text:
Australian shares end lower after broad-based losses, but hold up better than expected after Friday's slump on Wall Street.
- Swan cuts growth predictions
- Graincorp soars on 'lowball' $2.7b bid
- Treasury shares slide on earnings downgrade
4.59pm: That's all for today. Thanks everyone for reading this blog. We look forward to welcoming you back tomorrow morning at 9.30am.
Here's our evening wrap of today's session.
4.53pm: The biggest winners among the top 200 stocks:
- Graincorp: +39%
- Ten Network: +7.1%
- Emeco: +4.2%
And these are the biggest losers:
- Treasury Wines: -7.3%
- Gryphon Minerals: -3.7%
- Bradken: -3.6%
4.47pm: Union coal miners have voted to accept an employment contract offer by BHP Billiton following two years of industrial action.
A majority of union workers across BHP's five Bowen Basin coal mines in Queensland state supported the offer, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) said.
4.45pm: Superannuation funds have performed at their highest level in five years due to a strong September quarter, with the median return of a balanced fund posting a 4.3 per cent gain, according to SuperRatings.
For the year to September 30, the median balanced fund has surged 8.2 per cent and the best-performing funds almost 10 per cent. About 60 to 70 per cent of Australians are in a balanced fund as it is the default option for most super funds.
4.40pm: China could stage a tepid economic rebound in the fourth quarter as higher public infrastructure spending nudges the world's growth engine out of seven consecutive quarters of cooldown, but growth will remain lethargic through 2013 a Reuters poll shows.
According to the poll of 19 economists, China's economic growth should perk up to 7.7 per cent in the fourth quarter, up a shade from a 7.4 per cent expansion in the previous three months.
The listless recovery leaves the world's second-largest economy on course for its slowest annual expansion in 13 years, though analysts say policymakers will welcome the cooling effect it brings to prices and refrain from fresh measures to stimulate growth in the year ahead for fear of reigniting inflation.
The consensus call is for no interest rate cuts or dramatic pump-priming moves in the coming year, though cuts to the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for banks are seen in store.
"We think the latest data suggests that the economy has bottomed," says Wang Tao, an economist at UBS in Hong Kong. "This means that there is a diminished need for another round of stimulus."
4.33pm: The biggest pea and thimble trick in the government's mid-year economic outlook is to collect company tax monthly instead of quarterly - a small but significant shift, writes Malcolm Maiden:
It doesn't change how much tax the government collects, but it does pull forward the timing of payments, boosting budgets by $8.3 billion over three years beginning in the year to June 2014, when $5.5 billion is pulled forward.
It's a process-heavy rule change and the companies that are affected will hate it, but the government has an eye to the political cost: a total of 13,350 companies are being forced onto monthly tax payments. More than 2 million others have been spared, for the time being at least.
4.28pm: It seems most market participants are still happy to wait for a deeper pullback before piling into equities, IG Markets strategist Stan Shamu says:
- The fact that Australia currently has contrasting fiscal and monetary policy probably doesn't inspire much investor confidence in the current market environment.
- We have a government that is fixated on tightening in order to deliver a surplus, while the central bank has been forced into an easing cycle to help the economy keep ticking along.
4.23pm: All sectors closed in the red today, with materials falling 1.2 per cent, energy losing 0.7 per cent and financials off 0.5 per cent.
4.15pm: The sharemarket has closed lower, but well off the day's low hit early in the session. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index fell 30.1 points, or 0.7 per cent, to 4541, while the broader All Ords lost 28.9 poionts, or 0.6 per cent, to 4564.6.
4.03pm: Dow and S&P futures are up about 0.2 per cent, indicating that Wall Street won't extend Friday's sell-off, which was sparked by disappointing profit results from heavyweights McDonald's and General Electric.
Altogether, it has been been a bad but not terrible US earnings season, desite the negativity on Friday. Of the 116 Standard & Poor's 500 companies that have so far reported, 60 per cent have exceeded analysts' estimates, below the 67 per cent pace of the previous four quarters, according to Thomson Reuters data.
3.55pm: The Reserve Bank is introducing industry-wide reporting standards for mortgage-backed securities to boost investor confidence in the market.
The new standards, which for the first time will allow investors to compare the performance of mortgage-backed securities on a like-for-like basis, comes in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, which crushed the volume of new issuance.
If, after a transition period beginning early next year, issuers have not conformed with the new reporting standard, their securities would become ineligible for the central bank's repurchase agreements (repos) program.
3.47pm: Super Retail Group has made a solid start to 2012-13, with sales across its automotive, sports and leisure businesses up despite tough trading conditions.
Speaking to shareholders at the company's annual general meeting in Brisbane, managing director Peter Birtles said like-for-like sales growth at its auto stores through the first 16 weeks of 2012-13 had risen 5.8 per cent.
Like-for-like sales were up four per cent for leisure retailing and had improved 8.9 per cent for Super Retail's sports unit.
Shares are up 4.1 per cent.
3.35pm: While the winning streak of the market was snapped the damage could have been worse after traders woke up Saturday morning to see a 200 point decline on the Dow Jones, says CMC Markets trader Tim Waterer:
- It seems traders took the view that the sell-off on US equities was perhaps a little overdone and was based too much on emotion and memories of the Wall Street crash.
- The mining stocks looked worse for wear courtesy of commodity prices reacting adversely to the Wall Street sell-off.
- Declines in copper, oil and gold prices dented the appeal of the big miners on the ASX, particularly with a multitude of manufacturing data due mid-week from around the globe which could pose more demand questions.
3.10pm: The rise of the internet has forced newspapers to restructure the way they deliver news, as the age of the NBN nears, are we also seeing the end of free-to-air broadcast TV?
High speed internet that can deliver high quality video on demand is fast becoming the norm in developed countries.
According to a report commissioned by Britain's Office of Communications, "smart" or "connected" television sets—with broadband connections capable of streaming on-demand video—will be in over half the nation's homes within a decade.
In Australia, smart TVs will roll out as quickly as the NBN. That looks unlikely to be at breakneck speed but it should be within a decade, too.
The much talked about "digital convergence" is about to become a reality, making the business models of free-to-air TV much less predictable and perhaps destroying them altogether.
2.53pm: The RBA is proposing new reporting requirements for residential mortgage-backed securities aimed at helping the market recover from the financial crisis, Assistant Governor Guy Debelle said.
"There is an increasing demand for more transparency in securitization from both investors and regulators alike," Debelle, who heads the Reserve Bank's financial markets division, during a a speech today in Sydney. "One objective for improving transparency is to ensure that investors, other market participants and regulators all have access to relevant and reliable information in order to monitor risk."
2.41pm: Now for a change of pace, here's an interesting read from the small business desk:
Justin Dowel's father was initially reluctant to let him join the family business, Natures Organics, before he'd established himself in another career.
But when the natural beauty and cleaning products company was fleeced by an equity partner and fighting for survival, Terry Dowel relented and set his then 21-year-old son a challenge.
"Dad basically said to me 'we're getting the company out of receivership and we need to go from selling $200,000 a month to $300,000 to survive. Go and do it'," says Dowel.
Two decades on, Justin Dowel is the chief executive of the business and has expanded annual sales from $2 million in 1991 to $100 million.
2.24pm: The head of AGL Energy's retail business has announced his retirement, causing a reshuffle among the company's senior executives.
General manager of retail energy Ken Hodgson has decided to retire from executive life and will be replaced by AGL's chief financial offer (CFO) Stephen Mikkelsen from January 2, the company said on Monday.
Mr Hodgson joined AGL in 2008.
Mr Mikkelsen has been the company's CFO since 2006.Head of strategy and finance Brett Readman will replace Mr Mikkelsen as chief financial officer.
Shares in AGL are down 0.6 per cent to $14.93
2.23pm: CBA economist Michael Workman says today's MYEFO had a message aimed at financial markets:
- The Government has again delivered on its fiscal message about the need for fiscal restraint when the economy is running at trend GDP growth and near full employment. But again, just enough has been done to maintain the wafer thin surpluses expected for some time now. It was also noted that the MYEFO foreshadowed additional savings measures that would have to be made in coming periods to maintain these surpluses.
- The economic message was aimed at the financial markets. Namely, Australia's Government can deliver budget surpluses, through restraint, in a period where there is significant uncertainty over the finances of some sovereigns. Australia's AAA rated sovereign debt rating is, therefore, likely to stay intact and public debt will remain low. These are useful protections to have in the current environment.
2.10pm: It looks like markets around the region are all a bit off par today:
- Nikkei(Japan): -0.8%
- Shanghai: -0.6%
- Taiwan: -0.9%
- South Korea: -1.1%
- Singapore: -0.3%
- New Zealand: -0.3%
2.02pm: Today's mid-year fiscal update saw a little more belt tightening by the government, says HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham:
- We estimate that fiscal policy is around 0.1% of GDP tighter than May budget implied.
- This will have few implications for the RBA, beyond what was already expected, as they would have largely anticipated this move.
- We still expect another 25bp cut from the RBA before year-end.
1.53pm: The government will extract an extra $8.3 billion from businesses in the three years from 2014 by collecting company taxes every month, rather than quarterly.
The measure, which will initially apply to the country's 350 biggest companies before being broadened to smaller firms, comes amid heavy write-downs in the revenue raised by corporate taxes and the mining tax.
Today's MYEFO update revealed tax collections from corporate Australia were suffering heavily amid a slowing of the mining boom.
Company taxes are forecast to be $4 billion lower this year and almost $22 billion lower over the four-year forward estimates.
1.45pm: Investors are betting Archer Daniels Midland will have to up its $2.7 billion offer for Graincorp or that a rival bid is in the make.
"The market is clearly speculating the offer won't be successful as it is. There is hope for rival offers or a higher price to seal the deal. It is very early days," says Paul Xiradis, chief executive at fund manager Ausbil Dexia.
"Given the strategic value of the GrainCorp assets and this is the last remaining grain company in public ownership, we believe there could be other interested parties such as other grain-related companies or an Asian buyer," Deutsche Bank analyst Mark Wilson writes in a research note.
JPMorgan says in a note to clients that GrainCorp should be valued at between $11.88 to $13.43 a share, based on Canadian grain company Viterra's acquisition of ABB Grain in 2009 and Glencore's bid for Viterra.
Graincorp shares are up 39 per cent at $12.30.
1.29pm: All major sectors are posting losses for the day. Telecommunications and health shares are leading thefall, down 1.2 per cent. Materials and energy stocks are also weighing heavily on the market, down 1.1 per cent each.
1.24pm: Gold and silver fell to their lowest in more than a month on Monday as investors turned to the safety of the dollar after tumbling US equities sparked concerns about the health of the global economy.
Gold hit a low around $US1713 an ounce and was standing at $US1720.21, roughly in line with Friday, but down from an 11-month peak of $US1795.69 marked in early October. Silver tracked gold lower.
1.19pm: Lonsec private client adviser Michael Heffernan said the falls on the Australian market were unsurprising given the drops in European markets on Friday.
''It's pretty much as expected given the lacklustre situation in Europe and that commodity prices were down,'' he said. ''It's not too bad considering the leads we had into today.''
1.10pm: The Aussie dollar hasn't responded strongly to today's economics news. It's fractionally higher than where it started the day. But investors are mindful of inflation data out on Wednesday and the likely implications for rates.
"The Aussie is soft and likely to remain soft heading into the inflation release," said Emma Lawson, a Sydney-based foreign-exchange strategist at NAB.
"The currency is looking at the broader global conditions this week and we're clearly starting off on a more subdued note."
Australia's dollar was buying $US1.0313 after losing 0.5 per cent in the previous two days.
12.59pm: The big miners are all having a day to forget:
- BHP is 1.13% lower to $34.60
- Rio is 2.25% lower to $57.82
- Fortescue is 2.72% lower to $4.11
- Newcrest is 1.13% lower to $27.20
12.53pm: As reported earlier, NAB and Westpac have fallen out of favour with Goldman Sachs, who've cut their investment ratings, on concerns that lower loan growth and a weaker margins would limit share price growth. You can read more about that here. The shares of those two banks have had a bad day as a result. Not as bad as the big miners, but they're down more than their rivals:
- NAB is 0.84% lower to $26.00
- Westpac is 1.13% lower to $25.27
- CBA is 0.33% lower to $56.65
- ANZ is 0.04% higher to $25.67
12.50pm: Here's the full story on why today's MYEFO could lead to another rate cut on Melbourne Cup day.
12.43pm: Here's where the government is cutting to ensure it can fulfil its promise for a budget surplus. You'll find a snapshot of all the numbers here:
- $8.3 billion over three years - company tax to be collected monthly from large businesses, rather than quarterly
- $700 million over three years - government contribution to private health insurance to increase more slowly
- $390 million over three years - removing private health insurance rebate on lifetime cover loading component of premiums
- $461 million over three years - baby bonus down from $5000 to $3000 from July 1, 2013 for second and subsequent children
- $305 million over four years - change of funding for trade training centres
- $270 million over three years - cuts to facilitation funding to universities
- $499 million over four years - slower funding increases for Sustainable Research Excellence
- $277 million over four years - cuts to payments to employers of part-time and casual apprentices
- $89 million over four years - reductions in various grants
12.37pm: You can watch Wayne Swan live here as he talks about the mid-year budget update. Remember to turn off autoplay is you don't want videos to start automatically.
12.35pm: Only five of the top 50 companies on the ASX today are posting gains, none over 0.5 per cent:
12.29pm: As the government continues to cut its way to a surplus, borrowers are likely to be the short-term winners.
Westpac head of Australian interest rate strategy Damien McColough said the weakening outlook for the budget and the commodities boom would trigger another rate cut in November, following the Reserve Bank's 25 basis point cut in October.
"It's all about iron ore prices and coal prices, so as always with Australia being a small, open economy, we're very vulnerable to global growth prospects," he said. The budget update showed that falling commodities prices would lower government mining tax receipts to $9.1 billion from an earlier projection of $13.4 billion over the next four years.
"The market has been saying for a long time that, because the government is so focused on surpluses it means that the RBA has to do more heavy lifting."
12.17pm: More on MYEFO. JP Morgan's chief economist Stephen Walters said the government was counting on strong economic growth and stable commodity prices to hit its promised budget surplus. In other words, there is a bit of hit-and-hope at play here.
''They are sticking with their brave assumption of a surplus this year but the fact they are having to release what is effectively a mini-budget four months into the fiscal year shows they weren't on track,'' he said.
''They are basically just crossing their fingers and hoping the growth materialises.''
Mr Walters said that, based on JP Morgan's own forecasts, the government would fail to achieve the surplus.
''If we're right, then they are still not going to make it on this sort of strategy because there just isn't going to be enough growth and the risk is that commodity prices will fall,'' he said.
12.09pm: Some tweets on the MYEFO:
Our economy walks tall in the world as a result of the hard work of Aussies & Labor's strong economic management & fiscal discipline. @SwannyDPM (Wayne Swan)
Govt saves $1.2b over the forwards because of lower global interest rates on Aussie bonds. Cheap debt. @swrightwestoz (Shane Wright)
Swan to Stevens: caaaaaarn @MattCowgill
Cutting the baby bonus to $3000 per child ($5k still for 1st one) will save Aust. Govt. $505.9m/4 years @latikambourke
Well: that's it on fiscal policy till 7 May 2013. Back to RBA watching @TheKouk (Stephen Koukoulas)
12.06pm: One of the big measures in today's MYEFO will see big business pay their tax in monthly instalments, just as they do their GST, Katharine Murphy notes in her Pulse blog from Canberra.
This brings $8.3 billion to the budget on an underlying cash basis over four years.
11.51am: More on Graincorp, and RBS Morgans analyst Belinda Moore, who has recommended investors hold on to their Graincorp stock in anticipation of an increased offer, possibly north of $13 a share, either from ADM or from a rival bidder.
''In our view, the offer price isn't high enough,'' she wrote. ''Based on an average season and including Graincorp's target to grow earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) by $40 million by the end of 2013-14, we value the company at $9.77 per share. Including the usual takeover premium of 30 per cent, this implies a takeover price of $12.70 per share for
Graincorp shares have soared since they came out of a trading halt this mornin,. They're at $12.42, up 40.3%.
Read more here
11.38am: The dollar is back up above $US1.03 after briefly slipping below that level in anticipation of the government's MYEFO release. It's currently buying $US1.0317.
Markets are still overwhelmingly expecting a rate cut at the RBA's next board meeting, with Credit Suisse interest rate futures indicating an 84 per cent chance of another 25 basis point move.
RBC Capital Markets senior economist Su-Lin Ong said the budget surpluses were ''well within forecasting error'' and added pressure for another rate cut in November.
''They're pretty wafer-thin these surpluses,'' she said. ''The underlying message, very clearly, is that the fiscal stance remains extremely tight.''
Ms Ong said the fiscal policy would drag on activity, at a time when the economy was softening. ''With the labor market is weakening, that's going to keep pressure on the RBA to cut further.''
11.31am: Billabong founder Gordon Merchant has forced the Australian Shareholders Association to retract some of the statements made in a recommendation to dump him from the struggling surfwear retailers board, BusinessDay's Colin Kruger writes.
The ASA said it received correspondence last Monday from Minter Ellison, acting for Mr Merchant - and former Billabong colleague Colette Paull - as well as Allens lawyers, representing the company itself, after recommending investors vote against their re-election as directors at this month's AGM.
While the ASA has stuck with this recommendation, it was forced to retract statements and clarify points supporting their recommendation which includes allegations that Mr Merchant ''effectively prevented'' Billabongs board from accepting a $3.30 a share offer from former suitor TPG in February.
Billabong shares have fallen this morning - they're down 2.4% at 83 cents.
11.23am: Japan's Nikkei average has lost 1.5 per cent in early trade, retreating from a three-week closing high thanks to a disappointing earnings seasons and the same bad news from Wall Street that has been depressing the Australian market.
The Nikkei dropped 131.60 points to 8871.08, ending a five-day winning streak, while the broader Topix index lost 1.3 per cent to 744.99.
The Nikkei's decline came as Japan announced a $US7 billion ($A6.82 billion) trade deficit in September.
The global slowdown and the fallout from a bitter territorial spat with China have contributed to the shortfall.
It came to ¥558.6 billion, reversing a year-earlier surplus of ¥288.8 billion. Exports fell 10.3 per cent, with shipments to China down 14.1 per cent.
11.16am: Before the release of the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook, nervous investors had sent the dollar to $US1.03 from $US1.032 earlier.
Rochford Capital director Derek Mumford said the dollar weakened in part because the budget update may foreshadow further rate cuts to come.
''It does open the door for further interest rates cuts by the Reserve Bank, possibly as soon as Melbourne Cup day,'' he said. ''And that obviously will undermine the attractiveness of the Aussie dollar, with the interest rates differential being squeezed all the time.''
11.14am: Graincorp shares have soared more than 40 per cent after receiving a $2.7 billion takeover bid from Archer Daniels Midland as the US agriculture giant seeks to push ahead in the global race for grains trading power.
Graincorp shares had added as much as $3.64 to $12.49 in recent trade.
11.12am: We've got more detail on Treasurer Wayne Swan's mid-year economic and fiscal outlook, which includes $16.4 billion in new savings over four years in a push to return the budget to surplus.
"The weaker global outlook and lower than expected commodity prices, along with the general easing of price pressures in the economy, are again slowing the recovery in tax revenue,'' Mr Swan said.
Real gross domestic product is now forecast to grow at around trend, at 3 per cent in 2012/13 and 2013/14. This is a downgrade of one quarter of a percentage point since the May budget.
Australia's terms of trade is also forecast to worsen, declining by eight per cent this financial year compared to a previous forecast fall of 5.75 per cent.
But unemployment rate is expected to remain low at 5 per cent in 2012/13 and 2013/14, while inflation is likely to remain well-contained.
''The government has responded to the more challenging global outlook by delivering $16.4 billion in new savings over the forward estimates,'' the Treasurer added.
11.04am: More from the Ansell AGM, and BusinessDay's on-the-spot reporter, Madeleine Heffernan.
Chief executive Magnus Nicolin says that although year-on-year sales to September have been weaker, a recovery in North America is coming.
Despite persistent weakness in Europe, Mr Nicolin says Ansell is "staying the course" on its guidance, announced in August.
11.02am: The federal government has slashed spending by $4 billion to reach a forecast surplus of $1 billion this financial year, which is $500 million less than forecast at the May budget.
The Treasurer, Wayne Swan, has also tweeted that the forecast surplus for 2015-16, the final year of the four-year forward estimates, will be $6 billion, which is $1.5 billion less than forecast in May.
10.59am: APOLOGY A minor, but annoying, technical issue may have prevented you from reading the blog earlier. It should be fixed now and should be updating OK.
10.57am: As was, predicted the weakness on Wall Street at the end of last week has set the tone for the trading day here. Burrell Stockbroking director Richard Herring says he expects little recovery from current levels throughout today's session.
''I'd expect some consolidation, but nothing too dramatic,'' he said.
Mr Herring said the release of the federal government's mid-year economic and fiscal outlook due in a couple of minutes was expected to have little impact on the equities market.
10.53am: The big banks are all lower, led by Westpac and NAB which, as we mentioned earlier, have both been downgraded by Goldman Sachs.
- CBA is 0.32% lower to $56.66
- ANZ is 0,16% lower to $25.62
- NAB is 0.57% lower to $26.07
- Westpac is 1.06% lower to $25.29
10.50am: The big miners are down quite heavily this morning:
- BHP is 1.11% lower at $34.61
- Rio Tinto is 2.35% lower at $57.82
- Fortescue is 2.60% lower at $4.12
10.43am: The Ansell AGM is underway in Melbourne, in which chairman Peter Barnes is to stand down to be replaced by his deputy Glenn Barnes.
Chief executive Magnus Nicolin says Ansell's sexual wellness arm was the star performer in the 2012 fiscal year and its new women's ''intimate freshness line'' in Australia ''seems to be working nicely''.
The CEO said despite the ''rather tough environment'', Ansell's full-year guidance is ''sustainable"; that is the company expects mid to double-digit growth in earnings before interest.
10.30am: Treasury Wine Estates has downgraded its financial forecasts because of a slow first quarter performance.
The wine maker behind brands including Penfolds, Beringer, Lindemans, Wolf Blass and Rosemount said its earnings in the first half of the 2012/13 financial year would be lower than originally forecast.
Its shares were down as much as 4.2 per cent, or 23 cents, to $5.27.
Treasury Wine said it expected its first-half earnings would be 20 per cent lower than the same period the previous year. First half earnings previously had been forecast to grow below the average of the past two years, which corresponded to 15.8 per cent. More soon.
10.28am: Sundance is leading the market with a gain now of 8.8 per cent. Here are the other major gainers on the ASX200 in early trade:
- Ten Network: +3.57%
- Pacific brands: +2.68%
- Lynas: +1.46%
- Envestra: 1.17%
- Seven Group Holdings: +1.12%
10.26am: With all sectors in the red in early trade, here are the major sliders on the ASX200:
- Coalspur: -5.34%
- Mount Gibson Iron: -3.85%
- Iluka: -3.79%
- Silver Lake Resources: -3.41%
- St Barbara: -3.38%
10.24am: All the sectors on the ASX200 are down in early trade today:
- Materials: -1.62%
- Energy: -1.43%
- Telecoms: -1.20%
- Health: -1.10%
- Information technology: - 1.03%
- Consumer discretionaries: -0.99%
- Industrials: -0.80%
- Finance: -0.65%
10.21am: Sundance Resources shares have leapt 9 per cent on Monday after its Chinese suitor Hanlong Group secured a long awaited financing commitment from China Development Bank for its year-old $1.4 billion bid for the aspiring iron ore miner.
Sundance shares opened at A$0.37, up 3 cents, compared with Hanlong's offer of A$0.45 a share.
10.15am: It'll be interesting to track the fortunes of the local banking sector today after Westpac and NAB were downgraded by investment bank Goldman Sachs on concerns lower loan growth and a weaker margins would limit share price growth.
In the latest bearish signal for the banking sector, Goldman Sachs lowered its rating on Westpac from "neutral" to "sell" as the outlook for returns softens.
"We expect Westpac's second half result to highlight a relatively weaker trend in pre-provision operating profit growth than peers at 1.2 per cent half-on-half," wrote Goldman Sachs' banking analyst Benjamin Koo in a note to clients.
10.13am: In early trade, the All Ordinaries index is 46.0 points lower, or 1 per cent, to 4547.5, while the benchmark S&P/ASX200 is 47.2 points lower, or 1 per cent, to 4523.9.
10.09am: As expected, the markets are heading south in very early trade.
9.57am: At least one analyst reckons local stocks won't escape the selling which hit Wall Street on Friday night. Leyland Asset Management senior portfolio manager Rohan Schmidt expected said stocks could fall as much as 1.5 per cent today on worries for US earnings and concerns about the EU debt crisis resolution.
"The expectation of a bailout for Spain, whilst continuing, is going at a real snail's pace," said Mr Schmidt. "At least it's still there on the table. I expect it will happen, but if it doesn't, we could see more ructions."
After the stellar run by US stocks in recent months, Mr Schmidt said investors may be reevaluating their outlook for earnings given the ongoing weakness in the US economy.
If people become worried that the US stocks have had a reasonably good run part because of the US Fed's monetary stimulus, then they may begin to sell down those stocks there, he said.
"I think today's focus is probably more on what happened in the US on the weekend," said Mr Schmidt.
Banks would also likely be sold down locally, said Mr Schmidt, following the bad debt provisioning by NAB on Friday.
9.53am: The Sundance Resources takeover play could be a step closer after the iron ore miner Sundance Resources said that China's Hanlong Group has secured a financing commitment from China Development Bank, marking an important step towards finalising a $1.4 billion takeover deal that has dragged on for a year.
Sundance said the bank has agreed to provide a debt facility of up to $1.022 billion, subject to credit approval processes.
Sundance added Hanlong had received a second commitment from Bank of Deyang Co Ltd to finance loans for the balance payable.
9.50am: Now for some fresh local news. Graincorp says it is reviewing a $2.7 billion takeover offer from United States-based agribusinesses Archer Daniel Midlands (ADM).
Graincorp confirmed it had received an indicative, non-binding acquisition proposal from ADM, after the US company last week increased its stake in the Australian business to 14.9 per cent. ADM is prepared to pay $11.75 in cash for each Graincorp share, valuing Graincorp at $2.68 billion.
''The GrainCorp board is reviewing the proposal and has not yet formed a view on its merits and will keep the market informed of any material developments,'' Graincorp said in a statement.
9.47am: And here's a snapshot of the major offshore news events this week:
- Monday: China Entrepreneur Confidence Index for Q3
- Tuesday: US Federal Reserve's federal open markets committee monetary policy meeting (day 1 of 2); Richmond Fed manufacturing index
- Wednesday: Day 2 of US Fed meeting, announcement of rates stance. US house price index, US new home sales, Markit PMI manufacturing index. China - Bloomberg economic survey for October, HSBC flash manufacturing PMI
- Thursday: US Conference Board leading economic Index for September, US durable goods orders, jobless claims, pending home sales index
- Friday: US GDP -economists consensus of 1.9%, up from 1.3%, US consumer sentiment. China - MNI business sentiment index for October
9.44am: One of the major themes this week will be AGM season, with Ansell and Treasury Wine Estates due kick things by fronting shareholders today. Other major companies holding a general meeting this week include Pacific Brands, BHP, Fairfax, Toll and Macquarie.
For a full list of the AGMs check the Australian business calendar. Here's a quick snapshot of this week's major business news:
- Tuesday: Conference board leading index. AGMs - PacBrands, OzMinerals, WorleyParsons
- Wednesday: ABS Consumer price index for September quarter. Internet skilled vacancies. AGMs - Fairfax, Austereo, Tatts
- Thursday: HIA Trades report, June quarter. AGMs - BHP, Suncorp. ANZ full-year results
- Friday: AGMs - Toll Holdings. Macquarie first-half results.
9.40am: The main game in economics news today is the federal government's MYEFO release, or mini budget. There'll be cuts, and Wayne Swan is expected to maintain his promise of a suplus for the year. It's expected at 11am.
In a preview piece this morning, Michael Pascoe writes that "the bi-partisan rush to fiscal rectitude is doing more to weaken demand here than softer growth in Asia". He writes:
The RBA currently has its toe on the accelerator while Treasury has its foot on the brake. The MYEFO means the brake will be pushed harder. Full story.
9.36am: Local stocks could have a rough start to the week following a bumpy end to last week on Wall Street. With major companies like General Electric and McDonalds issuing disappointing earnings guidance, US shares headed south and gave strong negative leads to Aussie stocks in the process. The Aussie dollar also weakened through Friday evening.
For a comprehensive look at this morning's business news, check today's need2know. Here are this morning's key market links:
- SPI futures were down 45 points to 4522
- The dollar is down to $US1.031
- Wall Street tumbles on weak earnings
- European shares fall on EU bank discord
- Spot gold suffers biggest drop in months
- Oil price dragged down by economic concerns
- Australian finance news: October 22-26
9.33am: Hi folks. Welcome to the Markets Live blog for Monday.
Contributors: Thomas Hunter, Jens Meyer, Richard Hughes
This blog is not intended as investment advice
BusinessDay with agencies


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We recently showed you some of the great cosplay from runDisney's "Star Wars" Half Marathon Weekend, but we've learned that the new rules surrounding cosplay at the event proved problematic for some.
Runner Khoi Hathuc sent us this message along with the above picture of their planned cosplay and, I have to say, it's a shame that all of their hard work went to waste.
I just wanted to say I liked your article about the costumes and creativity on display at the Disney star wars half, but I wanted to call your attention to a group of avid fans that got left out due to inconsistencies in the new costume policies Disney sent out 12 days before the race. My running club and a great deal of other people were forced to remove their costumes and in some cases trash them due to new safety fears. It is of course understandable, but the rules were vague and inconsistently enforced.
Based on other comments I've read, it seems like there was definitely some confusion surrounding the new rules. Now that the rules are in place, hopefully it won't be much of an issue next year.
Check out another pic of a banned cosplay below. And if your cosplay was rejected at runDisney over safety concerns, send a pic to email@example.com so we can share your work.

subset: commoncrawl


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A man in his seventies has died following a house fire in Plymstock.
Two other occupants of the property, a man and a woman, have been taken to Derriford Hospital. They are not thought to have serious injuries, although the man is thought to have smoke inhalation.
A joint police and fire investigation is now underway to establish the cause of the fire and enquiries continue.
At about 11.30 a.m. on Monday, November 12 emergency services were called to Furzehatt Park Road, Plymstock, following the report of a fire in the garage.


text: Although not too long ago, cell phones for children were very popular the craze seems to have slowed to a stop and people no longer seem interested in purchasing cell phones for children. Many find that a normal cell phone is good enough for hem, but I do agree with the one to two programmable buttons which would limit calls to people whom you actually need to call. The people in Japan however have switched from 1-2 buttons to just one programmable button. Not only does it allow for one call, but if it's cord is pulled it will emit an alarm as well as send both an SMS and voice message to the programmed number. Although it may not be as useful to us now, it is a nice $5.90 fix for parents in Japan.


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|From: Blake McBride (blake at mcbride.name)
Date: Sat Sep 9 11:38:07 EDT 2006
Greetings, I now embark on yet another macro venture. I've already spent an hour on it. I know I can figure it out eventually, but I figured it's easier to ask than spend the rest of my morning on this. Semi-curiously, scheme functions evaluate their arguments but set! and define don't evaluate their first arguments. I understand that it's convenient that they don't, but it is inconsistent. One of the main attractions of scheme is the fact that it treats (what other languages think of) variables and functions consistently and without requiring any extra syntax (like lisp). set! and define seem inconsistent. Lisp set (not setq) is more generic and valuable at times. I know you need a macro system to create a lisp-like set in scheme. It should work (for those unfamiliar with lisp set) like the following: (define a 'b) (set a 5) now: a -> b b -> 5 Since set evaluated its first argument (which evaluates to b), it set b to 5. I'm trying to create a scheme set macro which works the same using define-syntax and syntax-case. I presume syntax-rules cannot do this. Again, all this is trivial to express in a lisp-like macro system and the few capture situations are easy to avoid with a little care. Your help is appreciated. Blake McBride
|Posted on the users mailing list.


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Humans Yelling Like Goats, Yelling Like Humans [VIDEO]
Subscribe to Big Frog 104 on
As if the 'goats yelling like humans' thing wasn't dumb enough, now there's a video called 'HUMANS Yelling Like Goats Yelling Like Humans.' It's not as funny as the original videos though. In fact, it's basically just a bunch of people standing around making goat noises.
Its not as funny as the Taylor Swift & Carrie Underwood re-mixes, but it may make you smile today.
Subscribe to Big Frog 104 on


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GATESVILLE — Sentencing is scheduled Feb. 28 for Christopher Edward Evans who was found guilty on Wednesday for assault with a deadly weapon.
Police arrested Evans, 35, of Gatesville, after he pulled a handgun on Kevin Drayton, the boyfriend of his ex-wife in the Gatesville H-E-B parking lot on Jan. 7, 2013.
The threat occurred when Evans was handing over a child to his ex-wife and Drayton was present.
Evans pointed a .38-caliber revolver at Drayton and told him he was going to die that night.
Several witnesses told police that they heard and saw Evans threaten Drayton.
Police arrested Evans and recovered a loaded weapon at the scene.
Evans has remained in the Coryell County Jail on nearly $68,000 bond since Jan. 8, 2013.


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Wallace Sacks Paragon Modular Sofa with its simple yet stylish block design and flexible use is the ideal choice for modern living. This modular sectional seating is super versatile - you can buy the pieces separately, mix and match and arrange the set into different shapes depending on the occasion and/or room size, allowing living space to be optimised. The pieces comprise a left hand end unit, middle unit, a corner unit, a wedge unit, a right hand end unit and a must-have Ottoman with a removable wooden overtable, enabling it to double up as a coffee table. Each unit comes with removable, washable cushions with velcro base. All cushions are at least 10 cm thick so relaxation and comfort are guaranteed.
We offer a 5 year structural warranty as standard.
Modular sofa units:
1 x Right Hand End Unit
W 88 cm (including arm rest) x D 88 cm x H 80 cm
Inner seat width: 73 cm
1 x Wedge Unit
W 101 cm x D 88 cm x H 80 cm
1 x Middle Unit
W 73 cm x D 88 cm x H 80 cm
1 x Corner Unit
W 101 cm x D 88 cm x H 80 cm
1 x Left Hand End Unit
W 88 cm (including arm rest) x D 88 cm x H 80 cm
Inner seat width: 73 cm
1 x Ottoman
W 90 cm x D 62 cm x H 40 cm
1 x Wooden Overtable (used to convert the Ottoman into a coffee table)
W 42 cm x D 62 cm
Indoor Furniture
STANDARD UK DELIVERY - £59 (FREE ON ORDERS OF £1000 or MORE)
Includes removal of packaging materials (on your request).
Deliveries Monday to Saturday.
- takes 5-10 working days after dispatch.
Check individual product for dispatch estimates as this may be up to 12 weeks.
INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY - Please contact us for a quote.
You can return your order for any reason, at any time within 30 days of receipt provided it wasn't made to order for you, for a full refund or exchange.
Payment can be made by all major Debit and Credit cards except for American Express (we're working on adding this in the near future) . You can also pay with PayPal and we offer a 0% finance option with affoirditNOW.


text: Aura Hotel occupies a three- storied mansion in the central part of Ulyanovsk. The convenient location allows guests to easily reach all districts of the city. The city centre is accessible within 5 minutes- the Presidential Bridge over the Volga River- within 10 minutes- and the railway station- within 15 minutes. The trip to the airport will set one back for half an hour. The hotel building is equipped with modern security measures and is guarded by private security service. Rooms of Standard- Junior Suite and Suite categories are available for accommodation. The Standard room includes- two single beds-can be converted into one double-bed- bedside tables- table-mirror-TV set- wardrobe- hair-dryer- bathroom with shower- toiletry accessories- set of towels. Guests are always welcome at the hotel-s cozy Cafe and Bar-offering exquisite dishes of European cuisine along with special banquette menu from the chef. A business meeting can be arranged at the modern conference hall with 100 seats. Among the other Aura Hotel-s acilities and services- car parking with video monitoring- taxi call- safe box at the reception- wake-up call on prior request- air and railway tickets booking- Wi-Fi Internet throughout the hotel- room-service- 24-hour security- sauna- beauty salon- laundry service


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Article Preview
MRS. F. J. SHEPARD DIES OF A STROKE; Former Helen Gould, Famous for Philanthropy, Stricken at Her Summer Home Gave-Away Much of Fortune Mrs. Finley J. Shepard Is Stricken at 70; Philanthropist and Daughter of Jay Gould Got Permission to Marry Wed at Lyndhurst Benefactions in War With Spain Threats Malled to Her Activities In Recent Years Descendant of Pioneers
Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. ();
December 21, 1938,
, Section , Page 1, Column , words
Mrs. Finley J. Shepard of New York, the former Helen Gould, who was famous for her philanthropies in many fields, died at her Summer home here at 12:15 this morning, after being in a coma for more than 24 hours. She had suffered an apoplectic stroke ten days ago, and had been ill for two months. Her age was 70 years.
December 21, 1938
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Help with a firearm
Ok...a friend is in a bit of a financial bind and needs to offload some guns. He has a neat little '06 I am interested in, but no clue what it is. It has a 1917 Enfield receiver, with the "dog leg" bolt handle. It has a 'flaming cannonball on the bolt handle along with a big "1". The barrel is stamped Cal. 30-06 and a 'flaming cannonball'. The barrel has a sight that appears to be very cheap, something that I would expect to see on a very cheap .22 or a bb gun. The front sight is a ugly...looks like it is off a old Marlin levergun.
The thing I don't understand is that I thought the flaming cannonball was a mark to show that it was a military rifle. Am I wrong? There is also a very old looking scope, a Weaver V9 3-9...
What is this rifle and what would the approx. value be in 75-80% condition. Oh...the stock is a cheap, heavy looking walnut that is very much gloss...the thing blinded me driving down the road when the sun hit it.
Any help would be wonderful...
Casey- that mark is the "burning Bomb" and IS the mark for US military arms. Sounds like you have a Model 1917. Link for you: Collecting and Shooting the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1917 - HISTORY
How much ANY gun is worth is based on make, model, condition, and ORIGINALITY.
I can't see your rifle- you are not holding in close enuff to the computer. :p A 17 in very good original condition may be $800 or more. If it has been Bubba'ed up, value drops like rock. Changing sights, cutting stocks, drilling and tapping for a scope, etc.
BTW, one theory is that the M1917 was the rifle used by SGT Alvin York in WW I.
I think that the term 'buuba-ed up' would be an understatement. The front sight is actually blue and is a basic ramp front sight. The rear sight is a v-notch so I am pretty sure it is not stock.
As for the Sgt. York thing, I had always heard that there was a bunch of controversy that he was using the 1917 instead of the 1903. I guess it would be one of those things that we never really will find out unless we talk to him in Heaven.
As for the rifle, I took it to a gun shop today and they said that they would not sell it for more than $250 if it were in their shop. He said if I could get it for less than $250 it wouldn't be bad. I think I am going to pass. I would rather lend him the money than to take his prized rifle for that little of money and have him still needing more. Thanks for the information.
You could lend him the money with the rifle as security, like a pawn shop but with the understanding that you just want a chance to try it out, not to keep it.
The "flaming bomb" mark is...
A US ordinance mark, but you might have a "souphound" gun on your hands!:rolleyes:
I do not know what a "souphound" is. Could you elaborate?
|All times are GMT. The time now is 04:50 AM.
Copyright ©2000 - 2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.


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Internet Explorer on my computer has went physco(if that is the term u want to use) and nothin will help it and my choices are:
A. live with it
B. wipe the harddrive and start over and hopefully that will fix it
What would you choose. I have hear wiping the hard drive is a pain and much more. I really don't want to have to start over but if it will fix it i guess i am willing to.
Is there any other way to get IE to go back to normal without starting over for scratch?
Edited by techguy, 18 May 2004 - 05:50 PM.


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Genii Capital
Genii Capital is an investment management and financial advisory firm, operating within the Finance division of The Genii Group.
Genii Capital serves the needs of investors, international groups and governments worldwide. Through our prestigious global network we bring together highly experienced and talented people and an entrepreneurial investment philosophy. Our strategy provides a unique vantage point in the world of investing without the traditional risk/reward trade-off.
We focus on identifying the right opportunities, adding value through hands-on guidance from our experts and generating synergies between a network of companies, investors and industries.
Genii Capital's unique makeup makes it the partner of choice for those seeking international, long-term progress, alongside a commitment to social responsibility and sustainable development.


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Featured Article
FALL CLEANUP BEFORE WINTER ARRIVES--Autumn commands our attention as attentively as spring, but without the feverish anticipation of what's to come. Instead, we size up the past, review our triumphs and mistakes, assess changes for next year and plant fall crops. More urgently, it's time to consider how to prevent erosion and add nutrients to a well-used plot.
NEW BEGINNINGS: Along the eastern foothills and plains of Colorado, a vegetable garden doesn't come easily. Every year would-be gardeners put out their spindly tomato plants too early and suffer a cold snap. Or they watch their spinach bolt on a blistery hot day. It's either too cold, or too hot -- or both -- all in the same day. Then, of course, there are the winds. Not to mention the hard-packed clay soil.
Growing vegetables isn't for the fainthearted, but neither should it be impossible. With the right soil amendments it's possible to grow a garden you can crow over. It just takes some planning. Several experts explain their methods.
GARDENING WITH CHILDREN: My friend Lawrie once designed rose gardens, heirloom flower gardens and romantic getaway gardens. But now that she has retired, her gardening skills and expertise are lavished on a small fruit orchard that surrounds her bungalow. In the middle of the orchard stands a honeybee hive for bees that pollinate her plums, apples, cherries and raspberries. She expected a steady hum of busy honeybees. What she didn't expect was the small throng of neighborhood kids who watched her from afar, ventured in and now help her with the task of harvesting honey—complete with their own beekeeper's uniforms.
MINTS & LEGUMES: Like the rose family of apples and pears, strawberries and cherries, legumes and mints also define much of the world's cuisine. Legumes provide beans and peas, the staples of a human diet around the world. Mints provide the flavorings. They include the aromatic herbs of thyme, lavender, basil, rosemary, oregano and peppermint. These gifts alone make them esteemed plant families. But they offer more.
HEIRLOOM VEGGIES--Like most home gardeners, I was first introduced to heirloom vegetables through tomatoes. The Amish Brandywine couldn't be beat, I was told, and my pulse quickened at the thought of plump, misshapen beauties all summer long. I've grown a number of heirloom tomatoes and found some of them fickle. But I've found heirloom tomatoes that thrive in my garden given the soil, summer temperatures and dates to maturity. Starting with tomatoes opened the world of heirloom vegetables for me and introduced the history that comes with them.
THE FRUGAL GARDEN -Now that we've entered a new historical era of tighter bank regulations, stringent loan requirements and credit card crunches, gardening comes to the rescue. What many of us once considered a harmless hobby takes on an urgency: abandoned urban lots converted to vegetable gardens, rooftop food gardens and community gardens. "We once grew organic food for flavor and health," one longtime gardener said, "now we'll be growing to feed others." If you need to feed your family or your neighborhood, it's time to find ways to garden on a tight budget. In lush times or lean times, gardening doesn't have to break the bank.
AUTUMN SALAD GARDEN --After the summer heat abates and a cooling rain sets in, it's time to consider an autumn garden. Although a summer garden is what we all prize, an autumn garden is one of the sweetest times of the year to sow a few seeds. Chard, radishes, spinach, parsley, lettuces—the crops that defined a green spring may be easier to grow in autumn. Seeds germinate quickly in cooling temperatures and the weather is generally more settled. Even if you're exhausted from pulling up tomato vines and prickly squash plants, an autumn garden is quick and easy.
THE HERB GARDEN --While diehard gardeners fiddle with finicky tomatoes and delicate eggplants, there's another garden to be considered by those looking for sturdier, less demanding edibles. It's one that cuts grocery bills substantially, provides perennials as well as annuals and grows vigorously with minimal time and effort from the gardener. This is the herb garden. Here, basil and parsley, cilantro and dill flourish in the vegetable garden while thyme, lavender, mint and sage fit into a perennial garden. Garlic, as a bulb, is well worth growing but best set aside in a bed of its own.
PLANNING A SPRING GREENS GARDEN --February is the quiet month of the year for gardeners. We've perused the catalogues that arrived January and wait for March to plant early crops. This is the month when we revise our original plans, look over last year's notes and exchange seeds with fellow gardeners. February is the month when we decide what the first garden will be.
IN PRAISE OF PENSTEMONS Penstemons, a spectacular collection of Western wildflowers, have jumped fences from wild to mild, settling into drought-tolerant landscapes. Gardeners love their brilliant colors, tough natures and unkempt appearances. But these wildflowers do have exacting needs. Some, like glaber, thrive on disturbed soil of a recent burn. Others will take to regular garden soil a little more easily. Penstemons occasionally are hybrids. But most often they are species plants, exactly as Mother Nature designed. The key to including them into a garden is to match soil, site and penstemon.
A COLORADO GARDEN OF NATIVE PLANTS--Logic would have us believe that a garden of native plants would be the simplest approach to horticulture. After all, plants that Mother Nature intended for Colorado should flourish in our front yards, buoyed by our attention and love.
THE PROMISE OF A ROSE GARDEN --In a garden of a hundred roses, or more, lies a botanical marvel. Ruth Roberts has filled her flower beds with miniature, shrub, floribunda, hybrid tea, climbers and old garden roses from rose cuttings. "See this climber," Ruth says about a vigorous six-foot rose studded with tiny pink buds, "it's only three or four years old." September is the optimum time to begin rose cuttings in your garden.
HEIRLOOMS IN THE GARDEN: When it comes to drought-busting plants, tough native specimens and imported new ornamentals from faraway arid climates occupy front rows at garden centers. But there's another group of plants that should rise to the top of our lists when it comes to sturdy growth, longevity and sheer persistence. Heirlooms, flowers and vegetables that our grandmothers grew, have a few standouts that have survived wet years and dry years. They'll stand by us today during difficult seasons and serve us as well as they served those who brought them to Colorado one hundred years ago.
SUNFLOWERS: A RETURN OF THE NATIVE: Vincent Van Gogh's painted sunflowers may mark the signature of European Impressionism in the 19th century, but the cheerful yellow flowers are native to North America. Sunflowers, like corn, Concord grapes, blueberries and cranberries, originated on this continent and were ferried across the Atlantic hundreds of years ago.
A COLORADO KITCHEN GARDEN: The American kitchen garden may have reached its zenith with the victory gardens of World War II, but it's on the upswing again. This time taste and unique cultivars, rather than survival, rally the troops. Recently the French potager has renewed enthusiasm: marigolds nestle alongside Marmande tomatoes and Genovese basil. In Colorado, we have classic combinations of our own.
HARDY ROSES: Roses may be the most beloved and one of the sturdiest flowers throughout history. It's not uncommon to see lilacs, bearded iris and tough roses growing alongside dilapidated farmhouses on 19th century Colorado homesteads. The blossoms of old-fashioned species roses like the bright-red Austrian copper or Harison's yellow spill over many a rickety turn-of-the-century farm fence.
THE PLIGHT OF THE HONEYBEE -- The world's busiest creature is essential for pollinating our flowering and fruiting crops. That's why beekeeper Tom Theobald is alarmed that their numbers are declining in Colorado and elsewhere.
SUNFLOWERS AND WILD BEES: For several years I've tried to protect wild bees in my garden by growing sunflowers. Scientists believe populations of wild bees to be in decline. Widespread single-crop farming has contributed to wiping out their habitat. And while many gardeners, including me, have worried about the plight of honeybees, wild bees suffer in silence. Their disappearance barely is noticed by anyone other than a handful of entomologists. Now there's new research indicating how important native bees may be.
ANNUAL SEEDS: Whether you're a frugal gardener, a lover of bees and butterflies, a conservationist, or an experimental gardener--annual seeds will form the backbone of your garden. For the frugal, sowing seeds is less expensive than nearly any other approach to gardening. A few dollars will seed a meadow, grow edibles and feed the bees.
A COLORADO GARDEN THAT'S EASY AND NUTRITIOUS--As a longtime Colorado gardener, I've prided myself on plump heirloom tomatoes, delicate lettuces frilled and ruffled, Italian eggplants with glistening alabaster skins and large sweet onions. Our climate challenges these beautiful vegetables. Hail, steep drops in temperatures or soaring summer heat hinders the most intrepid gardener. And it may be the wrong approach to good nutrition as well. After I read Jo Robinson's book Eating on the Wild Side, I decided to take a new look at what I am growing and why.
COVER CROPS: WINTER PROTECTION--Cover crops are the last detail, the finishing touch to the end of an autumn season. Nothing will protect a vegetable garden as well throughout a frosty winter with strong winds. Turning over a cover crop in the spring adds humus and nitrogen. It's the easiest way to enrich your garden and the best insurance that healthy soil awaits when you plant seeds. Most garden centers provide a variety of cover crop seeds, which you can buy by the pound. Above: peas fix nitrogen in the soil for next year's crops.
TOWARD A NEW GARDEN: WHEN VEGGIES MIX WITH FLOWERS--Vegetable beds traditionally come in rows for a practical reason. This timeless design is intended to weed and harvest as efficiently as possible. But as suburban plots shrink so do wide open spaces for vegetable gardens. That's when it makes sense to look at vegetables in a different light—as ornamental plants as well as practical food producers. We plan flowerbeds to buffer a sidewalk, surround a building or line a path. Those places may be the sunniest or best drained. Why not locate vegetables where they will be happy, even if it's among the bearded iris or roses.
GOING PESTICIDE FREE - We are advised to stop to smell the roses occasionally. But along with the perfume comes a whiff of pesticide. Most of us want to get away from pesticides and herbicides. Is it possible? Where do we start? It begins with a change of heart. The reluctance to bring out the pest-killing sprays takes hold when a gardener embraces the philosophy of a naturalist. And with that comes the abolition of poisons.
BUTTERFLY ENCOUNTERS --Throughout July and August some of nature's most colorful creatures bob and float in the garden. A Western tiger swallowtail hovers over zinnias. The tiny white cabbage butterfly zigzags toward daisies. When they were caterpillars in the garden during the months of May and June, we hated them. By August, we've forgotten about the destruction; we're ready to enjoy their company.
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEANS --Beans are among the easiest of crops to grow, especially in the arid West. No bean likes to sit in watery soil. And all like warmth. Many derived from North America and we can claim them as our own. It's hard to imagine a more widely grown crop that has sustained humans. Perhaps most importantly, beans are among the easiest crops to save seeds and pass them along to friends, family and the next generation.
A FIRST GARDEN --To curtail global warming, here are the usual tips: ride a bike, use low-energy light bulbs, hang the wash outside, plant a garden. Not just any garden, but a garden that will feed you. A garden that is pesticide and chemical fertilizer-free not only will feed your body, it will feed your soul. And it may take the pressure off global farmers who now must feed their own people rather than ship produce to the United States and Europe.
FALL CLEANUP BEFORE WINTER ARRIVES --Autumn commands our attention as attentively as spring, but without the feverish anticipation of what's to come. Instead, we size up the past, review our triumphs and mistakes, assess changes for next year and plant fall crops. More urgently, it's time to consider how to prevent erosion and add nutrients to a well-used plot.
OLD SUMMER COLORS:--Spring may herald the pastels of traditional English gardens but summer is all-American: neon yellow daisies, sherbet orange lilies, satiny magenta hollyhocks, and robust sunflowers. Summer is a time of bold and hot colors.
GROWING PERENNIALS FROM SEED: If you crave a sea of columbine, a raft of penstemon or a meadow of coneflowers, you'll get buckets of plants for the cost of pennies. If you long for a rare plant that isn't offered in any garden center but sprouts on a seed jacket, you'll have to consider taking it home. In a few cases, some perennials may be easy to divide, like purple coneflower, but you'll have to wait a few years for a clump to grow large enough to take advantage of division. That's another reason to consider seeds.
UNDERCOVER: GARDENING THROUGH THE WINTER IN A COLD FRAME: Eliot Coleman, a market greens grower in Maine, has made a name for himself by raising exquisite greens under cold frames. Although his climate is wetter than can be found in Colorado, Maine's zone is 5, the same as ours. Could this New England approach to winter gardening transfer to our soil and weather conditions? Some gardeners believe it can.
THE DIRT ON COMPOSTING: "If you get involved in composting, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor instead of laboring over your fruits," says Judy Elliot, an educator with Denver Urban Gardeners. "Composting makes gardening easier. It's a no-fail endeavor." Composting turns trash to treasure. It's as simple as that.
By Colleen Smith
FLOWERING CRABAPPLE TREES USHER IN SPRING: As any gardener knows, Colorado's spring weather is uneven. Snow showers may follow a summery day in April and temperatures fluctuate wildly. For a brief period of time, crabapple trees bloom with their showy white or pink blossoms and we are lulled into believing that warm weather is here to stay.
THE COLORADO WINTER GARDEN: Winter allows Colorado gardeners to rest—much like their gardens. But this approaching winter, coming after a summer drought, has forced gardeners to reconsider time-honored approaches. Horticultural experts are suggesting that we leave perennial beds alone, allowing the top growth to bend over and protect roots throughout the dry months. Applying mulches around trees, perennials and shrubs is urgent. Winter watering may be necessary, along with drip irrigation and compost bins. This winter, more than ever, requires planning for spring.
A GARDEN OF REPOSE: Searching for a pla
ce to soothe your soul, restore your spirit or calm your nerves? Vail's Betty Ford Alpine Garden is a summer destination for the worn and weary. No parades of people, no jostling, no ticket taking. The garden is free, rarely packed, beautifully planted and inviting. You are beckoned to find a seat and stay awhile. Meditation is encouraged.
WINGS ALONG THE ROCKIES: Colorado is home to 250 species of butterflies, more than anywhere else in North America. George Brinkmann, retired horticulturist from the Butterfly Pavilion and former staff horticulturalist of Denver Botanic Gardens, tells us how to plant a butterfly habitat and why it's so important.


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Australian Capital Territory
How does ShopBasics continue to maintain its position as the undisputed leader in the visual display merchandising industry in the region? by providing retailers, designers and the shop fitting trade a complete 'solutions oriented' package. Come in to ShopBasics and choose from our extensive range of products to help you merchandise, promote and sell your products brilliantly.
Share your experience!


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Palermo Yacht Charter
Palermo is a charming Sicilian city steeped with rich history and beautiful architecture. It lies within the southern section of Italy on the Island of Sicily and is somewhere which can be worthwhile to visit on your Sicily luxury yacht charters. Palermo is about 790 kilometres from the southeast section of Ajaccio and about 720 kilometres from the southern tip of Naples. This old European city has existed on this site for nearly 3000 years and has had various cultural influences over that time. Two words to describe what you can expect when exploring Palermo on your yacht charter would be fantastic architecture and food.
Sicily is a popular yacht charter location and Palermo is dubbed as the local region's centre for Italian architecture, culture and history. It is also considered as the tourism and economic capital of Sicily. All these attributions to the City of Palermo explain why it is teeming with yacht charter aficionados as well as other tourists through most parts of the year. Yachting enthusiasts set sail to Palermo each year to explore and experience the distinctive warmth of an authentic Mediterranean holiday, with all the usual trimmings including a glimpse to the storied history and rich tradition that pervade within the region of Sicily.
There are several smaller towns and quaint villages within the area where Palermo is located. These include quaint fishing villages that showcase typical Italian rural setting and Sferracavallo, which is also a popular resort destination that boasts of stunning beaches and important archaeological structures that trace their origin as far back as the Paleolithic Age.
Yacht Charter Holiday in Palermo
The mere mention of Palermo already evokes images that are distinctively Mediterranean. Its attractions serve as our link to an old society ruled by the Romans and Greeks. From the shores of Palermo, yacht charter aficionados can conveniently access the Egadi Islands – Levanzo, Marettimo and Favignana.
The renowned island of Pantelleria is just 50 nautical miles from the southern end of Palermo and in the northern portion; one can set sail to the exotic Ustica Island. Indeed, Palermo is the perfect base for yacht charter enthusiasts who want to visit the best destinations within the region. Palermo is also the favourite whistle-stop destination of yacht charter aficionados who are going to Egadi Islands.
Popular Attractions and Important Places in Palermo
Palermo is considered by the yacht charter crowds as one of the most alluring and stunning cities in all of Europe. It is teeming with verdant vegetation, and its shores hug the azure waters of the Mediterranean. The city streets are steeped with history, and these are lined by old structures that bear distinctive features and designs that indicate strong influence of multiple cultures, including Norman, Byzantine, Sicilian and Arabic.
Popular attractions in Palermo include the Regional Archaeological Museum, which showcases important artefacts that represent cultures that date back to prehistoric times as well those that are traced back to Phoenician, Greek and Etruscan eras. Another important attraction in Palermo is the Real della Favorita, a stunning park that lies on the outer edges of the city.
There are a lot of important places to cover and activities to enjoy in the City of Palermo and you would need to spend at least 3 days to really savour the charm and splendour of this popular and important yacht charter spot in Italy.


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- Released: Dec 15, 2013
- Sound: 7
- Lyrics: 9
- Overall Impression: 8
Users' score:
(6 votes)
Sound — 7
Talib Kweli's last album was "Prisoner of Conscious," which had more of a focus on his musicality and the beats used in the tracks, while "Gravitas" is focused around the lyrics. Originally, the album was going to be produced by Q-Tip but due to what Talib Kweli referred to as an inability to get the face time with Q-Tip he used other producers and will release the music he has been working on with Q-Tip at a later time. There are 11 tracks on the album with an approximate runtime of 44 minutes and was released by Javotti Media.
The album opens up with the track "Inner Monologue" which opens with sampled audio from a speech or monologue about art and creativity, and when Talib's verses start it is kind of like the mission statement of the album. "Inner Monologue" was produced by Khrysis. "Demonology" is up next, with the verses having a narrative style and Gary Clark Jr. featured on the track - or his guitar is featured, anyway. The song has a pretty wild vibe to it and is probably my favorite track from the album. "Demonology" is produced by Lord Quest. "State of Grace" is up next and features Abby Dobson on the track, and is also produced by Lord Quest. "Violations" features Raekwon and is produced by Thaddeus Dixon. The subject of "Violations" fits really well with the previous work Raekwon has done both as a solo artist and as a guest with other artists. "Rare Portraits" is up next and is produced by Oh No. "New Leaders" features The Underachievers and is produced by Statik Selektah. "New Leaders" has a really optimistic vibe to it and is fun to listen to. "The Wormhole" is produced by Oh No and seems to be a rant about other hip-hop artists rapping about Illuminati conspiracies. "What's Real" features guest vocals by RES and is produced by Rich Kidd. "Art Imitates Life" has several guests, featuring Black Thought, Rah Digger, and ALBe. Back and is produced by Oh No. "Lover's Peak" is produced by Sixth Sense. The album closes out with "Colors of You," which features Mike Posner and is produced by J Dilla. While I enjoyed the album, the beats could be a lot more interesting than they are, but I guess there is a balance if you want people to listen to what you're saying instead of just nodding their head to the beat.
Lyrics — 9
Talib Kweli is a really interesting lyricist - specifically because he has a good combination of lyrics and flow. Most conscious rappers seem to either be great at writing verses, but not really having a great flow while delivering them, but Talib Kweli seems like he has a pretty decent balance.
The vocals from the album are supposedly Talib Kweli doing things exactly like he wants to do with the focus on the vocals and lyrics above everything else. Here are some lyrics from the closing track, "Colors of You" (featuring Mike Posner): "My self-expression require every color in the spectrum/ My self-reflection make the light change direction/ When you see it from this angle, the color that cut the clarity/ Stars bringing me down, it's the depravity and gravity/ Having me in my blue phase, go off the grid for a few days/ Go on a journey without a suitcase/ The security of obscurity/ In a world of respect and I'm trading it like it's currency/ Currently it's soft as a mallet hitting the xylophone/ He's so yellow, I'm wishing this fellow right his wrong/ Now in steady it's synthetic and Styrofoam/ Recite a poem, some monotone that ain't monochrome/ My light will poke through the clouds, I'll take you higher like you smoking the loud/ While I provide at your kaleidoscope of sound/ You can see it with your ears, you can hear with your eyes/ You can feel it right here yea/ Colors of you/ You don't look like turquoise/ You don't look like gold/ You don't look like purple/ That'll match on you/ Ayo the world is a coloring book/ Look, new discoveries every time when I color outside the lines/ Colors of you/ Ayo the world is a coloring book/ New discoveries every time when I color outside the lines/ Colors of you."
Overall Impression — 8
I enjoyed the album quite a bit, and I like Talib Kweli's perspective he is usually rapping from. My favorite tracks from the album would probably be "New Leaders" and "The Wormhole." I didn't really dislike any track from the album. I am interesting in the tracks that Talib Kweli was working with Q-Tip on, so hopefully we'll hear those tracks at some point in the near future.


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Friends have fondly remembered the smile and laughter of a much-loved man tragically killed in front of his sister in Campbell on Saturday morning.
Benjamin Tonkin-Smith died when he was struck by a reversing car, which was allegedly fleeing an altercation soon after midnight.
Police were called to a Campbell home on Saturday morning when an argument resulted in Emma Thost-Hedge, 21, allegedly hitting a parked blue Mitsubishi.
Mr Tonkin-Smith was struck as the car's driver, who reversed quickly out of the driveway, attempted to escape.
Paramedics rushed the 20-year-old to Canberra Hospital where he was pronounced dead by hospital staff soon after arrival. Police investigations continued on Sunday. It is understood no charges have been laid against the driver.
Ms Thost-Hedge was charged with property damage and was bailed by the ACT Magistrates Court on Saturday morning. It is believed she is in a relationship with the victim's sister, Courtney Tonkin-Smith, while the driver is Ms Tonkin-Smith's ex-boyfriend. Ms Tonkin-Smith was present during the incident.
Family and friends took to Facebook over the weekend to pay tribute to a life cut short.
Mr Tonkin-Smith's father, Malcolm Tonkin, on Sunday wrote of his anguish at the loss.
''Well, Bj. It's been just over 24 hrs since you left us, missing you like mad and wishing you were still here. Love you son, that will never change, just wish you were still here with us. You never got to become a parent, s---, you only just got your full licence,'' he wrote. ''R.I.P. mate, we will love and miss you forever until we meet again. Love you son.''
His sister also posted a heartfelt message to her brother.
''I'm sorry things went this way but u did not deserve this we may have had our fights but we still came through I can't believe this has happened I love u brother there is not a day that I'm not going to forget this love you and miss u already.''
A Facebook page created in his honour had attracted more than 460 followers on Sunday, with friends posting messages and pictures of remembrance.
One user posted: ''You are by far the best thing god ever put breath into, it just sucks that he's also the one that can take it away as quickly as he gave it to you. You had the best personality, smile, laugh, just everything about you everyone loved!'' Another said: ''The many memories we made, will never will be forgotten. FOREVER YOUNG brother from another mother. RIP Benny Boy!!!!''


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New Delhi, July 8 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday took the Congress-led UPA Government to task after the Indian rupee breached the 61 mark against the U.S. dollar, saying this is the biggest failure of the economist Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to manage the economy.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said this is the worst news that the rupee has fallen well below 61 rupees to a dollar.
"Let me remind the country that when UPA took over it was 45 rupees per dollar. With their policies and failures and non-governance and corruption resulting in economic mismanagement. Now, the rupee has come down to 61 rupees per dollar. This is absolutely unacceptable," said Javadekar.
"This is the biggest failure of the economist Prime Minister to manage the economy. Inflation and depreciation both are hurting common man because the prices of petrol, diesel will increase, prices of fertilisers will rooftop and hurt the farmers," he added.
The Indian rupee breached the 61 mark against the U.S. dollar on Monday, beating the previous record low of 60.76 hit on June 26.
The rupee traded at 61.03 as of 11.15 a.m. against Friday's close of 60.23.
The sharp plunge also affected sentiments in equity markets, with the BSE Sensex falling over 300 points in early trades today.
Last week, the rupee fell 1.4 per cent last week and its nine-week losing streak is the longest since the last one ended June 3, 2012. (ANI)


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Question for the Money Doctors
Question submitted on Apr 30, 2014.
QuestionMy situation is rather perverse and dire. I am now a 7th year senior, who has been tackling great adversity and regrets. My family isn't into my finances, save for my dad's unemployment, and my cell phone. I have been tackling both medical issues, and am facing the burden of maxing out student loans without graduating, I need some serious help here ...My family dynamics are stark, and as the 'black sheep' of my family, I can't go to them for help, and was ill-prepared to handle the world when I got out, so now I am stuck on my own. I need some assistance here. Is there any emergency relief programs or something that can help a special case such as mine? I need help.
While the tone of your question does seem rather "dire", I still don't know any details about your problems, such as:
How close are you to graduation?
What area of study did you undertake?
What are your job prospects?
What are the balances owed on the student loan debt that you mention?
What is the nature of your medical problems?
It sounds as though you are reacting very emotionally to the reality of having made some bad decisions and incurring debt, without a firm plan to repay it.
You need to calm down and work through the problems a little at a time. These debts didn't appear over night and they may take some time to repay, so don't panick.
Develop a plan to stop the bleeding first. Are you living within your means currently? If not, get on a budget.
Develop a plan to pay off your debt over whatever period of time it takes. Make a list of all of your debts that includes the interest rate and the minimum monthly payment. Then talk to your creditors and tell them about your plan, don't ignore them.
If the creditors are harrassing you, know your rights. Consider talking to an attorney that speciallizes in bankruptcy and learn what debts you can and can't discharge in bankruptcy.
It sounds as though you are learning some really tough life lessons at a very early age. Even without the benefit of responsible parenting, you must learn to be held accountable for your own decisions.
Develop that plan and then work it each day.
For additional information visit http://www.360financialliteracy.org/


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Arts, Design, Fashion & Beauty, Society & Culture, TV & FilmFollow
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MODTV® Fashion Video Podcast takes you backstage at fashion week in New York, Milan and Paris with the world's top models, fashion designers, beauty pros and celebrities. Created by Karen Morrison, Executive Producer & Director MODTV. For more information write us at [email protected] or visit our website MOD-TV.COM
October 15th, 2015
Episode 249 of 350 episodes
#TBT BALMAIN Paris Designer Olivier Routsteing takes us backstage at his Spring 2013 show in Paris with top models Anna S, Karmen Pedaru and Magdelena Frackowick. The Balmain woman is always confident and sexy but for Spring 2013 Rousteing was inspired by a 90's latin, power woman – remember those famous supermodel photographs by Steven Meisel? Reported, Executive Produced and Directed by Karen Morrison/MODTV.
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Welcome to the Brain Training Podcast, the daily audio workout for your head. In this podcast we have two games for you, each with three rounds which get progressively harder. To enjoy the full experience, relax, and avoid distractions whilst you listen.


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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Warren Buffett famously said "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get." Investors who struggle with making this distinction between price and value might find it difficult to avoid a stock like Aruba Networks ( ARUN) that has recently fallen by as much as 44% over the past several weeks after reporting a brutal fiscal third-quarter report.Although the stock has rebounded 20% from its $12.38 low, fears about the overall health of the wireless local-area-network (WLAN) market continue to add pressure on Aruba's near-term prospects, which caused the panic selling. Making matters worse, network giant Cisco ( CSCO), which owns more than half of the WLAN market has shown no such weaknesses. What's more, given Cisco's recent comments regarding WLANs and what seems like CEO John Chambers' renewed commitment to growing that part of the business, current Aruba investors should consider that the worst might not be over. Even more disappointing, was that Aruba blamed Cisco's aggressiveness, which included pricing discounts, for Aruba's disappointing third-quarter results. But is Cisco really to blame? As much as I've always liked Aruba, one of my major concerns has been the competition. I've never felt that Aruba's management addressed the company's leverage well enough. And it seems that it's precisely this deficiency that has now come home to roost. Still, Aruba's earnings results were not that all surprising -- as bad as they were. Management had already issued a warning to investors a couple of weeks prior that the results were going to be below estimates. Plus, given the fact that Aruba relies so heavily on government contracts, the issues regarding the government sequestration didn't help matters. To that end, Cisco, which also relies on government spending as well as large corporate customers, saw an opportunity to close some deals (with or without discounts). Unfortunately, Cisco's leverage was used to squeeze out Aruba, which reported an 8% drop in earnings-per-share, when excluding items.
Relative to sell-side estimates, that was not a complete disaster. The company missed EPS estimates by just one penny. This is while postingg 12% revenue growth that was in-line with expectations. But as is often the case, it's not so much about what is reported, the stock reacted to what Aruba is now expected to report.


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Horizon Theatre Rep Presents THE BALCONY, 10/11 - 11/4
Genet's menacing and hilarious world of political intrigue, violent revolution and distorted eroticism is measured against the mass-media manipulation of today. THE BALCONY will run from October 11 to November 4 at The Arclight Theatre located at 152 West 71st Street. It will be presented by Horizon Theatre Rep (www.HTRonline.org). Showtimes are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm. The ticket prices are $18 (tdf) and the box office is SMARTTIX, which may be accessed at (212) 868-4444 or at www.smarttix.com. The running time is two hours.
To Horizon Theatre Rep, the best way to emphasize the Orwellian themes of THE BALCONY by Jean Genet is to keep it simple. So their production October 11 to November 4 at the Arclight Theatre, directed by Frank Licato, will eschew the pomp of some historical productions. It will populate the chimerical classic with baby-kissing, pancake-eating, sleeves-rolled-up politicians who might be recognized from our current electoral campaigns. The idea is to illustrate the essential theme of the play: the transformation of our industrial society into a technocracy where image rules over substance.
Originally written in 1956, THE BALCONY is a mind-blowing trip into a menacing and hilarious world of political intrigue, violent revolution and distorted eroticism. In a European city aflame with revolution, Madame Irma runs a bordello in which men from all walks of life pay to act out S&M games while dressed up and acting like powerful figureheads of the regime: the Bishop, the General of the Army and the Chief of Police. The play offers perhaps the ultimate statement on the relationship between sex, power and iconography when Madame Irma and her patrons appear on the Balcony in their costumes as the Queen, General, Judge and Bishop in order to calm the city after its royal palace and rulers are destroyed. Outside the brothel, an uprising threatens to engulf the streets. Inside, play-acting turns to reality, as the patrons don the costumes of the powerful on the building's balcony in order to attempt to quell the insurrection.
Genet felt that many productions of his play were carried away by overuse of meta-theatrical devices and the exaggerated acting that accompanied them. He called the 1962 London production badly acted, along with productions in New York, Berlin and Paris that he refused to see. The play, it should be remembered, focuses on a political illusion. It is set in a brothel where sexuality plays almost no role, where we are mostly shown the desire for power. In this weird world, imposters can project power upon the mob by displaying themselves in the Bishop's miter, the General's uniform or the Judge's robe. In our time, the process has not changed but the costume has. Rolled-up sleeves are used to display affinity with the working class as politicians grasp for power. Campaign garb brings with it a new illusion of power.
So, director Frank Licato's vision is to do the play in "modern dress," re-casting the bordello as a bunker. It's a redoubt in the "No Exit" way and a last sanctuary from what is going on outside. Machine gun fire and missile exchanges are going on nearby and this idea must be present in the room, but in an acting sense. As much as possible, the style will be realistic. The concept is "power-people" seeming to be "everyday-people."
Artistic Director Rafael De Mussa adds that Genet ironically predicted the loss of privacy we have achieved through technology. In Act I Madame Irma remarks, "One can hear all that's going on in the street. Which means that from the street one can hear what's going on in this house." This, says De Mussa, is analogous to how technological surveillance, the Internet and cellphone photos reveal everything in our "inner house."
Licato and De Mussa feel strongly that the play is gender-neutral; to accentuate that, they have cast Irma with a man, Marc Geller, who will perform the part in drag. The judge is played by a woman, Sheilagh Weymouth. The actors are Lyndsey Anderson, Tara Cioletti, Crawford M. Collins, Fabio Costaprado, Andreas Damm, Rafael De Mussa, Marc Geller, Kevin Gilmartin, Kristen Lazzarini, Hunter Macnair, Timothy Mele, Victor Joel Ortiz, Frank Palmer, Mitzi Peirone, Orlando Rivera, Imran W. Sheikh, Sheilagh Weymouth and L.B. Williams.
The production will feature music by Donald Stark. Set design is by Rebecca Lord-Surratt. Lighting design is by Lucrecia Briceno. Costume design is by Kathleen Doyle.
Horizon Theatre Rep (http://www.htronline.org), led by Rafael De Mussa, is dedicated to producing work from the international repertory. It also strives to give emerging artists "the opportunity to take risks, to excel, and to make their mark." Its past productions include "Benito Cereno" by Robert Lowell, "The Misunderstanding" and "Caligula" by Camus, "Vassa Zheleznova" by Gorky, "Nights Of Wrath" by Armand Salacrou, "Powder Keg" by Dejan Dukovski, "Man Without Shadows" by Sartre, "In The Solitude Of Cotton Fields" by Bernard-Marie Koltès, and "3XPirandello," three plays about betrayal by Luigi Pirandello.
Director Frank Licato received an Applause Award from the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and his production of "The Late Christopher Bean" at the Summit Playhouse received eight 2011 Perry Award nominations. His production of Neil LaBute's "The Shape of Things" was selected as a regional finalist in the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival. His production of "On the Waterfront" was made into an award winning documentary called "Waiting for Budd," named after the writer, Budd Schulberg. His production of Robert Clem's "Fever" was a top 10 show at the 2001 New York International Fringe Festival. This season, his "Grapes of Wrath" at the Chatham Playhouse was nominated for 16 Perry awards. He staged the Off-Broadway hit revival of Rod Serling's "Requiem For A Heavyweight" and an award winning Off-Broadway revival of Sam Shepard's "Seduced" at the Kraine Theater. He is also a prolific actor and an Artistic Director of Hudson Theatre Works. (www.franklicato.com)


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OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian police on Thursday ended a six-day search for bodies on the island where Anders Behring Breivik shot dead 68 people, and said they were increasingly certain he acted alone.
Breivik, 32, killed a total of 76 people, in a bomb attack in central Oslo and then in the shooting rampage at the island summer camp for the ruling Labour Party's youth wing.
"The search at Utoeya (island) has been completed," police Chief of Staff Johan Fredriksen told a news conference.
A search for bodies in the surrounding Tyrifjord lake was continuing. Police had received a number of bomb threats but these were not considered credible, Fredriksen said.
Police said they were trying to reassure Norwegians after the worst attack in their modern history.
"In general we are trying to be visible to the public to try to contribute to the sense of security," he said.
Chief national prosecutor Tor-Aksel Busch said Breivik would not go on trial until 2012 and that additional charges might be brought, to include crimes against humanity as well as terrorism charges.
"We hope we can carry out a trial in the district court during next year," he told public broadcaster NRK.
Wearing a police uniform, Breivik massacred youths trapped on the island and shot at those who tried to swim to shore some 500 metres (yards) away. Authorities believe some may have drowned.
Police published the names of 24 more of the dead on Thursday, raising the total identified to 41. All lived in Norway except Tamta Lipartelliani, 23, from Georgia.
Flags w ill be flown
at half mast on Friday in a sign of national mourning, a week after the attacks. The first funeral is to be held on Friday in Nesodden near Oslo.
Breivik has told police he was not a lone wolf but part of a network in a "crusade" against Islam and multiculturalism. Norwegian authorities say they doubt this.
"We have to consider the possibility but at this moment we have no indication of that," police lawyer Paal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby said. "He said in his manifesto that he was all alone and we are trying to find out if this is correct."
Police will interrogate Breivik on Friday for the second time since he was arrested. Investigators have been working in cooperation with other European nations and the United States.
The risk of copycat bombings remains low, police said. But the attack comes against a backdrop of rising anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe as countries struggle to contain debt crises and revive flagging economies.
"Europe has received a clear warning from Norway," wrote Thorbjoern Jagland, the former Norwegian prime minister who is now the leader of the Nobel Peace Prize committee and Secretary General of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe.
"It's possible that Breivik has operated completely alone. But I'm afraid he may have initiated a new trend. While we've all been preoccupied with Muslims and radical Islam, this has been allowed to quietly develop," Jagland wrote in the daily Aftenposten.
"We see a new form of nationalism, in a new disguise. But the old wisdom is still valid: all nationalism comes from something bad and leads to something bad."
In Brussels, senior EU counter-terrorism adviser Tim Jones said someone could try to emulate Breivik.
"One of the major risks is that somebody may actually try to mount a similar attack as a copycat attack or as a way of showing support," he told reporters.
Austria's main far-right party, sensitive to criticism about its anti-foreigner stance as it seeks election in 2013, expelled one of its parliamentary representatives on Thursday for comments about the Norway attacks.
Freedom Party official Werner Koenigshofer wrote on social networking site Facebook that "the Islamists in Europe have attacked a thousand times more often," and on his website said the massacre of children should make people rethink abortion.
The remarks were widely reported in Austrian media before disappearing from the web. "He got the red card because of this behaviour, which is damaging for the party," Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache said in a statement.
Norway has promised a review of the country's security services and their actions during Breivik's attacks. Police have come under criticism, including from some survivors, for taking an hour to get to the island 42 km (28 miles) from Oslo.
On a pier jutting out from a campsite across the lake from Utoeya, where some survivors first reached shore, mourners laid flowers, lit candles and left messages for the dead.
Pictures and children's drawings adorned the site. One crayon drawing showed the green island and dozens of faces in the waters around it.
"What happened here is not human," said social worker Heidi Weum Knutsen, looking out at Utoeya. "Young innocent people were hunted down and killed. That is the worst thing someone can do."
Paramedic Haavard Larsen, who coordinated the health services' response to the shootings last Friday, said many survivors had been completely silent when they reached shore.
"It's difficult to describe but if you saw old movies from concentration camps, that was a little bit their impression -- empty looks, extremely traumatised," Larsen said.
"One of my colleagues was trying to help a child ashore, and the kid stepped back and asked -- 'are you going to shoot me?'"
Clinical psychologist Therese Brask-Rustad, who has helped the victim's families, said Breivik intentionally played on Norwegians' overwhelming trust in the police force of the affluent and usually peaceful Nordic state.
"He shattered their belief about who can be trusted. Shattered their assumptions about the world. It's a wonderful holiday island that became a nightmare."
(With reporting by Alister Doyle, Terje Solsvik, Henrik Stoelen, Mohammed Abbas, Aasa Christine Stoltz, Victoria Klesty, Ole Petter Skonnord; Sylvia Westall in Vienna and Christopher Le Coq in Brussels; editing by Andrew Roche)