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Open your QuickBooks software.
How to Set Up Reimbursable Expenses in QuickBooks
QuickBooks allows you to manage your financial data using a range of business tools. You can track your reimbursable expenses in QuickBooks so that you can quickly create expense reports for your employer. Some of your business expenses may be tax deductible and kept in a separate category. Set up a unique category in your Expense Category list or use one of the existing list options to track your finances. Setting up your own category is beneficial when most of your expenses fall into one area. If you have a wide range of expense types, use the preset options and create a separate QuickBooks account for non-reimbursable expenses.
Click "Cash" or "Credit" next to "Record Expenses" in the "Money Out" menu. This menu is located in the shortcut panel on the left side of the home screen. You will need to add a valid credit card account to your profile in order to add credit card expenses. Once you click "Credit," follow the prompts to enter your credit card account number and a nickname for the account. An account registry will appear.
Enter the date of each of your reimbursable expenses in the registry, then select a payee. A payee is a creditor or merchant. You must create a profile for each payee before they can be entered into your registry.
Select an "Expense Category" from the provided drop-down menu. Automobile expenses, printing, association dues and other work-related categories are included in this list. If you do not see your list, or need to create your own category, select "Add New" at the top of the drop-down menu.
Add the "Account Name" and choose a "Tax-line Mapping" category. Select "Unassigned," since these expenses will be reimbursed by your employer. You cannot deduct expenses on your taxes that are reimbursed. Click "Save & Close."
Enter the amount of the business expense in the "Decrease" column. Click "Record." Once you receive payment from your employer for the amount of the expense, enter the reimbursement by clicking "New" next to "Deposits" in the "Money In" shortcut menu.
Select the bank account where you will make your deposit and enter the deposit amount in the registry. Be sure to add the date and the expense category you selected or created in Step Four. Add the amount of the reimbursement in the "Increase column." Click "Record" to save your entry.
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- Photo Credit Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images
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Search Result
Search Tags: Queenstown
Red foxes visiting Queenstown
Town officials in Queenstown are looking into ways of dealing with the recent presence of red foxes inside town limits during the daylight hours.
Monday - 12/10/2012, 03:21pm EST
Tags: red foxes
Gay Naval Academy alumni commemorate DADT repeal
A gay and lesbian alumni group for graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy is welcoming the first midshipmen who will graduate after repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell."
Monday - 04/16/2012, 05:02pm EDT
Tags: U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis,
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Washington, DC
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Diana Meneses on the Brazilian Model of Hayden Kho
Friday, May 29, 2009 by ::
If there's ever a person who knows who the Brazilian model that Hayden Kho had sex with, it's Diana Meneses. Yes, Eat Bulaga's Brazilian girl.
She knows that the woman is from a good family, she knows that this particular woman is in Brazil, and the most important piece of information of all, the Brazilian is her friend.
So, the treasured question is: Who is Diana Meneses friend, Priscilla Meirelles, or Mariana del Rio?
Diana Meneses said it's her friend, so judging from her age, it's likely Priscilla Meirelles, who is already 25 years old. What's more, Mariana del Rio is just a teenager, and according to in her social page, knows about the scandal.
But then again, Mariana is in Brazil, while Priscilla is the Philippines dating John Estrada. So, that puts us again in square one. Perhaps Hayden Kho dated both? Who knows? Diana Meneses knows.
Video after the jump:
Diana Meneses on the Brazilian Model of Hayden Kho


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Nutritional Facts
Tuna and Tomato Kabobs
A lime-herb marinade adds great taste to the tuna and vegetables on these attractive skewers. "I lightened this up by using tuna in place of the beef cubes called for in the original recipe. Halibut or swordfish work well, too," says Edrie O'Brien, of Denver, Colorado.
2 Servings
Prep: 20 min. + marinating Grill: 10 min.
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 pound tuna steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 cherry tomatoes
6 medium fresh mushrooms
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 10 ingredients;
add tuna. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Drain and discard marinade. On two metal or soaked wooden skewers,
alternately thread tuna and vegetables.
Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and
lightly coat the grill rack. Grill tuna, covered, or broil 4 in.
from the heat for 12-16 minutes for medium-rare or until slightly
pink in the center, turning occasionally. Yield: 2 servings.
© Taste of Home 2014
2 of 2
Tuna and Tomato Kabobs
Nutritional Facts:
1 kabob equals 183 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 51 mg cholesterol, 460 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 29 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges:
4 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.
Light-Bodied White Wine: Enjoy this recipe with a light-bodied white wine such as
Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Grigio
© Taste of Home 2014


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The UA Performance Polo keeps you cool and dry, especially when you're on the go. From the sidelines to the links, in the stands and even in the office, the UA Performance Polo is a summer essential for the guy constantly moving from event to event.
Short sleeve polo in performance wool/polyester knit designed for everyday life and commuting.
Relaxed-fitting, short-sleeved polo shirt made from lightweight, moisture-wicking cotton/polyester blend textile with spandex. Ideal for urban use or for more rugged pursuits.
Plaid short sleeve, button down shirt constructed with a premium quality wool/cotton blend fabric; ideal for travelling and everyday life.
Performance blend jersey fabric short sleeve T-Shirt.
A super-cooling tech polo with stretch and sun protection.
A super-cooling tech tee with stretch and sun protection.
A soft, classic polo shirt crafted with wicking FlashDry fibers for a casual look that delivers breathable performance on the trails.
Whether you're called to trek through the tropics or hike in the countryside, this lightweight polo features VaporWick technology and is finished with a new, adaptive technology to keep you comfortable on warm spring days.
You see Under Armour polos everywhere: the links, the field…even the office.
The Squeaky Clean Polo is made of a lightweight 4.7-oz organic cotton, with an added stylish 3-button placket and patch pocket. Great for camping trips or casual Friday around the office, you'll love the ultra comfort of organic cotton.
Patagonia's classic organic cotton pique knit is designed with an updated fit this season. Great colors and truly professional look make the Men's Polo an instant go-to on days off the mountain side.
Patagonia's lightweight, Fogline polo shirt is a comfortable textured organic cotton/polyester, with knit-in stripes and a patch pocket. Perfect for casual Friday around the office, it's sure to keep you nice and cool for summer festivities.
Designed with Columbia's most innovative technologies for maximum benefit, this performance outdoor polo delivers supreme comfort and protection in extremely hot, humid climates. Both stylish and comfortable, you'll wear it all summer long.
Revolutionary ColdBlack technology makes dark colors act more like light colors. It also has the benefit of protecting your skin from sun damage thanks to a UPF protection fabric.
Copyright © 2012-2014 Trekt.com All Rights Reserved - A Division of Aleva Stores


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Multimedia Gallery - March 15, 2010
Gabon's President Bongo Addresses IPI Audience (in French)
This video is in French. This is part of a three-part event video.
Other videos from this event:
In English:
IPI President Terje Rød-Larsen introduces President Bongo Ondimba
Gabon President Bongo Ondimba Addresses Audience at IPI
President Bongo answers questions from audience
In French:
Gabon President Bongo Ondimba Addresses Audience at IPI
President Bongo answers questions from audience
The Global Observatory
Defying Spain, Catalans Vote for Independence, But What's Next?
The unofficial Catalan referendum has raised several questions about Catalonia's future and its relationship with Madrid.
Key Global Events to Watch in November
A list of key upcoming meetings and events with implications for global affairs.
2014 Top 10 Issues to Watch in Peace & Security: The Global Arena
A list of ten key issues to watch that are likely to impact international peace and security in 2014, compiled by IPI's Francesco Mancini.
The Global Observatory, produced by IPI, provides timely analysis on peace and security issues, interviews with leading policymakers, interactive maps, and more.
General Announcements
November 13, 2014
Video: Building Peace at the Nexus of Organized Crime, Conflict, and Extremism
September 25, 2014
IPI Remembers Margaret Vogt
August 25, 2014
New IPI Documentary Film on Past and Future of International Affairs


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"Could not have been happier with this announcement! I loved that scalloped edges were offered to help jazz up the look of the card. Shipped super fast - was projected to arrive Monday or Tuesday of the next week, but received it the Wednesday before. Will definitely use Tiny Prints for future card needs!"
"I wished I would have known the the cost for sending it would be more than sending a regular 4 x 6. The quality is great and I love the option for adding text or pictures on the back too!"
"This card was exactly what we were looking for. It is simple and beautiful. The card stock was thick and felt very high end. We used these as adoption announcements for our daughter and changed the text to read "Coming Soon." The ability to customize the announcement was greatly appreciated as she is not an infant. All in all we received exactly what we expected to receive and have already recommended this site to our friends."
"This was a great product - I was able to easily personalize this item to make it an invitation for a ladybug themed birthday party that turned out absolutely adorable!"
"We just received our birth announcements in the mail yesterday (very quick turn around from the time I ordered to the time they showed up on my doorstep). They look wonderful! Very professional looking. We debated having the photographer who took newborn pictures of our little one design our birth announcements, but I am glad we didn't go that route. These look great!"


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Jim Larranaga
Rothstein Files: Previewing The 9 Major Conference Tourneys With Predictions
Jim Larranaga's team has had a banner season, but they'll likely have to beat Duke for a second time this season — this time with Ryan Kelly — to reinforce their potential to go deep in the NCAA Tournament.
Miami HC Jim Larranaga: "The Last Time We Played Duke We Were Well Rested…Hopefully We'll Play With A Lot Of Energy Tomorrow"
The Drive Friday 3-1-13 – Jim Larranaga the head coach at Miami talks with Taylor and Marc about their matchup against the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday, how he has kept his players focused this season, and why he chose the University of Miami over other schools he could've coached at.
Jim Larranaga "We Can Earn National Respect By Beating Duke"
Mac Attack 1/23/13: Miami Hurricanes Head Coach Jim Larranaga joined the guys to discuss his Canes hot start in ACC play, the big game against Duke tonight, and the state of the conference.


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Summit Veneer 7008
Design is about choices and that is exactly what the transitional Summit-Reed Collection delivers. Summit-Reed features a warm Cherry finish; cherry book-matched veneer tops finished with a durable polyurethane topcoat; and curved, split Nickel hardware. A touch of upscale design can be found in the tops with modified, reeded edges as well as the frosted glass doors of the Overhead Storage Unit. Pedestals are offered in both full and three-quarter options. Basic pieces are offered either flat-packed for onsite assembly or fully assembled. The Summit Veneer 7008 collection is on our GSA schedule


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Canucks' call-up Andrew Ebbett says AHL brawl was 'bound to happen'
Notebook: Wolves' bad blood with IceHogs stems from Canucks-Blackhawks rivalry
Elliott Pap, Vancouver SunPublished: Tuesday, March 19, 2013
VANCOUVER - Vancouver Canucks call-up centre Andrew Ebbett was not surprised when a brawl broke out Sunday between the Canucks' American Hockey League farm team, the Chicago Wolves, and the Rockford IceHogs, who warehouse Chicago Blackhawk prospects.
Ebbett has played 37 games for the Wolves this season and it seemed about half of those were against their Illinois state rivals. The Wolves and IceHogs actually meet 12 times and the brawl - some of it inside the IceHogs' bench - occurred in meeting No. 11. It was also their third game against each another in eight days.
"You play Sunday, then Friday, then Sunday again and, I mean, stuff is bound to happen, especially with a little bit of that Vancouver-Chicago rivalry with the two teams," Ebbett said Tuesday before the Canucks-St. Louis Blues tilt at Rogers Arena. "They definitely don't like each other and it boiled over."
Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and David Booth congratulate goal scorer Andrew Ebbett (left) during their NHL game against the Nashville Predators last Thursday. Ebbett, who has spent much of the season with the AHL Chicago Wolves, says there was bad blood with the Rockford IceHogs.
Jeff VinnickEmail to a friendPrinter friendly
The AHL wasn't impressed and handed out four suspensions Tuesday, three to the IceHogs and just one to the Wolves. Adam Polasek, a defenceman drafted by the Canucks 145th overall in 2010, was the lone Chicago player punished as he received three games. Three IceHogs each received one game: Shawn Lalonde, Jeremy Morin and one-time Canuck Wade Brookbank. Both teams were also fined an undisclosed amount.
ZACK BACK BRIEFLY: Hulking Canuck right-winger Zack Kassian returned to the lineup against the Blues after missing two games with a sore back but didn't last long, playing just five shifts in 2:48 of ice time. He did not return for the second period and the team did not immediately announce the reason.
Kassian fought Blues' forward Chris Stewart just 2:41 into the game and finished with one shot on goal during his brief appearances.
At the morning skate, the 22-year-old insisted his 'tweaked' back was not a major problem. He said he had experienced a similar issue at the start of the Canucks' mid-January, post-lockout training camp.
"It was just a tweak and that was pretty much it," he explained. "There is no getting into details. It is what it is. I could probably go out and play pond hockey with it but you can't play at an elite level like the NHL. You can't be limited or else you're not going to play well."
BLUE NOTES: St. Louis right-winger Chris Stewart entered Tuesday's game on fire, with seven points in his last three outings, the performance earning him NHL player of the week honours. Stewart also had 14 points in seven games (7-7-14) and led the Blues in scoring with 28 points. Last season, he managed just 30 points in 79 games.
"We have some gifted players on this team, that's for sure, so I wouldn't say I expected to be leading the team in scoring," Stewart said. "But I knew I could contribute in this league. I've never second-guessed that and I'm glad the hard work is paying off."
Stewart, 25, was drafted in the first round (18th overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in 2006 and was part of the Feb. 19, 2011 blockbuster trade that saw Kevin Shattenkirk and a second-round pick (Ty Rattie) move to the Blues for Erik Johnson, Jay McClement and a first-round pick (Duncan Siemens).
Stewart credits a weight loss and new fitness regime for his improved play.
"I probably dropped 18 to 20 pounds from the summer," said Stewart, who was listed at 232 pounds before the diet. "I'm definitely fitter and a lot more consistent. I got a good trainer in the off-season and put in the work and I feel great every night. I also really worked on my explosiveness and my first three steps."
WORTH REPEATING: Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault was asked at the morning skate Tuesday about his comfort level with some people calling for his head. His response? "They're not saying that, are they? Come on. You're making that stuff up. You're kidding me."


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Beauty and Fashion
Didn't spend as much time bronzing out in the sun this summer as you would have liked?! That's alright, Mom! The kids are back in school, and even though the sun might not be as bright, today's great Plum Deal will give you a golden glow for two glamorous months!
Enjoy unlimited tanning at Total Tan. Fight off that pasty complexion by relaxing in their cutting-edge tanning beds. Get bronze, love your great color, and feel fabulous!
Total Tan provides both tanning and sunless tanning solutions for both men and women. At Total Tan there is never a membership or registration fee. They offer affordable tanning in a relaxing atmosphere on well maintained beds, stand up tanning booth, leg tanner or try their sunless "spray on tanning" at low prices. They also carry a variety of name brand tanning lotions and clothing. Visit Total Tan today!
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Tweetero: Open Source Twitter App for iPhone
ImageShack is known best for being a simple service for uploading and sharing photos. But today the company is moving into new territory with the launch of Tweetero, an open source Twitter application for iPhone. The application includes fairly standard functions you'd expect to find on a Twitter mobile app, like the ability to view your friend's updates, see replies, and send and receive direct messages.


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Vol 1 . Works with photoshop 7.
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A fave would be nice = )
Brush King is a collection of high quality Photoshop Brushes. You
can download them for free and you can use them for your website design
or other graphic creations.
Read more about us
© Copyright 2014 BrushKing all rights reserved
- Design by Thomas Beal


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Celebrity Central / Top 25 Celebs
Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo/AP Images
Published: Friday December 23, 2011 06:00 AM EST
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It may be late December, but Vanessa looks fresh and spring-like in her watercolor floral sheath and embellished peep-toes while taping an episode of Watch What Happens Live in N.Y.C.
Copyright © 2014 Time Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


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Bravo hits the road with reality-television powerhouses, delivering an interactive Real Housewives gathering at the Horseshoe Casino's spacious venue. Four Real Housewives from four cities—Sonja from New York City, Gretchen from Orange County, Kathy from New Jersey, and Phaedra from Atlanta—discuss their most talked about on-screen moments, answer audience questions, and share cast secrets, such as pressing gossip and gym-locker combinations. Orchestra seats place reality-television junkies in the middle of the venue and the VIP-ticket seats guests in the first 10 rows. In addition to up-close viewing, the VIP ticket includes an exclusive reception hosted by The Real Housewives with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, a separate red-carpet entrance to the venue, and a limited-edition tour laminate with matching lanyard. Attendees must be over 21 or a master of fake mustaches to participate in the Red Carpet package.
Hailed as the "granddaddy of Northwest Indiana's haunted attractions" by the Post-Tribune, Reapers Realm Haunted Attractions terrifies guests every Halloween season with multiple haunted sites. Most of its frights lurk within the three floors of a 1920s-era stone mansion. There, fog makes it tricky to see where demented demons lie in wait, and strobe lights illuminate famous movie monsters such as Michael Myers reenacting classic scenes of carnage.
More creepy creatures populate the Reaped Woods, where, in the past, a corn maze has hosted sights nearly as frightening as a scarecrow stuffed with old SAT scantrons. At the aptly named Carnevil, the screams echoing from the rides aren't just screams of delight.
In 1903, Hammond's first mayor, Marcus M. Towle, opened the Towle Opera House to provide the city with a venue for theatrical productions. Times changed, and with them the theater: the opera house became a cinema, and eventually a string of fashion shops moved into the space. The building seemed destined for a future of holographic retail, but in 2003—a century since the stage first opened—it was reborn as the Towle Theater. Since then, its intimate brick-lined confines have hosted such crowd-pleasing productions as The Musical of Musicals, the Musical and A New Brain.


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Several historic homes decorated for the holidays are apart of this tour. Also, enjoy a boutique offering gifts and decorations and a holiday snack shop offering drinks, pastries and other items. All proceeds benefit the educational programs of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Baltimore City Paper, 501 N. Calvert Street, P.O. Box 1377, Baltimore, MD 21278
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Michael John Cusick is a passionate communicator who speaks internationally on topics related to pornography, soul care and spiritual formation, healthy sexuality, relationships, and Christian leadership. Through sharing his own journey from deep brokenness to redemption, Michael disarms audiences everywhere with his gift of storytelling, humor, and life changing biblical insight.
Michael can offer presentations in a variety of presentations and formats. Whether you are looking for a single talk, a weekend retreat, or a tailored workshop, most talks can be customized designed to meet the needs of your ministry or organization.
Michael's speaking is managed by Ambassador Speakers Bureau. To schedule Michael for speaking to your organization or event, please contact Wes Yoder @
Ambassador Speakers Bureau
PO Box 50358, Nashville, TN 37205, Phone – (615) 370-4700, firstname.lastname@example.com


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1/1 Photo of Awesome Apple Crisp
Prep Time:
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I especially like this recipe as it makes a 9x13 pan as opposed to a 9x9, which I find handy when I have some extra mouths to feed. I first made this instead of my usual smaller version, at Christmas when invited to my sisters for dinner,she already had pumpkin pie, so she asked for an apple crisp, everyone really enjoyed it, and the next time we were invited for dinner, guess what they wanted me to bring? ( original recipe did not call for lemon juice, but my other version does,so I add it out of habit I guess!)
Units: US | Metric
Serving Size: 1 (2151 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 1
Make this season merry, bright and manageable with our easy ideas.


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- Geographic Location: Asia
About me:
I am a geographic researcher on rural women and sustainable community development in the Himalayas. I enjoy adventure, trying new things, dancing, learning on a daily basis, giving back, exploring - mentally and/or physically, travel and also appreciate the simple pleasures of life.
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Every day, I consciously work to empower and inspire others, particularly those with less power and advantages than myself to demand and utilize their human rights. I attempt to learn something new everyday so as to ensure change and growth in my own personal development.
I'm passionate about:
Women's rights, justice and equality, sustainable community development, human rights, eradicating poverty, empowerment
Pregnancy termination
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Protect Our Earth
Environment and development were crucial issues for Gro Harlem Brundtland. Women's Develoment and Environment Organization (WEDO) is making her vision come true. Learn about their work and consider their fellowship and internship programs. (English)
Give Your Words Power
Comandanta Esther captivated the Mexican Congress with her 2001 speech-you can be as compelling with a speech of your own! Learn valuable speech writing and delivering techniques at iKNOW Politics. (English)
Justice for Anna Politkovskaya
Russian journalist Anna Politkovskava was murdered in October of 2006 for reporting on human rights abuses. Help speak the truth about her assassination. --English, French, Spanish.
Equality Without Reservation Campaign
Sign a petition to support the Equality Without Reservation Campaign, which appeals to all Arab Governments for the withdrawal of reservations and the ratification of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
Say NO to AFSPA!
Help repeal the law that gives military the authority to arrest, shoot and kill on suspicion alone. Sign the petition and stop human rights violations in Manipur. -- English
Indigenous Women Lead
Are you an Indigenous woman? Do you want to promote social change in your community? If so, the Emerging Activist Leadership Program is for you! Enroll in this leadership development program offered by the Indigenous Women's Network.
Reduce Your Pollution
Make a commitment to reduce pollution. Change your everyday and long-term behavior. Commit to Rachel Carson Legacy Challenge and lessen your ecological footprint. --English
Commit to Gender Equality
Sign on to the Breakthrough Inter-religious Commitment, a historic agreement by religious leaders worldwide affirming the value and moral imperative of inter-religious cooperation to promote gender equality and end gender-based violence. -English
Young Feminists Needed
AWID's Young Feminist Activism Program seeks to amplify women's voices from every corner of the world by creating provocative opportunities for engagement and change. Get involved. -English, French, Spanish
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Are you a persuasive and charismatic speaker? Do you inspire others? Take this leadership test created by iKNOW Politics and learn where your strengths and weaknesses lie. (English)
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Women Living Under Muslim Laws tracks violations of women's rights done in the name of religion. Visit their website to read about and sign petitions against these violations. -English, French, Arabic
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Participate in the Global Democracy Day Initiative by requesting that your government observe the International Day of Democracy, and make sure to involve civil society organizations in the process. Sign the petition.
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Few career fields demand more multitasking than tending bar. Sure, the personal assistant is expected to track appointments, book travel, stay on top of meetings, pick-up dry-cleaning, and take notes all at the drop of a hat. Big deal.The bartender, on the other hand, executes creative cocktails at ... More >>
Discover. Taste. Share. These are the words chosen by Red Tapas Bar and Grille to embody what a trip to the new Palm Beach Gardens restaurant is all about. Red Tapas is the latest dining concept from the owners of nearby Cabo Flats, a popular Mexican cantina and tequila bar located at Downtown at th ... More >>
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In case you didn't notice -- between coverage of the Casey Anthony trial, Anthony Weiner, and Anderson Cooper probably wearing a skin-tight shirt -- CNN held a debate between hopeful Republican presidential candidates last night.You can guess what happened when Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Ne ... More >>
Checking out Matthew Sabatella's latest album.
via www.marilynmansonartworkonline.com'When I Get Old,' by Marilyn MansonMarilyn Manson's paintings are much better than his music. Just kidding; we love ya, Marilyn! His solo show, Trismegistus, debuted this past December during Art Basel Miami Beach. But if you missed the super-VIP opening, don't ... More >>
We all know what a sad state journalism is in these days, but some reporters still perform actual fact-checking. On Friday afternoon at the AMC Theatres Coral Ridge 10, I "fact-checked" Paul Blart: Mall Cop -- released nationwide this weekend -- by inviting a real mall security officer from Fort Lau ... More >>
Racial tension, above and below the surface, in Neil LaBute's Lakeview Terrace
A local band takes its love for Harry Potter to another level
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Jeez, can we just embrace the electric car already?
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Don't Mess With the Dragon (Concord)
There's not much besides an extra controller to these minigames.
Ten of the year's most timeless records
Ten of the year's most timeless records
American Hunger (Day by Day)
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Major labels talk a better game than they play.
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After 22 years, Ween is still keepin' it brown.
Harrison Ford runs smack into a Firewall, poor guy
Mike Jones and the Jetsetter Lounge offer a revisionist history of the future.
Sometimes awesome live bands also make magic in the studio
Ten albums that'll snap and fizz in your earbuds all winter long
Microsoft's Xbox 360 fires the first shot in the next-gen console war.
The Shout Out Louds speak the universal language of pop
Watching TV at Gulfstream
White men learned to dance, and the emoting was as thick as the eyeliner on the year's best pop-rock records
Don't kill your television just yet -- JungleTV brings local bands to your living room
Ideas that were forgotten but not gone in 2003


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Review of "The Baby Formula"
The film is most successful in its open, honest, often hilarious portrayal of family life and parenthood. Lilith and Athena fight, make fun of the nastier side effects of one another's pregnancies, and show genuine love for one another. They are one of the most believable and likeable screen couples lesbian cinema has seen in a very long time.
Also very effective is the "faux documentary" style that allows the actors to improvise and appear completely comfortable in their scenes. There's nothing "stage-y" about any of the action (other than the camera's tendency to be in the right place at the right time, of course). The director, Alison Reid, is a constant presence, asking all the big questions (especially about the risk of complications due to the new procedure).
The fact that both leads were actually pregnant during filming certainly doesn't hurt, either, and in fact yields a tremendous deal of humor along with the authenticity — the credit sequence, in particular, is worth every penny.
The acting is superb across the board. Vint and Fahlenbock come off in every way as the cool, down-to-earth couple next door. Their chemistry is superb and their "couple-y" instincts are dead-on. Further, both women show seriously impressive range, hitting the high and low notes near-perfectly.
In one memorable sequence, a very funny ultrasound technician hits on Athena while an annoyed Lilith lies on the table, fretting about possible complications. That fretting turns to a full-blown flight of emotion and panic when the doctor can't completely assure her of anything, though things "look good".
Dunsmore also shines as Wanda, Athena's incredibly conservative mother. While she first appears to be a caricature, Dunsmore imbues a great deal of empathy and strength in her, and later events prove that she's not nearly as one-dimensional as she first appears.
So forget Bette and Tina's baby mama drama on The L Word, never mind Melanie and Lindsey's pregnancy woes on Queer As Folk, and certainly disregard the long-standing tradition of lukewarm lesbian pregnancy storylines in queer film and mainstream TV. The Baby Formula beats them all with its sheer authenticity, humor and creativity.
The Baby Formula is available now on DVD.


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Open Phones on Defense Secretary Resignation
Telephone lines were open for viewer comments on the resignation of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.15 views
Telephone lines were open for viewer comments on the resignation of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.15 views
President Obama spoke about Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's decision to resign. Secretary Hagel agreed to continue his duties until a successor was nominated by the president and…402 views
Fatih Birol, chief economist for the International Energy Agency, presented the 2014 world energy outlook, focusing on energy trends, nuclear power, and improving access to modern energy…21 views
Brian Cladoosby talked about a variety of issues impacting tribal nations in the U.S., including health care reform, sports team mascot debates, and energy development.36 views
Jerry Jones talked about homelessness in the U.S. and local policies in some cities that prohibit public feeding of the homeless. br/ C-SPAN Radio's Nancy Calo read news headlines at…50 views
Alan Kraut talked about President Obama's recent executive order on immigration in a historical context.132 views
Telephone lines were open for viewer comments on the question: "Is more funding or oversight needed for U.S. Border Patrol?"128 views
Panelists talked about the history of Middle East conflict, the Islamic State threat to the U.S., and why Westerners were joining ISIS.4 views
Chief Justice Roberts and Lord Igor Judge talked about the signifiance of the Magna Carta on its 800th anniversary. They spoke at the Library of Congress, where a 1215 copy of the…37 views
This 1944 film is a short profile of Charles McGonegal, who lost both hands in World War I. The film shows him using hooks to shave, tie his shoestrings, eat breakfast and drive to work and…10 views
Paul Ferlazzo talked about President Theodore Roosevelt's love of poetry. Professor Ferlazzo said President Roosevelt's interest in poetry developed during his time as a…10 views
David Mark talked about the book he co-authored with Chuck McCutcheon, Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang and Bluster of American Political…201 views
Stephen Seager, a psychiatrist who spent a year working at the Napa State Hospital for the criminally insane, talked about his book, Behind the Gates of Gomorrah: A Year with the Criminally…48 views
Panelists talked about the influence of Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) and President Ronald Reagan on the Republican Party. br/ This was part of a conference hosted by the Young…38 views
Megan Ming Francis talked about her book, Civil Rights and the Making of the Modern American State, in which she examines how the civil rights movement and specifically the NAACP affected…18 views
Matthew Wasniewski and Farar Elliott talked told the story of House pages from the early 1800s until the program was ended in 2011. Their presentations included artifacts from their…24 views
Azar Nafisi, author of The Republic of Imagination, and Rebecca Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away, talked about their books. br/ They spoke at…67 views
Historians from the Smithsonian Institution talked about the history of immigration into the Western United States since 1965, how the Nationality Act of 1965 changed the culture of the…55 views
This 1962 documentary tells the story of a fire that started on November 5th, 1961 in Bel Air, Los Angeles, and over the course of three days destroyed 484 homes, damaged 190 others, and…62 views
Sophie Oliver talked about 1920s women's magazines and writers. br/ This interview was part of a series of five interviews American History TV conducted with Library of Congress Kluge…14 views


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The following is a list of ministries supported by First Baptist Church. Many members and friends of First Baptist may be of help to you if you would like to have more information about a particular effort listed. If there is a contact person listed and you would like to speak to them, please contact the church office at 607-273-5800 for information on how to reach them.
Many hands make light work. On the last Sunday of the month we collect donations of money, non-perishable food items, toiletries and diapers for the Ithaca Kitchen Cupboard, a community food pantry located in the Salvation Army building. The food pantry is supported by fourteen local congregations and is the major on-going activity of Area Congregations Together. We also provide two or three individuals every third Friday who bag three-day supplies of food for families in need. New workers are always welcome and we provide a quick on-the-job training. Commitment: an occasional Friday from 1:15 till 3 pm, as your schedule allows. Contact Sue Hemsath or Amanda Ufford. For contact information, please call the church office at 273-5800.
Children's Fund
In Zambia, more than two million children are orphans. The Zambia Children's Fund is working to feed, shelter and educate orphaned children through various projects. For information about First Baptist's work with this mission please see our Zambian Children's Fund Page. For more information, please contact Louise Mudrak.
Chishawasha Children's Home as featured in the November 2007 issue of Smithsonian Magazine and on Kids with Cameras website. Students' photographs are now available to you online as high quality art prints. Proceeds will ensure this project's future and benefit the Chishawasha Childrens Home
Saint John's #5 Before Hurricane Katrina St Johns #5 Baptist Church in New Orleans had a number of facilities designed to help low income families, children, unwed teen mothers, and HIV victims to improve or better cope with life in their current situation. This included 5 locations. In the blink of Katrina's eye, these facilities were destroyed or otherwise rendered unusable. The children, mothers, and HIV victims now have no place to go. Some have been moved from shelter to shelter because they are not welcome due to their illness or special needs. Learn how you can help restore these services and facilities for those in need. The First Baptist Ithaca contact persons for thisministry are Linda Nicholson and Catherine Martinez.
Love Knows No Bounds is an organization dedicated to restoring the lives of people living in the 7th Ward New Orleans through delivering furniture, rebuilding homes and community buildings, as well taking political action.
Mariam's Care Mariam Keita and her family Andre, pastor of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Bamako, Mali, and their newborn daughter Jokebed (Joke) arrived in Ithaca in early October 2006 for Mariam to undergo treatment for aggressive breast cancer. First Baptist and the greater Ithaca community rallied to provide support to the couple transplanted into a foreign environment as Mariam fought a life-threatening disease. Those who were involved in Mariam's Care couldn't be but awed by Mariam's spiritual strength. We adored Joke as she grew in our midst. We rejoiced as Mariam responded dramatically to the treatments. We witnessed God's Miracle for Mariam. For reflections of Maimouna Harouna and Bill Phelan with behind the scenes descriptions of the events that brought them to Ithaca and the genesis of Mariam's Care, please visit: Reflections
Tompkins County Worker's Center As a member of the Tompkins Counter Worker's Center, First Baptist Church has confirmed it's position that:
What does the Lord require of you?
To do Justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.
~Micah 6:8~
Peace to all who enter here.


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Brit disk biz Nexsan out of the frying pan and into the firing line
Imation's purchase of Nexsan for $120m will be seen as a failed exit for Nexsan's venture capital backers in the eyes of the most ferocious investors. Nexsan is in the second tier of disk drive array storage vendors, and has found it hard to progress into the top tier. It has failed twice at launching a successful IPO since it …
To me, it looks as though Nexsan has been built up over the last couple of years for a sale/get-out for the VCs and Imation has (perhaps unwisely) taken the bait.
As, if Nexsan had anything highly profitable up their sleeves then why would the VCs bail ?
And if continued & sustained organic growth looked likely then surely the VCs would hang around a little longer in order to secure a better return ?
I agree with the above
Basically, a box is a box, and you can build one for a damn sight less than $120 million.
If Facebook can do such a large IPO with hardly any revenue, then why can't a company producing "real" and expensive products do it...?
Math not quite right
The math on VC return assumes the VCs owned 100% of the company, which is unlikely - even if some of the rounds were very dilutive, they probably didn't own more than 70% (the rest owned by founders/option holders). Of course, depending on liquidation preferences, it's possible that the common holders were underwater and the VCs did get the whole pie, although their individual return would very greatly depending on what round they invested in and what the valuation and preference stack was. In any case, it probably wasn't a great exit for anyone involved which says folks just wanted to cut their losses and move on.
Re: Math not quite right
That seems very good thinking to me. I should have thought of it myself.
I think it was a win-win
I have known Nexsan since the beginning as a channel partner and from what little I know, I think the deal was a win-win. For investors, Nexsan probably didn't grow fast enough to make an interesting exit. After 12 years, I suspect the investors wanted an exit with a decent return - which they got. The problem Nexsan has is their hardware didn't fit a unique enough niche for tier-1 vendors to compete over (same goes for Exagrid now - they have no unique value prop and ultimately very few exit strategy options).
For Imation, they need to leverage their brand as the Nexsan brand alone probably isn't enough to take them to the next level.
One other note: Of all the storage vendors I've dealt with over the years, Nexsan had the best modular storage out there. It's a fast workhouse that never went down. Of all the vendors we worked with, we had the fewest support calls on Nexsan product - it's an incredible value for what it is. From a cost per TB perspective, Nexsan was always near the lowest cost and their annual maintenance costs are also some of the lowest in the industry. It's a well engineered, solid working modular storage solution.
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Mississippi RV Rentals
Below is a list of RV rentals in Mississippi. You can refine your search for Mississippi RV rentals above.
Get Answers
Will I need a special driver's license to operate the RV that I rent?
What happens if there are mechanical problems with the rental?More Answers
If you need some extra help or just want to speak with us about renting, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.Send us a message
Ultimate RV Rentals is a referral service for the rental of recreational vehicles. We provide an easy to use web-site to accommodate rental transactions for both RV owners and RV renters.
UltimateRVRentals.com helps you find and reserve RV's and motorhomes from owners nationwide. Free Sign-up


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Breyers, All Natural
Vanilla, Chocolate Ice Cream
Produced by Unilever
Note: Breyers does not provide a list of gluten-free foods. The ingredient label for each product listed was reviewed and found to meet the Breyers policy for Gluten-Free:
"Some Breyers products do contain allergens, including gluten. However, most of our ice creams and frozen dairy desserts are naturally gluten free. We are currently updating our packaging to make it easy for you to identify all of our naturally gluten free variants."
"If gluten is present, it is clearly listed in plain language on the ingredient label (i.e., wheat flour, rye, barley, oats, and malt). Malt is a barley based ingredient. We recommend consumers read the label each time before buying our product."
ContactPhone: 1-800-931-2826
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 6pm ET
Online: secure.breyers.com/contactus
Store Locator:
Important: We try to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information available. However, please keep in mind that manufacturer policies and formulations can change at any time, and that some information listed on this site could be out-of-date or contain unintentional errors.
Remember to always read product labels and check with the manufacturer directly if you have any concerns.


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Published on October 3rd, 2011 | by TechNick0
Pinterest: A Facebook competitor in the making?
Are you getting tired of the complexities of Facebook's user interface? Or do you want more than 140 characters which Twitter offers to express yourself online? If your answer is a 'yes' to both these questions, then you might need to check out the new buzz in town about a certain Pinterest, which has already attracted more than 1.5 million users (and counting) for their invite-only beta account. The numbers mentioned make us wonder whether Pinterest is another social networking giant in the making.
So what is Pinterest? They call themselves "Virtual Pinboard" where you can "pin" anything that you find interesting on the net or your real world. I would say it's a sort of mixture of Digg and Facebook. This means you can make categorized list of visual (image) bookmarks of interesting things, share it with your friends and network with users who share common interests. The 'pins' or image links can either be from an interesting website, from your computer or mobile pics pinned through Pinterest's app. Of course, the pace at which Pinterest is gaining popularity, it ceases to be just a pinboard.
But how did Pinterest go viral even before it's officially launched? The answer, I would say, is linked with human psychology.
Former Pinterest designer Sahil Lavingia calls social networks like Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and many others "self-expression engines". I agree with him totally. That is the reason why these social networks gained popularity in no time.
First of all, we, human beings, are social beings. We need to express and share our life with someone, whether a friend, a partner or virtual friends. Secondly, we are visual beings. We understand and are inspired easily by what we see than what we hear or feel. Otherwise, why do we get glued to YouTube tutorials to learn something rather than reading a manual? Or why do we forward all those touchy, inspirational PowerPoint presentations even if we know that nothing is going to happen if we don't forward them to 7 people in the next few minutes.
Pinterest is leveraging on this aspect of human nature a little more than Facebook. They offer a visual board to users to catalog their interests and express themselves in front of their friends. In this process they find friends with common interests. Result, the network has gone viral.
Let's wait and watch whether Pinterest can make a worldwide impact as much Facebook did, or be limited to communities like MySpace or Orkut.


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Skip to content
and found 2 items
798cc, 87bhp, 133mph, Insurance group 12
BMW placed the F800R as an entry-level, sporty, naked urban machine to slot in amongst myriad of 600cc middleweight bikes eg Yamaha FZ6, Triumph Street Triple, Honda Hornet and so on – even though its engine is 798cc! And we can cheerfully say it fits in. What the BMW conveys is the feel and ride of large capacity bike with ...
798cc, 84.5bhp, 140mph, Insurance group 11
A revolutionary addition to the BMW stable, the BMW F800S has filled the yawning chasm between the marque's 650 motorcycles and 1200 motorcycles with power, style and charisma. The BMW F800S has an excellent engine, superb handling and everyday usability to make it a bike you could learn to ride on yet keep, and enjoy, a very long time after you've got your motorcycle licence. Watch the ...
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Sunday, September 27, 2009
Obama tries to stop Berlusconi from tapping current
2. Watches closely to ensure it just a hand shake nothing more
3. But Berlusconi is not playing ball and wants more....a lot more, to Obama's obvious disapproval
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Again, things fall apart
The governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, is facing a rebellion from his former political allies. He has been expelled from his party by a group led by party heavy weight, Chekwas Okorie,
The troubles in the party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, however, are not the only issues that are likely to make the elections in Anambra extremely volatile.
The PDP, which is Nigeria's ruling party, is determined to win back Anambra from the opposition. To do this however, they must first get their house in order and select a candidate to run for the seat of governor. As of the last count, more than 30 people had picked up nomination forms from the party secretariat in Abuja, indicating they will be contesting for the right to represent the party during the election.
At least one of these candidates, the former governor of the central bank, Chukwuma Soludo, is thought to have the blessing of the wife of the president.
The political manoeuvring that is going on in the state is not limited to the big players, those on the fringes are dipping into the mix and confusing things even further. Some of them include the former state governor, Chris Ngige and the current deputy governor, Virginia Etiaba.
The beginning
The genesis of Anambra's very complicated, and potentially violent politics can be traced to the 1999, elections that restored democracy in the country after 16 years of military rule. Anambra blazed the trail of what was to become known as political 'godfatherism' when Emeka Offor, to all intents and purposes, imposed Chinwoke Mbadinuju on the state.
Having spent a lot of money to get Mr. Mbadinuju into the Awka State House, Mr. Offor, being the businessman that he is, expected returns. He wanted direct access to the state's treasury, a request that, to his credit, Mr.Mbadinuju refused. That was the beginning of the end for him. In 2003, he failed to get the PDP's nomination for a second term in office.
While Emeka Offor was dissipating energy fighting the man he had put in the state house, another 'godfather' was preparing the ground for his 'godson' to get there. Chris Uba, brother to a close confidant of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, Andy Uba, had set the wheels in motion for his protégée, Chris Ngige, to become the governor. His thugs made sure that the 2003 gubernatorial elections were heavily rigged in Mr. Ngige's favour, while the APGA candidate, Peter Obi, could only watch more or less helplessly as his own vigorous campaign efforts were wasted.
That lasted until Chris Ngige fell out with his godfather. In typical Nigerian style, Mr. Uba, in an effort to forestall any kind of 'betrayal' had prior to the elections , hauled Mr.Ngige before a shrine in the now infamous Okija incident, to swear an oath of loyalty; not to the people of Anambra State, but to him. Apparently, Mr. Ngige had agreed and sworn to the oath, so Mr. Uba was confident that unlike Mr. Offor before him, he would have unfettered access to the state's treasury.
But there is no honour among thieves, and Mr. Ngige reneged on his oath, claiming to be an upstanding Christian. An enraged Mr. Uba had the recalcitrant Mr. Ngige kidnapped. Unfortunately for Mr. Uba, and fortunately for the people of the state, the Federal Government intervened in the crisis on the order of the then vice president, Atiku Abubakar ( President Obasanjo was away at the time).
Mr. Ngige was released and his removal declared illegal. Mr. Ngige's tenure was cut short, however, when the courts decided that his election had been a farce, and that Peter Obi was in fact the lawfully elected governor of the state. That opened a new chapter in the drama that is Anambra State.
Enter Peter Obi
Peter Obi came into office without any known godfather and a section of the elite who believe they are the powers that decide the destiny of the state were not comfortable with having such a person in office. Within six months, he was impeached for daring to go back to court to seek his full four year tenure. (Mr, Ngige had occupied the seat illegally for thirty four months.) However, Mr. Obi once again triumphed in the courts. The courts ruled that Mr. Ngige's three years in office were not part of Mr. Obi's constitutional four-year term.
But the mess in Anambra was set to get even messier. More complications were added before the highest court in the country could rule on on Mr. Obi's tenure of office. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , which should have known election to the gubernatorial seat in Anambra was not due untill 2010, conducted the 2007 general elections in Anambra.
Andy Uba, the president's man Friday won the poll. The elections was won at a canter by utilising all the connections available to the PDP rigging machinery. In the build up to the elections, the two Uba brothers: Andy and Chris fell apart. Chris felt that his elder brother was encroaching on his path. However, the real power lay with the elder, so Chris was promptly brought back to heel. In a landmark ruling delivered by the Supreme Court, shortly after he was sworn-in as governor, Andy Uba was asked to immediately vacate the office and Peter Obi returned to complete his stolen mandate.
More twists
Thus was added another twist to the Anambra saga, as Andy Uba is asking the courts to allow him be sworn-in without an election as governor in 2010. Mr. Uba Snr claims that since he won the 2007 gubernatorial election conducted by the national electoral body, he should replace Mr. Obi when the governor's tenure ends next year. His is a case of, "I have booked the flight and should get on board when it is due." Andy Uba is not having a smooth wait for the courts to pronounce him governor next year. He is being challenged by many others who think an election in 2010 should and will happen. Among these is ex-governor Chris Ngige.
The growing list of potential PDP candidates for the seat includes, Emma Anosike, Kodilichukwu Okelekwe, Emeka Nwandu, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Annie Okonkwo, Odemezue Chukwura, Damian Okolo, Kenneth Osita Odidika, Chuma Nzeribe, Benard Okeke, Alex Obigolu, Ikechukwu Obiora, Austin Okafor, Nwoye Tony Okechukwu, Ekwenze Solomon, Emmanuel Mbamalu, Eucharia Azodo, Mike Nkwocha, Chinyere Ogualili, Ugokwe Jerry Sunny, Caro Nwosu, and of course, Chukwuma Soludo, who until a few months ago was the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Mr. Soludo's candidacy is contentious and has not been bolstered much by the negative press he has been receiving in the last few weeks as a result of the current banking crisis. Despite all of this, Mr. Soludo has gone ahead and picked a nomination form. Given his background, not a few people believe Mr. Soludo is not capable of surviving in the clearly thuggish and dirty politics of Anambra. But given the antecedents of Anambra's very educated people in this area, it is likely that Mr. Soludo will do just fine.
Mr.Chris Ngige, a medical doctor, was a chief executive who saw nothing wrong with entering a marriage of convenience with the thuggish Chris Uba.
Then there is Chinwoke Mbadinuju, who, in spite of a doctorate degree still aligned himself with Emeka Offor to become governor. Anambra politicians, like their counterparts in other parts of the country appear to be able to move from being "technocrats" to "thugocrats".
Mr. Soludo has been seen in all the politically correct places, and has been endorsed by PDP's Mr. Fix – It, Tony Anenih. He is also rumoured to have the backing of powerful friends such as Alex Ekwueme and Mrs.Turai Yar'Adua. For him, the nomination seems to be already in the bag, with everything else merely a formality. With the PDP rigging machinery in place, he is likely to be the next governor (or at the very worst, the anointed candidate). The important "votes" are from PDP national figures like Mr. Anenih, not the people of Anambra State. That probably explains why Andy Uba is yet to pick up a nomination form, but would rather go through the judiciary to the government house.
The other political parties are not left out of the madness. The intrigues are such that they are rending apart family ties. The current deputy governor, Virginia Etiaba, and her second son, Emeka, have both expressed interest in running for governor. Mr. Etiaba has had to leave APGA, his mother's party in order to pursue his ambition. He has declared his interest on the platform of the PPA.
The younger Etiaba's defection has further highlighted the rift between the Chekwas Okorie and Victor Umeh led factions of APGA in the state, but may have just solidified Mr. Obi's position within the party, an assurance which the incumbent needs in order to pursue his second term ambition. For now though, it looks like in Anambra State, things are likely to continue falling apart.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Nye anyi egbe
Three days ago, a man was murdered in his own home. Bayo Ohu was a political correspondent with The Guardian. He was killed by three men who walked into his house in broad daylight and shot him to death. The men then walked quite calmly away.
Then, in a 'swift' reaction, the police PRO, Frank Mba, has changed his story from 'suspected murder' to 'alleged armed robbery' because Ohu's laptop was taken, and the car in which the murderers came has been recovered. Cue the case being left to die away quietly.
The security situation in Naija has always been bad, no questions about that, but it sadly appears to be getting worse. Regularly, one reads in the news of acts of violence that are getting worse in terms of frequency and sheer wickedness. The police appear helpless.
Or are they really?
The question still remains unanswered: You take a man, he has a wife (maybe two), and children. You give him N 8500 a month, ask him to buy his shoes from that amount. You ask him to buy his torch, bulb and batteries from that amount. From that amount he is also expected to cater for his aforementioned family. Then you give him a gun! What do you want him to do? What should we do? We need guns.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Extensions to die for
There is in my mind no other browser that is better than Mozilla Firefox. And the reason for this is simple: extensions. Firefox extensions or add-ons are installable enhancements to the Mozilla Foundation's applications (such as Firefox, Thunderbird, Seamonkey and Sunbird).
They allow the user to add or improve the features of the applications, make use of new themes to his liking, and handle different types of content.
Ever since I made the switch from Internet Explorer to Firefox some five years back, I have tried a whole lot of other browsers but simply find myself returning to Firefox again and again. For the casual user out there, find below a very quick tutorial on installing extensions in Firefox,
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The devil's workshop
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Soludo Era.
After the banking consolidation exercise reduced the number of Nigerian banks to 25, Professor Charles Soludo became a national hero. He was hailed as a practical genius who translated abstruse economic phenomena into reality, a man who easily vanquished the stodgy and connected grey eminences that had tried to resist his reformist agenda.
As the masses sang his praises, the canny bank chiefs who had succeeded in saving their institutions knew that they had to embrace him in order to protect their empires. To seduce him, they levied themselves 2 million naira each and hosted him a superlative 50 million naira "dinner". He was initiated into the luxury life.
Soludo, the hyper-intelligent economist soon morphed into a dapper dresser who wore Savile Row suits and expensive Rolex watches. He became very close to a privileged group of bankers who became the de facto rulers of Nigeria's financial sector. The tough talking regulator lost his sense of impartiality.
The Stock Market Boom.
General Olusegun Obasanjo's decision to work with Bretton Woods economists combined with soaring oil prices to draw foreign investors to the Nigerian financial sector. In addition to hedge fund managers who invested a small fraction of their portfolios in the growing market, ordinary Nigerians joined the fray when they realized that banking sector reforms had transformed the stock market into a veritable cash machine.
Growing investor confidence quickly led to a sharp rise in stocks and attracted the hoi polloi. Small investors rushed to the stock market in droves and sank their money in "high growth stocks". The snake oil bankers quickly read the situation and drew up plans to further increase their capital base.
In order to achieve abnormal returns, they enlisted the support of stockbrokers who brazenly manipulated stock prices with the tacit support of the leadership of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A rash of public offers soon followed, leading to an exponential increase in stock market indices. Some states even compelled civil servants to buy shares, forcibly deducting the value from their salaries.
Clergymen told their congregations about the "miraculous wonders" of the stock market. As the unsophisticated "sheep" emptied their nest eggs into the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the bankers and their sidekicks got richer. Mid-level managers earned millions in bonuses as reward for bringing in ensnaring ignorant investors. The stock market became part of the national conversation. And there was no stopping the bubble as the new financial elite was born.
Greed and Recklessness.
As the money rolled in, the banks immediately went on a spending spree. South African brand consultants were paid huge sums to design new logos, Indians got millions for software and overpaid managers were poached from rival banks. In little time, the banking tsars became delusional and started a turf war. They commissioned ostentatious offices and hired buxom bimbos to reinforce their marketing departments. These "happiness" officers were given huge allowances for miniskirts, contraceptives and expensive baubles.
The battle assumed a personal dimension as nouveau riche bankers fought for prime real estate in Ikoyi and Victoria Garden City. Others rented Banana Island flats and joined expensive boat clubs where they flaunted their expensive curios. The gnomish Jim Ovia took over an entire street in highbrow Victoria Island where he built an imposing edifice and commissioned a flashy ATM galleria. His amazing architects delivered The Civic Centre, a ship-inspired building that came to define his expensive taste. He became a trusted confidante to Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola, Nigeria's richest men. Aig Imoukhuede, one half of the now infamous United Alliance, built a fortress complete with angry mobile policemen. Jeremiah Omoyeni, the banker cum politician, got a 450 million naira housing allowance for his short stay at the helm of the crisis-ridden Wema Bank.
Anthony Elumelu, Cecilia Ibru, Jim Ovia and Tayo Aderinokun commissioned private jets to take them around the world while Akingbola curiously started an FM radio station and announced that he would treat himself to a Rolls Royce on his 60th birthday. Prince Nduka Obaigbena, This Day's flamboyant chairman became the cheerleader-in-chief as banks picked up the tabs for visiting global dignitaries at the newspaper's exquisite "town hall meetings." Vanguard raked in billions from its annual Bankers' Awards.
Foreign praise singers also realized that there was money to be made and set off a craze for dubious awards. African Business, Business Initiative Directions, The Banker and EMEA Finance came calling, dishing out awards in exchange for cash. Renaissance Capital, led by the mercurial Stephen Jennings staked its claim and exchanged ratings for securities contracts.
As oil prices continued to spike, savvy local entrepreneurs became potential oil and gas traders. They drew up grandiose business plans and convinced bank chiefs to advance huge loans for the purchase of tank farms and refined crude. The bankers obliged and shared the "upfront" interest. "Oil and Gas" became the most important phrase in the lexicon of the Nigerian banker.
Some of the oil traders were not satisfied with their bulging bank accounts. Since real estate is the Nigerian's true barometer of wealth, they went back to the bankers and drew up plans for an African Dubai. The bankers obliged and doled out more cash. Deals were sealed in posh country clubs as huge loans were given with utter disregard of risk management processes.
Foreign credit lines and unnecessary forays into the capital market meant there was just too much money to spend. Banks soon decided to have a taste of the apple and incorporated subsidiaries to market "luxury estates". Lekki, Ikoyi and Abuja became the new Hamptons. Even foreigners began to complain about the skyrocketing prices of Nigerian real estate. "Expatriate Only" signs soon became de rigueur.
The Early Signs.
When the subprime mortgage crisis ballooned into a full scale economic meltdown, the foreign bankers knew they had to run. After all, the global banking system was on the brink of collapse. Indy Mac had disappeared and fabled Wall Street institutions such as Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers had imploded.
The Nigerian banks had no chief economists and were blissfully ignorant of the implications of the crisis. Akingbola, Okereke-Onyiuke and Soludo all publicly declared that the country's financial system was isolated from the rest of the world. Most Nigerians continued to buy stocks not knowing that Peter Ololo and his fellow stockbrokers were using cheap money to prop up the stock market. This made it easier for foreign operators to exit the market at a premium. Firms such as Actis, the private equity fund, dumped its shares in UAC for 50 naira. By the time, the stock market went into a tailspin, it was too late.
Deconstructing the Fallen Five.
Erastus Akingbola
Some staffers of Intercontinental Bank have accused me of bias, claiming that I have personal scores to settle with Dr Erastus Akingbola. This is untrue. I have always believed that Erastus Akingbola was a crook and I owed the Nigerian public a duty to expose him. It is now clear that he was an exceptionally talented huckster who used his avuncular mien to shamelessly manipulate the public.
He frittered away the bank's money on questionable "CSR" schemes designed to influence politicians and lay the groundwork for a future political career. In the week before the August 14 temblor, he instituted a 50 million naira scholarship scheme for Katsina natives in a clear attempt to lobby the president through Ibrahim Shema, the governor of the president's home state. Akingbola also instituted a similar scheme in his home state, Ondo, where he was rewarded with the chancellorship of the state-owned university in a clear case of quid pro quo. As part of his national "save me from Sanusi" tour, Dr Akingbola finally ended up in Sokoto where his attempts to lobby an unsmiling Sultan fell flat.
He didn't show up for the historic August 14 meeting. Three days later, he had vanished into thin air. Nobody can underestimate the danger still posed by the highly influential Akingbola, who has been in the industry for thirty years. His case is not just an error in judgement. In any serious country, he would be the subject of an international manhunt.
Cecilia Ibru
Long before the stock market correction and the rapid fall in global oil prices, Cecilia Ibru had inexplicably shackled Oceanic Bank to a bilateral 175 million dollar five year loan from Merrill Lynch. This transaction was packaged by Osaze Osifo, a financial consultant and business partner of Andrew Alli, a CBN debtor who is currently at the helm of the controversial African Financial Corporation. A former chief executive of Oando, Osifo had made a killing in Nigeria's GSM licence auction before joining the Oando triumvirate of Jite Okoloko, Wale Tinubu and Mofe Boyo.
The Slick Osifo had cultivated a friendship with Oboden Ibru, Mrs Ibru's son and heir apparent, who doubled as the bank's executive director and chief executive of Oceanic Capital. Osifo, Alli and four other principals needed additional capital for their investment boutique and through Oboden, Osifo's company Travant Capital Partners was selected as the financial consultants for the transaction.
Oceanic Bank mismanaged this loan. In addition to heavily betting on real estate and petroleum marketing, the bank lent vast sums to the Delta State Government and other firms with ties to the powerful James Ibori. The bank also perfected numerous ways of diverting money through imaginary companies. One of such transactions involved lending millions of dollars to Meggitto Clothing for the purpose of exporting fabrics. This money vanished into thin air. We now know that there were other shady transactions such as the incomprehensible 19 billion naira loan extended to Nigeria's most famous nanny.
Insiders say that the [i]dim witted Cecilia Ibru [/i]was hopelessly out of her depth at the helm of the bank. Surrounded by lackeys and relatives, she signed documents without reading them and gave loans based on her personal judgement. She relished being a mother figure and even though her staffers have kind words to say about her, they acknowledge that there was too much laxity with respect to management issues.
When it became apparent that Oceanic Bank was tottering, Mrs Ibru embarked on a number of questionable projects to raise money for her bank. These included an unethical 400 million dollar football reality program and a shady raffle in partnership with the Suru Group. It is a pity that the United Nations Global Compact did not do a thorough investigation before they named her to its committee on corporate governance.
Barth Ebong
Only a powerful witchdoctor could have known that Union Bank was in trouble. Long criticised for its horrendous customer service and aversion to technology, its chief executive was neither ostentatious nor publicity-hungry. As the oldest bank chief, he had a measure of gravitas which turned out to be a mask for incompetence.
With the benefit of hindsight, one should have guessed something was wrong with the big, strong and reliable bank when last year, in response to a campaign to force its chief executive to resign, the board moved its AGM to Maidugri, effectively disenfranchising the bulk of the bank's shareholders.
Union Bank also stunned analysts when it agreed to underwrite half of Afribank's overpriced public offer. Now it turns out that the dour Ebong also gambled heavily on high risk sectors. It is now clear that years of mismanagement had turned the bank into a corporate cadaver. So far, Union bank's loan recovery efforts have yielded little fruit when compared to Intercontinental, Oceanic and Afribank. The authorities must also investigate how the trio of Nike Akande, Jite Okoloko and Festus Odumegwu ended up on the bank's board of directors.
Sebastian Adigwe
Many analysts believe that Afribank's current problems stem from its relationship with African Petroleum. The bank was heavily involved in financing Femi Otedola's takeover of the petroleum marketing company and the huge debt added to its woes. The two firms forged a strong relationship that resulted in Adigwe joining AP's management board while Osa Osunde, an alleged front for Lucky Igbinedion, doubled as Vice-Chairman of AP and Chairman of Afribank. Apparently, the effete Adigwe was a figurehead who pandered to the whims and caprices of the bank's powerful backers. A few weeks to the CBN action, Afribank took out paid advertisements congratulating Ogbueshi Uche Luke Okpuno, one of its prized clients who later showed up on the CBN's debtors list. How interesting.
Okey Nwosu
FinBank raised more than 100 billion from its public offer and invested heavily in the oil and gas sector. The bank clearly had no long term strategy and one wonders if Mr Nwosu believed that oil prices would hit 400 dollars. A week before he was sacked, the suave Okey Nwosu approved a loan to Jevcon Oil and Gas. It was widely celebrated as a testimony of the bank's devotion to indigenous operators in the maritime business. Amazingly, Jevcon shows up in the CBN list of debtors. Dr Onyung, Jevcon's chief executive, has not issued any public statement to counter the CBN's claims.
What was Mr Nwosu smoking?
Ndi Okereke Onyiuke and Musa Al-Faiki
Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke is an amazing creature, a corpulent buffoon who somehow clawed her way to the zenith of Broad Street while earning a dubious professorship. It is hard to understand how she kept her job after she publicly claimed that CNN and the Internet caused the stock market crash. While the NSE is a privately-owned organization, it is now clear that Okereke-Onyiuke has no business at the helm. For years, she has allowed the Exchange to be controlled by compromised acolytes and highly-placed insiders.
The case of Mallam Musa Al-Faiki is a cautionary tale. The former SEC DG was hopelessly out of depth during his five year tenure and did little to stop the widespread abuse in the market. Part of Mallam Al-Faiki's problems was that he owed his position to Madam Onyiuke's friendship with President Obasanjo. The vacillating SEC DG clearly did not want to offend his benefactor and when SEC staffers like Charles Udora, leaked their critical views to the press, he was always quick to issue a quick retraction.
The Talented Peter Ololo
Two years ago, one of Okereke's aides told me about Peter Ololo, whom he simply called "Falcon". The aide was starry-eyed as he described the powers of this mythical "Falcon", who could effortlessly double the price of First Bank stock within a month. Today, Peter Ololo is in EFCC custody. He owes 88 billion.
Like every smart businessman, he filled his firm's board with power brokers such as Senator Tunde Ogbeha and Senator S.A Otegbola. Unfortunately, the indolent Nigerian press has not really scratched the tip of Ololo's schemes. In addition to Falcon Securities, the disgraced accountant also controlled two active publicly listed companies, DEAP Capital Management and Trust and DVCF Oil and Gas Fund.
These companies were empty shells whose complex schemes were powered by insider trading and exploitative business models. If Mrs Waziri's EFCC is serious about sanitizing the sector, it wouldn't be a bad idea to question the chief executives of these two "fund management" firms.
Fit and Proper Person Test
Nigerian regulators must adopt a system of screening bank executive directors to ascertain that they are of sound mind and body. Private investigators should be hired to pry into their backgrounds and their educational and analytical skills must be evaluated by an impartial panel. People should not be appointed to highly sensitive positions because of ethnic politics and tenure. I believe that such as test would have shown that Mrs Ibru, Mr Akingbola and Mr Ebong were not suited to the task of managing their respective financial institutions.
The Case for a Financial Services Authority
Perhaps the CBN, NDIC, SEC and other agencies should seriously consider the idea of establishing a Financial Services Authority to supervise the financial sector. The head of this agency must be chosen through a transparent recruitment process that has nothing to do with ethnicity, religion and other petty considerations. If the head hunters conclude that no Nigerian is suitably qualified, the government should consider foreigners for the post.
During the stock market bubble, a shocking thing happened. Pyramid schemes, commonly known as "wonder banks" sprouted in droves and earned the patronage of even highly educated bank managers who allowed greed to cloud their judgement. While they were eventually closed down, the SEC and the CBN has still not resolved the matter. An effective FSA could have nipped this development in the bud.
Vanguard newspaper and the Northern Agenda.
Unbelievable!!! In what must be a contender for this year's most stupid argument,Vanguard has backed its campaign against Sanusi with an article it published in March detailing a supposed plan by "anti-consolidation" forces to take over five Nigerian banks. I don't understand why the Nigerian public is taking this rag sheet seriously when Sam Amuka-Pemu's "tissue paper" newspaper does not even qualify to be called a tabloid.
Let's look at the timeline. Vanguard published the article on March 23, 2009. At the time the article was published, those five banks were already heavily indebted to their peers at the inter-bank market and there were already concerns over their financial health. In fact, Dayo Coker was already on the trail of Erastus Akingbola and had released his findings to the press.
Their chief executives must have suspected that Sanusi would be a tough cookie and quickly dispatched their PR strategists under the aegis of ACAMB to plant the story. Of course, Vanguard's moronic journalists played along and concocted this baseless story to distract the new governor. The article was meant to preempt Sanusi and force him into making a compromise but he refused to buckle under pressure. The Nigerian public does not understand that Vanguard newspaper is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the corporate malfeasance that pervaded the Nigerian banking sector. For years, the "newspaper" made a killing from the Vanguard Bankers Awards where a table for eight went for a whopping five million naira.
From a logical standpoint, this "northern agenda" argument holds no water. As the CBN Governor has pointed out in newspaper interviews, some Nigerian banks are controlled by nominees who are hidden behind legal documents. One does not have to be a chief executive to actually control a bank. It is possible that there could be individuals from the North that have designs on the banking sector but it makes no sense to speculate that a Northern "movement" is keen on hijacking the banking sector. And if Sanusi is a Fulani supremacist as his detractors have argued, then it is likely that non-Fulani Northerners are unlikely to support this purported plan.
Opinion and Analysis
I doubt that Sanusi Lamido will be successful in ridding the financial sector of the crooks that call the shots. My pessimism stems from the experiences of other reformist crusaders that have tried and ultimately failed to change the status quo in this dystopian conundrum called Nigeria. His job will be made harder by his colleagues at the central bank. They understand how the system works and may not be committed to his disruptive agenda.
Sanusi's dalliance with the EFCC might reap short term dividends but anybody who understands the workings of Mrs Waziri's EFCC knows that the agency is simply using this God sent opportunity to con Nigerians into believing that it is serious about the anti-corruption war. We must also consider the legal angle. Senior lawyers have told me that it is difficult to prosecute debtors when there is no evidence of fraud in the loan disbursement process. This explains why hardcore debtors such as Ike Okolo's Aquitane Oil and Gas have ignored the EFCC and opted to hire legal heavyweights to defend them. In spite of the EFCC's public relations blitz, other notable debtors such as the imperious Peter Odili have also headed to court.
The CBN has done the right thing by releasing the list of debtors whose loans are not performing. The composition of the list shows that there is a problem with Corporate Nigeria. Some of our most respected business leaders showed up on this list. I'm surprised that Alhaji Aliko Dangote and other respected Nigerian businessmen could brazenly decide to connive with these banks to short-change small investors and depositors. What if the banks had collapsed? The banks didn't help matters with their dubious interest charges. They basically gave debtors an excuse to stall.
Truth lies in the nuances.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The gods of our fathers
A few years ago, Eki Oba in Benin had its annual fire. Why Eki Edo and Eki Oba catch fire with an alarming sense of routine is a story for another day. What is interesting to note however is that for some reason, whenever they catch fire, goods do not get looted. Well, except for the Eki Oba fire of 2005. This time, people went into stalls and looted.
In the aftermath of the looting, many traders were ruined, and an appeal was made first by Apostle J. Longe, a pentecostal pastor for looters to please return the stolen goods. The man was ignored. In their turn, the Catholic archbishop of Benin, the Anglican bishop and the chief imam all came on air and appealed to the looters to please respect God and return what they had stolen. The reasoning was that God was watching, and if you destroyed people's lives, you would certainly reap what you had sown.
Still, there was silence.
A few days after the fire, Osamede Adun (whom we all know and love as Bob Izua) led a delegation of traders to the Oba Palace in Benin, and sacrifices were made. Then it was announced that the sacrifices had been made to Ayelala, probably the most ruthless deity of the Binis. According to the legend, Ayelala was a slave woman who was wrongfully killed, and took her vengeance on her killers from the grave. She was then made a goddess, and has proven to be an effective one at resolving disputes. It was to this deity that sacrifices were made, and Bob Izua announced that the looters had seven days within which to return the stolen goods or, "anything wey dem see, make dem take am as dem see am".For seven days, the pile of returned goods at Ring Road in Benin kept getting higher and higher...
Read the rest of this story...
Saturday, September 05, 2009
inna lillahi wa inna ilahi raji'un
The sign said, "Stand up for what you believe in, even if you stand alone."
Rest in peace, Gani Fawehinmi.


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The Birds
Shore of Lake Michigan
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- Focal Length37.0 mm
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- ApertureF8
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- Date TakenNov 27, 2007
- SubmittedNov 21, 2011
Shore of Lake Michigan
|151 Wins, 129 Losses
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A two-vehicle crash at 6:13 p.m. Wednesday resulted in one driver being admitted t Adams Memorial Hospital (AMH) with injuries, according to an Adams County Sheriff's Department report.
MONROEVILLE—A few timely hits during a classic pitcher's duel spelled a victory for Bellmont over their feisty opponent, Heritage, in an NHC/ACAC clash, 3-2.
On the road and struggling for victories amidst their difficult schedule stretch, Bellmont, now 3-8, got an all-star effort from their 6'5" hurler, Matt Chronister, who went the distance going seven innings for the victory with 13 K's.
To view tonight's baseball game between the Braves and the Patriots of Heritage, simply click the link below and log in using a password and username. The service is free so enjoy the broadcast. Go Braves!
Jeanne Azbell, 95, of Decatur died this morning.
Arrangements are pending at Haggard-Sefton & Hirschy Funeral Home.
Ralph Cornely, 59, of Decatur died Monday.
Arrangements are pending at Haggard-Sefton & Hirschy Funeral Home.
Estella Nussbaum, 86, of Berne, died this morning.
Arrangements are pending at Yager-Kirchhofer Funeral Home.
A house fire that killed a Decatur man late Monday evening has been ruled accidental, but the investigation into the cause of that fire is still undetermined, according to Assistant Fire Chief Jim Hitchcock.
First Merchants Bank, the Chambers of Commerce of Decatur, Berne and Geneva sponsored an economic outlook forum, moderated by IPFW Director of Community Research Institute John Stafford, at Adams Memorial Hospital on Tuesday.
It was billed as the "first annual" such event.
Schools in Adams County, along with those across the state of Indiana, were scheduled to resume ISTEP+ testing today after two days of computer glitches.
The Indiana Department of Education issued a statement Tuesday evening saying it was ready to resume the required standardized proficiency tests Wednesday after two days of computer glitches affecting the exams' online portion.
North Adams, Adams Central and South Adams schools experienced disruptions.
COLUMBIA CITY—At any other time of the track season, Bellmont coach Carl Risch and his Squaws would have had big circles drawn around Tuesday night's NHC triangular match-up between Carroll, Columbia City, and Bellmont, arguably the three best girls' teams in the conference.


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Check out the top five stories that IrishCentral readers have been interested in today.
3,000-year-old bog body found in Irish bogland
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New Year's Eve 2013 for NYC Kids: Best Ways to Celebrate NYE with the Whole Family
Whether your kids can make it until midnight or not, there are lots of fun ways to celebrate New Year's Eve in NYC with the entire family. We've rounded up some of the most promising options for ringing in 2014 family-style, from FREE bike rides and fireworks, to swanky (and admittedly expensive) Times Square parties.
However you welcome the New Year, we hope it's a blast! You can find even more seasonal fun in our Holiday Fun Guide.
For kids who can stay up until midnight
New Year's Eve Fireworks in Prospect Park – Prospect Heights
This annual Brooklyn celebration is our pick to ring in 2014—assuming it doesn't rain or drop way below freezing. The event kicks off at 11pm with live entertainment and hot refreshments, followed by a dazzling fireworks show at midnight. Best viewing spots include Grand Army Plaza, inside the Park on the West Drive, and along Prospect Park West between Grand Army Plaza and 9th Street. Or find a friend with a nearby rooftop!
Big Apple Circus: Luminocity – Upper West Side
Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park, 62nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue
We've been recommending the troupe's ongoing show since we reviewed it back in November. On New Year's Eve, families are treated to an extra-special performance with a champagne (or cider) toast and a circus-style countdown to midnight.
Emerald Nuts Midnight Run – Upper East Side
Starts at the Central Park Bandshell, enter the park at Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street
In advance: $60 for adults, $25 for children; day of: $65 for adults, $35 for children
A great way to start working off those extra holiday pounds, this noncompetitive run for ages 5 and up is an offbeat, only-in-NYC way to welcome 2014. There's dancing at 10pm, a costume contest at 11pm and fireworks at midnight that kick off the actual run. If you're not the sneakers type, you and the kids can just come for the FREE pre-run fun, and then head back home. Happens rain or shine. Although you can register the day-of, it's best to do it in advance since that's less expensive and hectic.
New Year's Eve Bike Ride – Greenwich Village to Central Park
Meet under the Arch at Washington Square Park, Fifth Avenue and Washington Square North
Families can join this FREE ride from Washington Square Park to Belvedere Castle in Central Park, sponsored by grassroots environmental group Time's Up. Dress is festive. and noisemakers and party favors are encouraged. After the ride, you are rewarded with an outdoor party filled with music, dancing and fireworks (yes, these are the same festivities the runners enjoy). If your kids can't cycle that far, there's an alternate Manhattan pick-up point at Madison Square Park. Best for children ages 10 and up on their own bikes, all ages if they're in a bike seat.
New Year's Eve Family Cruise – South Street Seaport
Pier 16 at the South Street Seaport
Boards at 9:05pm; sails 9:20pm-12:20am
$175 for adults, $130 for children ages 3-12, $525 per family of four
Many readers have written in asking how to see the fireworks on New York Harbor, and an expensive boat ride is probably your best bet. Unfortunately, most New Year's Eve cruises seem to be 21 and up save for New York Water Taxi's. Enjoy food, festivities, Wii games, party favors, noise makers and unobstructed views of the sparklers, as well as many NYC landmarks including the Statue of Liberty.
Times Square
It's not the place we would want to party on December 31, but if that's where you want to ring in 2014 with your family, a number of neighborhood spots are throwing high-end celebrations that accommodate the under-21 crowd. Many of them are right on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues but it's important to note that the live ball drop is not visible from most of these shindigs.
Dave & Buster's New Year's Eve Party includes a buffet, dancing, video games and a five-hour open bar (alcohol for parents, nonalcoholic beverages for kids). We've heard 14 is the suggested minimum age.
At Madame Tussauds, you can groove to a live DJ, hang out in themed rooms and more.
AMC Theatre Times Square has PG-13 movies all night, plus dancing.
Ripley's Times Square has fire breathers, a laser race, stilt walkers, magic acts, balloon sculpting and face-painting in addition to the ubiquitous DJ and hors d'œuvres.
Even Mexican chain Chevy's and haunted house Times Scare have packages, as do a slew of other area venues. Not all allow patrons under 21 but if your mind is set on Times Square, this site seems to have all the packages available.
Admission ranges from not as bad as you might expect to totally insane. Visit the respective websites for complete info. We've never been to any of these shindigs, but they have to be better than braving the Times Square crowds outside.
For kids who can't stay up late
All of the children's museums have special activities planned, which are free with regular admission. At the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the preschool set can make New Year's crafts and learn about the traditions of the holiday. At the Children's Museum of Manhattan, children can collaborate on a Who's New Year's Wishes Mural at the Grinch's Holiday Workshop in honor of the holiday. Finally, the Staten Island Children's Museum is throwing a New Year's Eve bash, with live tunes by Patrick and the Rock-a-Silly Band, dancing and treats.
Five Manhattan BR Guest restaurants—Atlantic Grill East Side, Bill's Bar & Burger in Rockefeller Center and the Meatpacking District, Wildwood BBQ and Isabella's—are hosting afternoon fetes from noon to 4pm complete with apple cider toasts, face painting, balloons and special family menus. Prices vary so call each restaurant for exact details.
And there's a lovely early evening celebration at the Cathedral Church St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights: the New Year's Eve Concert For Peace. Founded by the late great Leonard Bernstein in 1984, this annual performance features famous classical works by Handel, Mozart and Hadyn, as well as traditional spirituals, and a special appearance by legendary singer Judy Collins. The concert starts at 7pm and a limited number of FREE tickets are given out on a first-come, first-served basis. You can also purchase reserved seats for $30 each. Although the show ends three hours before midnight, it sends your family into 2014 with a joyful spirit.
For other seasonal activities, check out our Event Calendar and Holiday Fun Guide, especially our post about things to do over holiday break.
Originally posted on December 15, 2009