.
Spring of 2005. Unpaid position.
Stage Manager
Everyone Loves Snoopy - On Ice 2010
The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies
Sample Night Live
Coast to Coast 2000 (Valleyfair! Family Amusement Park.)
CarnEvil - Cedar Point Amusement Park & Resort's HalloWeekends.
The Magic of Tim Hill - Cedar Point Amusement Park & Resort's HalloWeekends.
Snoopy's Summer Vacation On ICe (Figure Skating Show) - Cedar Point Amusement Park; Sandusky, OH.
Caution: Men at Work. Tap(2001)
Bye Bye Birdie(1996)
Calamity Jane(1997)
Life of the Party(1998)
South Pacific(1998)
The Wizard of Oz(1998)
Arsenic and Old Lace(1999)
State Fair!(1999)
Loose Connections(2000)
Cool Guys Don't Go Out With Smart Girls(2000)
Nova Praha(2000)
Blood Wedding(2001)
Schoolhouse Rocks Live!, Jr.(2001)
Present Tense(2001)
Oklahoma! (Coming February 2002)
Gillgian's Island (The Musical - Sept. 2004)
Sleeping Beauty (Children's Show - Wheeler Adaptation)
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (Publicity - April 2004)
big - The Musical
Same Time, Next Year
Charlotte's Web - Children's Theater
The Best Christmas Pagaent Ever
The Butler Did It
Gilligan's Island - The Musical
Oliver! The Musical
Magazine Ad - Sauve
Poster Ad - Verical Horizon
Indian Blood
Magazine Ad - Big Red Soda
Fiddler on the Roof
Magazine Ad - SAHR Crop Insurance
The Road of Life (A Leningrad Story)
Panache (2009)
Indian Blood (2009)
Feature Newspaper Story
Pop! Goes the Music Live!(2001) (Valleyfair! Family Amusement Park.)
Everyone Loves Snoopy! On Ice - Cedar Point Amusement Park
Auditorium Supervisor
Part-Time Technician


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A ride on the wild side
26 May 2012 - 3:41pm
A ride on the wild side
Our test dummies aren't particularly pleased; they've been asked to give up their seats on Mammoth.
Well, all except when Dan feels sorry for them and sneaks them on a ride with him.
Been watching our Mammoth animation all winter? It's time to see the real deal:


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The Kane Borough Council earlier this week voted 7-0 to adopt a final budget for 2014. Council President Howard Kane joined with Councilwomen Janet Bard and Holly Harris and Councilmen Dennis Drost, Del Cleer, John Gentilman and Tom Kase to approve the spending plan.
Kim Cecchetti will be leading a team of volunteers to place Christmas lights on the gazebo at Evergreen Park in Kane. Cecchetti said the lighting project would begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. More volunteers are needed.
No one was hurt Thursday evening in a two-vehicle hit-and-run accident in Kane.
JAMES CITY –A move is underway to try and strip the state pension from Charlie Vaughn, the Highland Township roadmaster and former supervisor. Supervisor Paul Burton Sr. said Wednesday that an inquiry about the pension for Vaughn has been sent to David Pontzer.Â
Nurses and staff at Kane Community Hospital should be prepared to face patients who become violent or aggressive. "You have to be on your 'A' game all the time," State Police Trooper Bruce Morris said Wednesday in presentations at the hospital cafeteria. "You need to recognize signs of violence."
The weather was nasty outside and the Bloodmobile held Monday in Kane failed to reach its goal of collecting 32 full units of blood. The American Red Cross Bloodmobile visit collected 29 full units of blood.
MT. JEWETT – The Mt. Jewett Regional Sewer Authority voted 5-0 Tuesday for a final 2014 budget that carries a hike in sewer rates.
SMETHPORT – How low can you go? The McKean County Board of Commissioners may be asking this question after receiving a historically-low bid in interest fees for its annual Tax and Revenue Anticipation Note (TRAN).
MT. JEWETT – Despite a frigid, windy night, there was a warm glow in the air as the family of murder victim Alyssa Forsyth gathered at her grave to mark her 19th birthday. The 45-minute vigil included the lighting of 19 large candles at the young woman's grave at Bridgeview Cemetery off Kushequa Avenue in Mt. Jewett.
Due to heavy losses, EmergyCare may be forced to terminate its Kane Division. Bill Hagerty, the executive director of the Erie-based non-profit company, made an appeal Monday to the Kane Borough Council to subsidize the ambulance service with a proposed $50,000 annual allocation.
HAZEL HURST – The Hamlin Township Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 Monday to suspend the township secretary-treasurer. Supervisors Don Compton, Joni Britton and Guy Raught took the anticipated action since secretary-treasurer Julie Graham-Olson is facing four felonies. She is accused of receiving between $50,000 and $100,000 in township money for personal use. She is free on bail pending a preliminary hearing.
HAMILTON TWP. – The Hamilton Township supervisors appointed Ludlow resident Rodney Johnson as tax collector for the township during Monday's regular monthly meeting, replacing the recently resigned Claire Ann Depto. Depto, who held the position for 13 years, was re-elected to the position during November's election, but resigned the post when she also was elected as a director of the Kane School Board.
CLARION (AP) — A western Pennsylvania doctor has been ordered to stand trial on charges he overprescribed anti-addiction and anti-anxiety drugs and traded them for sex with female patients before his offices were raided and closed last year.
HAMLIN TWP. – A St. Marys man accidentally injured him self on Saturday when a weapon he believed to be unloaded accidentally discharged and struck him in the hip.
As it has done for several years, the Kane School Board has placed a cap on a possible property tax increase in the 2014-15 school budget. The board voted 9-0 Thursday to limit an increase to no more than 3.2 percent.


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Jacksonville Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Paul Anderson will be interviewed Tuesday for the top job at the Port of Tampa, a position for which he is the frontrunner, less than two years after he came to Jacksonville.
During a special meeting Monday, a selection committee for the Tampa port ranked Anderson as its No. 1 choice after interviewing him over the weekend. The port's board is expected to make a decision at its meeting Tuesday.
Anderson did not return messages left on his cell phone or respond to email.
Both the Jacksonville and Tampa port offices were closed Monday because of Veterans Day.
In mid-September, the Jaxport board approved a $50,000 bonus and 5 percent raise for Anderson, which would bring his salary to $336,000. Anderson, though, asked that the increase be deferred after some City Council members took exception to it.
At the time, Jaxport board Chairman James Citrano said he would "hate to lose Paul to a competing port."
The board had not known Anderson was in contention for the position in Tampa, which became vacant in September.
Citrano said Anderson told him Monday he was in contention for the position.
"He's done excellent work here," Citrano said, praising Anderson for bringing in state and federal funding, increasing profitability and raising morale.
If he leaves, Citrano said, "we'll have to find someone else who will be as good to take over leadership."
Anderson came to the Jacksonville port at the beginning of 2011 after serving as president of IOSC, a tanker company; and as a commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission. Most of his career was spent at JM Family Enterprises, where he handled government affairs.
The other finalists for the Tampa job are John Keenan, former chief executive officer of manufacturing company FluxDrive Inc., and Brian Taylor, chief operating officer of Horizon Lines LLC, which has a large presence in Jacksonville.
The Tampa operation dwarfs Jacksonville, being the largest in the state in both size and the amount shipped through it.
This year, it bought 110 acres to expand operations. Tampa also has a sizable cruise business, with almost five times Jacksonville's 174,000 passengers that came through in fiscal year 2011. The Tampa channel also is deeper.
email@example.com, (904) 359-4103


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One of the biggest fears that people have actually is related to their health and physical condition. What I mean is that people are afraid to have bad luck such as accident or sickness right? It is because if they suffer from such condition, they will have difficulty to conduct their daily routines and can affect to their working performance indeed. For example, people who have accidents and suffer from bone fragments and broken bones, they may need to spend much time to recover.
Such kind of recovery process may consume much time for people. It means that they will waste their time instead of making money and conduct business. Actually, when you must spend time to recover from any injury, you need to have the best medication and treatment so that you can gain maximum result in your recovery process. One of the most helpful medical items that you need to wear perhaps is CPM Machine. It is a fact that not all people know about this machine.
In understanding about CPM machine, we must first recognize its function. CPM stands for Continuous Passive Motion. Such machine functions to give people who suffer from broken bones or any injury that need to recover the help to make their injury gets worse because of movement. Yet, it also prevents any stiffness in injury as well so that people can get both increases in healing process and safety of physical condition. Visit Electro-medical.com to read more about such items.


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There are many ways to lose money in the financial markets. While some are more pernicious than others, when all is said and done, "A loss is still a loss." But lest we succumb to the truism and merely fade away, we want to discuss one of the most egregious forms of financial loss — fraud.
In the early years of the 21st century, fraud, an offshoot of the third deadliest sin, greed, is alive and thriving. In fact, Wikipedia lists two dozen types of criminal fraud.
Rooted in English Common Law and depending on the jurisdiction, modern jurisprudence requires that nine elements be present to prove that fraud has been committed (see "It is fraud if:"). Quite simply, a fraudster misrepresents a material fact with the intent that the defrauded relies upon that misrepresented fact. When the misrepresented fact is relied upon, damages are caused. Whether fraud is committed or not boils down to "intent." Large or small, all fraudulent financial schemes have one thing in common — there is a victim. Think of the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme.
Large and small scale fraud
On June 9, 2009 Bernard Lawrence Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison, the maximum allowable after Madoff pleaded guilty in March 2009 to 11 federal felonies following his admission that he had turned his "wealth management" investment advisory firm into a giant Ponzi scheme. Investors ultimately were defrauded of $65 billion in paper assets, the largest fraud in history, with eventual losses estimated at $18 billion.
In early 2011, 12 investors discovered that they may have lost their physical gold and silver investments that were supposedly being held "in trust" by Lawrence Heim, the owner of U.S. Gold and Silver Investments, Inc. a firm located in Portland, Ore. Heim's legal counsel at that time, Martin Meyers of Sussman Shank LLC, said in early March that "Mr. Heim is claiming business assets of $2000 and is close to bankruptcy."
Also In early March the Portland office of the FBI via a warrant executed a search and seizure at Heim's residence after FBI representatives suspected "… probable cause that Lawrence Heim devised and executed a scheme to defraud individuals…." It remains to been seen how assets disappeared because the FBI's investigation was not complete as of this writing and Heim has chosen to make no statements.
As with the Madoff case, some of the U.S. Gold and Silver Investments investors filed civil suits against Heim and his company hoping to retrieve assets.
Losses for the Heim investors to date total several million dollars, hardly on the scale of the Madoff fraud, but still painful for those affected.
While it's now evident how Madoff was caught and how his investors lost money, some folks would like to know how Heim, supposedly a seasoned gold and silver dealer, could have failed in a bull market in which gold and silver rallied 500% to 700% over a decade. Madoff admitted to fraud. It remains to be seen if Heim committed fraud, but regardless of the intent, the result for investors was the same.
Who to turn to?
What could an investor have done to protect himself against Madoff or Heim?
For about 8,000 Madoff investors who invested directly with Madoff Investment Securities, a broker/dealer, they were protected by SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation), "a special reserve fund mandated by Congress to protect the customers of insolvent brokerage firms," for up to $500,000 per account. But 30% to 50% of Madoff investors, the so-called "feeder-accounts," were not covered by SIPC and never knew they had lost money with Madoff until the firm they had originally invested with notified them. One such firm was The Fairfield Greenwich Group, which poured billions into Madoff's Ponzi scheme. As a consequence of the Madoff failure, Fairfield's investors suffered huge losses.
With U.S. Gold and Silver, Heim was not required to register with SIPC or any regulatory agency, just the State of Oregon via a standard business license. The only recourse Heim's investors could have taken was to have insured their hard assets via a private insurance company the same way they might have insured jewelry or valuable paintings. Investors also could have taken possession of the coins early during a period in which Heim was solvent.
Because some of the Heim investors believed their "contracts" with Heim might have been "securitized," because the contracts were issued serially, they filed complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hoping to open a path to restitution. But the primary responsibility of the SEC is "enforcement," not asset retrieval. In addition, the agency is highly secretive and is not in the information-sharing business. In fact, if a small investor files a complaint with the SEC, the securities "watchdog" will not contact the investor to reveal how an investigation might be progressing.
We similarly were underwhelmed after calls to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), whose "principal mission is the promotion of consumer protection." We were left with the distinct impression that the FTC was not interested in investigating such acts as the transporting of gold and silver coins across state lines.
Of the federal agencies we contacted, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Portland proved to be the most helpful.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra) has put together a profile of an "average" fraud victim (see "If you can't spot the sucker…"). It also provided links to white papers on fraud named: "Psychology of a scam" and "How to protect yourself through asking and checking".
The National Futures Association (NFA) booklet "Scams and swindles," is a guide on avoiding investment fraud. Also, any futures broker commodity trading advisor or commodity pool operator is required (with few exemptions that must be noted) to be registered with the NFA. You can look them up on the NFA's Background Affiliation Status Information Center (BASIC). BASIC is a web-based system that allows individuals to check the registration status and disciplinary history of every firm and individual registered to conduct futures trading business with the investing public. NFA also puts out "investor alerts" that highlights changes in regulation, potential types of fraud and best practices that your broker/investment advisor should be carrying out. It also provides a list of the resources provided by other regulators (links to these due diligence tools are provided at futuresmag.com/duediligence).
These preventative measures are very important because it is difficult to catch fraudsters and gain restitution once you are separated from your money. In addition, even if an agency provides some help, investor and agency objectives eventually could be in conflict. For example, while it is the objective of the FBI to gain evidence that could result in a criminal indictment via the U.S. Attorney, possible jail time and perhaps a large financial penalty for a defendant, it is not the primary responsibility of the FBI to disburse discovered assets.
In a nutshell, small investors need to do their own due diligence.
Only certain asset classes, like stocks and bonds, offer protection while providing investors some recourse, like arbitration or SIPC. Other classes like physical precious metals have little or no protection.
Also, while a small investor can seek redress through civil action in court, the choice can prove costly, even if assets are discovered and recovered. Federal agencies ultimately took notice of Madoff because his crime was too large to ignore. There also was a very large agency "embarrassment" factor in play that some might say has yet to be erased. For the Heim investors, it remains to be seen what, if any, assets will be discovered during the investigation and if investors ever will recoup lost funds through legal channels.
While there are numerous types of fraud and they continue to grow, there are some best practices that will help you not only avoid fraud, but also the merely unscrupulous or incompetent in the investment world.
Rules for investment protection
1) Do business with reputable investment professionals and reputable investment firms: Someone once wrote that some investors spend less time choosing their investments than they do ordering lunch at a restaurant. Such an investor would be an excellent candidate for market loss or fraud.
As an investor exercises due diligence in the pursuit of the best and safest possible investments, it's important to seek out professionals and firms with proven track records, with added emphasis on proven. This is where the tools noted above can come into play. Check out the history of your broker or investment advisor.
It also is important to make sure a prospective firm has a history of settling claims equitably. Investors with brokerage accounts at reputable firms are usually covered for up to $500,000 per account through SIPC. When an investor deals with a brokerage firm like UBS or Morgan Stanley, those companies require a new investor to sign an agreement at the outset that would require arbitration of all future disputes. For example, if an account representative makes a representation that is materially untrue, "churns" an account or engages in unauthorized trading, the client can seek restitution through arbitration.
Unfortunately, those investors in Portland who bought gold and silver coins from U.S. Gold and Silver probably will have no such recourse through SIPC or any other agency because most agencies do not want to create what they might perceive as "new law."
2) Diversify: Diversification is a form of portfolio insurance. Selecting only small- mid- and large-cap stocks is not being diversified. True diversification means being invested in multiple asset classes that can offer positive returns in different economic environments.
3) Know your risk tolerance: One trader we talked with recently revealed that he treats the markets as "cash cows." Trading exposure never constitutes more than 10% of the entire value of his portfolio. Of that 10% he will only risk a small percentage on each trade. The other 90% he puts into Treasury bills.
When T-Bill rates were in the 4% to 5% range, the trader knew that if he doubled his 10% through aggressive trading each year his annual return would be somewhere around 14% to 15%. If he lost his 10%, his losses would be minimal. Point is he never risked more than 10% annually.
This may not be the best investment plan, but it is critically important to know your risk tolerance and invest accordingly. Some investors in higher leveraged managed futures programs compound losses further by getting out after a loss because of the shock of a drawdown.
This trader knows what levels of risk he is willing to assume to receive a reasonable annual return and advises all astute investors to make similar assumptions. That way you don't compound losses by making rash decisions.
4) Exercise discipline: It is one of the sad facts of Wall Street that for decades investors have been told that all they have to do to make money is to "buy good stocks and hold them for the long-term." First, how long is "the long-term?" Second, when you get to the end of a given period of time what do you do next?
One aspect of exercising discipline is to re-evaluate your investment positions frequently. Some even suggest every day. "Is my reason for buying this investment still legitimate and have I protected myself against surprises?" One veteran money manager revealed that despite any reason he may have acquired a position, "If that investment declines 20%, I'm out."
This is sound advice particularly for those trading on fundamentals and whose ego may be involved. Traders should have a definitive price/dollar-based exit level where they get out. Otherwise you can become victim of adding to a loser by thinking if xyz stock was a good buy at $50, it must be an even better buy at $40.
The essential point here is that an investor must have a precise and disciplined exit strategy that he is willing to implement no matter what happens.
5) Don't get caught up in the story: That's another way of saying don't follow conventional wisdom. There's lots of it out there and most of it's wrong. Only the market is never wrong. Unbiased and intelligent investment analysis is valuable in direct proportion to its rarity.
6) If it's too good to be true, it probably is: In Madoff's case there were early warnings signs that suggested the risk-adjusted rates of return Madoff was claiming were highly unlikely. In one strategy, Madoff claimed to be making big profits trading listed options, but the volume of contracts he was buying in the market in which he claimed to be executing trades could not have supported his results.
Despite early warning signs, in testimony in 2009 Madoff said he told SEC investigators, that "I was astonished. They (the SEC investigators) never even looked at my stock records…. If you're looking at a Ponzi scheme, it's the first thing you do."
In Heim's U.S. Gold and Silver situation, investors should have asked themselves what surety they had that a small coin dealer could deliver on his long-term promises and should have asked themselves how they could protect their assets at the outset.
The primary mandate of a regulatory agency should be to protect the public. But given the profound failure of the SEC to detect and prevent the largest fraud in U.S. history after being handed a blue print of the fraud 10 years prior to its exposition, we wonder how safe the small investor should feel in 2011.
The extent to which Bernard Madoff intentionally defrauded investors may provide interesting footnotes in future financial texts and law journals. Unfortunately such knowledge and the ineptitude of some federal agencies to protect investors will do little to help the defrauded recover lost assets unless they are willing to engage in costly legal actions in civil court aimed at retrieval. This will likely be the same in the Heim situation regardless of the outcome of the investigation.
As a consequence, what is important is what an investor does before investing to the extent he is able to avoid what could be fraud or merely a bad investment that declines in value. Keeping in mind that ultimately there are only two things in the financial markets that count — where you buy and where you sell — given human failings, it's critical for a small investor's financial survival that he always asks himself an important question before making any new investment — "What if?"
The author of this article is one of the investors of U.S. Gold and Silver Investments, Inc. still awaiting the outcome of the investigation.
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Robert McCurtain is a technical analyst, market timer and private investor based in New York City. He is a member of the Market Technicians Association and can be reached at email@example.com.