text:
The future of Monterey County track and field rests comfortably in the hands of two freshmen in the Mission Trail Athletic League.
Don't blink or you may miss catching a glimpse of Santa Catalina's Mikayla Revera and Pacific Grove's Zack Miller.
The pair will be the favorites to win multiple events on Friday at the MTAL track and field finals at Pacific Grove.
Revera is the class of the MTAL in the 200 and 400 meters. The freshman is ranked No. 3 in the Central Coast Section in the 400 at 56.30 seconds — the third-fastest time ever run in the county.
Santa Catalina, which captured the program's first team title last spring, has the No. 1 or No. 2 mark in 10 of the 16 MTAL events. Lizzy Tardieu is the favorite in the 800 and 1,600.
Tardieu has been the MTAL 400 champion the past three years.
Miller, who cruised at the MTAL trials last Friday, has the top overall season marks in both the 100 (11.23) and 200 (22.76). He is also among the favorites in the long jump.
Yet, it may take a little magic for the Breakers to dethrone defending team champion King City.
Behind Walter Bonilla, the Mustangs are going to score heavily in the distance events, as much as 66 points. They are also projected to produce as much as 66 points in the field events.
Both areas are not strengths for Pacific Grove.
Bonilla, the MTAL cross country champion last fall, will attempt to triple. He has the top marks in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.
North County-Monterey softball title bout
It's more than just a league title that's at stake on Wednesday when the North County and Monterey, the co-leaders in the Monterey Bay League Pacific Division, meet at Jacks Park.
A playoff spot could also be on the line.
There is no guarantee that the runner-up in the Pacific Division will receive a playoff spot, as only the league champion is an automatic seed.
Based on Monterey and North County's identical 6-8 non-league records, the likelihood is only one team will get in.
The Toreadores have won their past five league games since being outslugged 11-9 by North County on April 11.
An 8-7 setback to Monte Vista on April 30 knocked the Condors from the unbeaten ranks.
Both teams have power at the plate as North County's Amber Duplissie has ripped seven home runs while Monterey sophomore Gina Bruno has six homers, while driving in 39 runs in 23 games.
I'd be surprised if Bruno sees a strike.
Postseason volleyball
Home matches have been rare for county teams in the playoffs for boys volleyball.
Seaside received a home match against St. Ignatius of San Francisco on Tuesday in the CCS Division II playoffs.
But guess what? The Spartans can't play on their home court because a middle school concert is set for Tuesday.
But you can squelch any talk of the higher-seeded Spartans having to go north instead to face the Wildcats.
Monterey has offered its gym to Seaside.
Granted, they are a part of the same school district. But that's a class move on Monterey's part.
Now the Spartans (20-11), anchored by Deshawn Irving and Colby Ostberg, have to find a way to defuse the power of St. Ignatius, which plays in the rugged West Catholic Athletic League.
The Wildcats (19-16) won the CCS Division II title in 2011 and reached the quarterfinals last season before falling to top seed Mt. Madonna.
Alisal is making its first volleyball playoff appearance. The Trojans will host Leland of San Jose in the Division I playoffs at 7 p.m.
The Trojans (16-6) broke the single-season school record for wins behind the power of Edgar Huerta.
Monterey is making its 10th straight playoff appearance. It will visit Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco in the Division II playoffs.
The Toreadores are just 2-9 in postseason play and are winless against WCAL opponents, but one of those playoff wins occurred on the road.
MBL champion Palma has a bye and won't play until Thursday.
North Salinas baseball on the verge of history
This is uncharted waters for the Vikings baseball program and maybe that's not such a bad thing.
Being oblivious to the pressures of chasing a title has helped North Salinas down the stretch. A Pacific Division title is within their grasp on Wednesday when the Vikings host Watsonville.
Redemption will also be on the minds of the Vikings, whose only blemish in league play when the week started came at home against the Wildcatz.
Pitching has carried the Vikings during a six-game winning streak, as the staff has combined for five shutouts, including a 12 strikeout, one-hitter from Joseph Gutierrez.
The bats have also sizzled. Justyn Gutierrez is coming off a career-high five-hit game while Zachary Foster and David Dorr have continued to spray the ball around the field.
Since falling to North Salinas, the Wildcatz have rattled off 10 straight league wins with Ryan Olmeda having driven in 28 runs this spring.
Finest hour for Catalina softball
For all the accolades and titles that Santa Catalina has posted over the past five years, this has been the most rewarding spring for coach Jim Pingree.
This was the season the Cougars were supposed to come back to the pack.
And to a degree, that happened, especially when two players suffered concussions on the same play and missed a week.
But since their return, Santa Catalina has looked a lot like its old self, having won 10 straight games entering Tuesday's battle at Carmel.
A win and the Cougars wrap up their fourth straight MTAL title.
Fresno State-bound Chase LeeHong and senior co-captain Rene Kausin have driven in a combined 51 runs this spring.
Having fallen to the Cougars 12-5 in the first meeting on April 10, Carmel remains in the playoff chase. Ashlynn Davis hit for the cycle in the team's last game.
John Devine can be reached at 646-4405.
Athletes of the week
Skye Keller, Monterey track: The junior blistered the track at the Pacific Division finals, capturing the 200 and 400 and running legs on two winning relay teams.
Honorable mention: Kenny Nolan, Carmel baseball; Sunny Yan, Stevenson golf; Chase Pacheco, Palma track; Ubaldo Trujllo, Greenfield baseball; Robert Hernandez, Monterey tennis; Mario Gonzalez, North Salinas track; Nathaniel Villarruel, Soledad baseball; Joey Luba, Stevenson diving; Joseph Gutierrez, North Salinas baseball; Jeremy Dicks, Palma volleyball; Morgan Koucky, Carmel lacrosse; Brandon Kim, Carmel swimming; James Welsh, Monterey track.
Tori Teraji, North County track: Won three events at the Gabilan Division finals, setting a school record in the discus (131-9) to take over the CCS lead.
Honorable mention: Jessica Sturgill, Monterey softball; Jenna Riley, Carmel swimming; Nikki Mendoza, Salinas softball; Alethia Halamandaris, Stevenson diving; Jenna Rondez, Marina softball; Janell Godfrey, North County softball; Deaysia Gamble, Alvarez track; Aly Gomonet, Notre Dame softball; Fia Tautolo, Monterey track; Jensen Main, Stevenson softball; Allie Loomis, Santa Catalina swimming; Marissa Bruno, Santa Catalina softball; Tatiana Lee, Seaside track.
Iseha Boyd, Hartnell women's track: The sophomore won the Nor Cal 400 title and qualified for state in the 200, as well as running legs on both state qualifying relay teams.
Honorable mention: Nicole Pires, CSUMB softball; Austin Decker, Hartnell men's track; Jayla Scholis, MPC women's track; Brandon Hortt, CSUMB men's golf; Audra Kepler, CSUMB women's golf; Lindsey Clarkson, CSUMB softball; Michael Ramirez, Hartnell men's track; Catina McLin, MPC women's track; Brandi Hobson, Hartnell women's track; Anneliese Lopez, CSUMB softball.


text:
Mark Twain on fooling people
Filed under Quotations
Fighting pseudoscience and quackery with reason and evidence.
Skeptical musings on the denial of evidence
A sharp-eyed view of questionable claims
Philosophy, ethics, metaethics.
Philosophical adventures in a complex world
Journalism from London.
Turning an eye on the profession, separating fact from fiction on both sides of the counter
The Independent Woman and the myth of the Australian bushman
The Secular Party of Australia stands for separation between church and state.
A madman's reflections on religion, philosophy, history, politics, and wherever else the path to truth leads
Philosophy, Danny Krämer
~ Doubt and About ~
Silly trivia questions - I already know the answers, so send witty or sarcastic replies!
because all (Western) philosophy consists of a series of footnotes to Plato
Australian jazz, and other ramblings
Tim Harding's writings on rationality, informal logic and skepticism
Tim Harding's writings on rationality, informal logic and skepticism

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Jigsaw Puzzle Main Menu
Jigsaw Puzzle Search
Just Jigsaw Puzzles FAQ
Just Jigsaw Puzzles Help
About Just Jigsaw Puzzles
Search For Jigsaw Puzzles
Number of Jigsaw puzzles found: 5
Click a name or image to play.
Barn Dance
Old Barn in Spain
Barn Dance
The Pioneer Farmstead
Barn Swallow
For more
free games
visit GameScene.com. Also check out
Just Solitaire
Just Word Search
Just Jigsaw Puzzles is produced by
CleverMedia, Inc.
. Copyright 1999-2017 CleverMedia, Inc.


text:
FOREIGN secretary Phillip Hammond visited the Stroud News & Journal office for a whistle-stop tour this afternoon, Thursday.
After being shown around the newsroom in Lansdown, Mr Hammond sat down with reporter Kate Wilson to discuss his impromptu visit to the town and the escalating situation in Gaza.
Mr Hammond had been in Cheltenham earlier in the day visiting GCHQ to show his support for the staff and the work they do following a difficult year plagued mainly by the Snowden revelations.
His visit to the intelligence gathering centre was part of his new role as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs – a position he was granted in the recent Government reshuffle replacing William Hague.
He has stepped into the role at a time when the world's foreign affairs are in crisis and has spent his first two weeks juggling the escalating ebola epidemic in west Africa and pressure to enforce Russian sanctions in the aftermath of MH17.
However, speaking to the SNJ, Mr Hammond said the most trying aspect of the last two weeks was the terrible ongoing escalating humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
When asked what Britain was doing to end the violence, Mr Hammond said the focus is trying to get an unconditional ceasefire, although this proving very difficult.
"Dealing with Hamas and the Israelis is challenging because they have diametrically opposed views of the world," he said.
"Britain along with the Americans, the French, the Egyptians and the Germans are trying to persuade them that the first thing is simply to stop the killing.
"Once we get a ceasefire in place we can discuss all the other issues, and we will, but we do have to stop all the attacks and counter attacks first.
"Unfortunately at the moment neither side is prepared to call an unconditional ceasefire and both sides are setting pre-conditions for a ceasefire which are unrealistic."
Since Israel began its offensive in Gaza on July 8 more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed, most of them civilians.
In the most controversial incident on Wednesday, at least 16 people were killed when shells hit a UN-run school in the Jabaliya district of Gaza City.
Some 58 Israelis have been killed, 56 of whom were soldiers and two civilians. A Thai worker in Israel has also died.
"We can't stop the attacks that are going on but we can provide humanitarian support," said Mr Hammond.
In the last few days the Government has announced £10 million of emergency support and according to the Foreign Secretary it will continue to provide whatever material resources are required.
The UK is working very closely with America, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt in an international effort to broker a solution.
"Britain on its own can't solve this crisis but we can be part of an international community effort," he added.
"We don't have direct relations with Hamas but Turkey and Qatar do. We have direct relations with Israel and will try to influence the Israeli response."
Mr Hammond refuted claims made by Liberal Democrat MP Andrew George earlier today urging David Cameron to show international leadership in the Gaza crisis. "The one thing the international community is not lacking in leadership.
"We are all behind the Egyptian Initiative, which is also supported by the US but the problem is that neither the two protagonists will accept the central requirements of the initiative which is an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire.
"Israel demands that Gaza be demilitarised before it will ceasefire and Hamas demands that all the border crossings are unconditionally opened and neither of those is a realistic opening position.
"We have to have a ceasefire first then we will have a long and complicated negotiation about the demands of both sides."
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned Wednesday's strike on a Gaza school, where it is believed Israeli artillery was the cause, as 'unjustifiable' calling for those responsible to be held to account.
Mr Hammond said that damage to civilian shelters, whether they are in UN buildings or not is 'disturbing' "Israel knows, and we are continuously emphasising to them, that all their responses have to be legal and it is not possible from the outside at the moment to analyse and say definitively what happened and who was doing what.
"However in the fullness of time each of the parties will have to account for their actions.
"The shelling of various schools and shelters in Gaza are deeply regrettable and we are all appalled by the loss of life but the issue is about what the targets were.
"Whether they were military targets being attacked and whether the attack on those military targets was proportional – and that is a complicated question.
"I know there are a large number of people who have made up their minds about proportionality simply by looking at the casualty figures but in terms of international war that is not the criteria that will be applied.
"On the one hand we have to look at how the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have acted in Gaza and on the other hand we have to look at the IDF claim that Hamas has deliberately concealed military positions and rocket launchers in areas of civilian population, such as houses, schools, nurseries and hospitals and in some cases have prevented civilians from leaving areas after Israel has issued warnings.
"All of these claims and counter claims are impossible to investigate properly in the heat of war but they will be looked into."
Discussing Britain's ability to influence Israel into a ceasefire, Mr Hammond said the main problem was the overwhelming support in the country for the continued military response.
"There is a real feeling on the ground in Israel that the country's security is under direct threat and across the political spectrum there is huge political approval for ground incursion into Gaza.
"It is quite unusual in Israeli politics to have across the spectrum political support for anything so there is a real challenge for those of us on the outside who are urging this action to stop."
When asked about the likelihood of an unconditional ceasefire Mr Hammond said he wasn't optimistic it was going to happen in the very near future.
"I think we will get to a ceasefire but I'm not optimistic that it's going to happen tonight, or tomorrow," he said.
"We have been trying for 10 days now to achieve it. We have had one or two false starts and if anything the two parties are more intransigently dug in than they were 10 days ago but we won't stop working at it."
The foreign secretary also dismissed the need to re-call Parliament as he believed there would be no real purpose in doing so.
"I have no doubt of the mood among members opinion and I have no doubt of the mood of public opinion around the UK," he added.
"If Parliament was sitting it would be urging the Government to do everything possible to secure an immediate ceasefire and that is what we are doing."


text:
So you think you can do better than the Fed?
Fed chair Ben Bernanke steps down at the end of January. The Fed may not be perfect, Paul Solman explains in response to a reader, but is there another way to run a modern market-driven economy? Photo courtesy of Alex Wong/Getty Images.
Paul Solman answers questions from the NewsHour audience on business and economic news on his Making Sen$e page. Friday's questions are about the Fed. Earlier this month, Making Sense previewed the Fed's decision to taper its monetary stimulus program, and we revisited our simulation of how the Fed's Open Market Committee reaches those policy decisions. As part of that week-long look at the Fed, which just celebrated its centennial, we asked new Nobel laureate Bob Shiller what he would do if he were chair of the Fed and asked former Fed economist Catherine Mann to weigh in on how the Fed's low interest rates send dollars abroad.
But here's what readers still want to know about the Fed and its quantitative easing policy and Paul's responses to those queries.
Lionel Ruberg — Newtown, Pa.: How much of the QE3 monthly purchases is offset by maturities of notes and amortizations of mortgages each month?
Paul Solman: None. QE or "quantitative easing" refers to net Fed purchases, not the rolling over of old Treasury securities or mortgage-backed securities when they mature.
Eric Greenfeldt — Princeton, N.J.: Who owns the mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that the Fed is buying?
Paul Solman: Elvis and Bella Narwhal of Piscataway, New Jersey.
No, not really. The Fed says it mainly buys new MBS: loans taken out on batches of mortgages that have been bundled together. The interest on the MBS loans is supposed to be paid off by the mortgage payments coming into the bundle. Ever since the crash, most of those bundles have been created by agencies of the U.S. government: Fannie Mae (FNMA — the Federal National Mortgage Association), Ginnie Mae (GNMA — the Government National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (FHLMC — the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation).
So, much as when the Fed creates money to buy Treasury loans and pays it to the government, when the Fed creates money to buy MBS, it pays the government as well. The big difference is that in the case of Treasury bonds, the collateral is nothing more than the "full faith and credit" of the United Stats. With MBS, there is first the collateral of the houses against which the bundled mortgages were taken, backstopped by a government guarantee.
Don Pearson — Lakewood, Wash.: Why don't you do an extended piece on the Fed Reserve? Its origin — not as a real federal agency — its oversight, what happens to its large billions in profits not turned over to the government, the source of the pool of nominated governors, etc.? I think most believe it is a formal part of the U.S. government and do not know of its origin or its relationship to the banking industry.
Paul Solman: Oh dear, why do I fear that this "question" is yet another attempt to delegitimize the Fed?
Look, how about you tell me a better way to run a modern, market-driven economy than to have a somewhat (barely) independent central bank? And when you do, don't forget to provide an example of one, okay?
The Fed reminds me of Churchill's old saying about democracy: the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.
Pam Bishop — Miami, Fla.: I have thought, from the beginning of "quantitative easing," that overly-low interest rates were counter-productive to banks' willingness to lend, especially to moderately-sized domestic businesses.
Aside from low profits, the banks, even though inveterate foes of financial deregulation, could have taken a lesson from the situation when deregulation and the abrogation of Glass-Steagall destroyed the stability of our local banks: it pulled the rug out from under the S&L's who were caught with long-term moderate-interest mortgage loans in a time of financial swashbuckling and rising rates.
Paul Solman: Whoa, there. You've got your chronology wrong, Pam — in an instructive way.
The abrogation of the Glass-Steagall provisions of the U.S. Banking Act of 1933, prohibiting commercial banks from risky investment banking, didn't happen until 1999, more than a decade after the savings and loan fiasco.
Yes, it was deregulation of the S&Ls that led to their mass demise, but that's because they were finally allowed to offer higher interest rates on their deposits, which is just what you seem to be suggesting now. In order to offer higher interest rates — in large part to compete with newly created money market funds, which paid higher rates to would-be depositors and yet seemed equally safe — the S&Ls made riskier loans. You can guess what happened next.
You could be right about the knock-on effects of the Fed's low interest rates: banks' reluctance to lend. Or it could instead be the case that non-risky borrowers aren't out there as they so abundantly were, pre-Crash. Or maybe banks are just scared and, now that they're under scrutiny, are overdoing the caution instead of the derring-do. (Once burned, twice shy.)
Or maybe there's another explanation entirely: so much saved wealth sloshing around the world these days in places like China and the Middle East — the so-called "capital glut" — that interest rates would be low regardless of what the Fed did. Or maybe banks would be happy to lend if the Fed didn't pay them .25 percent to redeposit their depositors' money back at the Fed.
My guess is that all these factors are playing a role, the Fed's efforts to keep interest rates low among them. But hey, if you were the Fed and official unemployment was still running at 7 percent, our own "U-7" reckoning far higher, would you raise rates on the bet that bank lending would thereby revive?
Paul Adler — Ann Arbor, Mich.: What the Fed does affects people in retirement. Many people in retirement have about 50 percent of their money in bond mutual funds. As interest rates increase, the net asset value (NAV) of these bond funds goes down, resulting in a loss of principal. My question: stay the course with bond funds or do something else?
Paul Solman: A year ago, I wrote about getting out of inflation-protected bonds, which I had long promoted on this page. Unfortunately for me, I didn't manage to act on my own advice until several weeks later, by which time bonds had begun their price descent.
Now that their yield has gone up, I have less of a sense of urgency. But with the yield on U.S. Treasuries still well below their historical average, I remain leery.
On the other hand, it means nothing, practically speaking, to fear an asset class like bonds without believing in, as you put it, "something else." And damned if I know what that "something else" might be these days, given that stocks are also selling at well above their historical average, as measured by their earnings, as new Nobel laureate Bob Shiller explained here recently and investment adviser Andrew Smithers only a little while earlier.
As I explained in my swan song to bonds last year, I switched most of our family savings to an account with TIAA-CREF that guarantees 3 percent a year at a minimum. Unfortunately, it's closed to new investors.
My only hard recommendations are that, no matter what kind of fund you invest in, do it at the lowest possible cost. (It's for that reason that I've used Vanguard funds for years.) And if you want to get specific and a little exotic, there is at least one U.S., FDIC-insured bank account denominated in Chinese Renminbi. I had it at EverBank in St. Louis and it appreciated with the rising value of the RMB.
This entry is cross-posted on the Making Sen$e page, where correspondent Paul Solman answers your economic and business questions


text:
Lanham, MD
Pre-algebra, algebra 1, algebra 2, college mathematics60/hour
...I experienced my first years of Mathematics up to the degree level in the island of Trinidad. My first degree was in Economics - which is applied mathematics and Spanish. Upon my entry into this country,... read moreSee Tutors Like This


text:
COMMEMORATIVE First World War memorabilia is to go on display at Breinton Village Hall on Sunday (August 24).
The event, organised by the Breinton Village Hall Committee, takes place between 2pm and 5pm.
There will be tea and cakes and donations can be made to The Royal British Legion.
Organisers would like to hear from anyone with information, photographs, memorabilia or family connections to those involved in the conflict.
Call Ann on 01432 266432 with any information.


text:
Craig Cats are versatile and fun little self drive catamaran boats, with seating for two, an outboard motor, shade, and plenty room for snorkel gear and towels. They are an ideal tool to head out on your own, and explore the diverse reef and beautiful beaches of Roatan.
You will leave from an incredible soft white sand beach at the West of the Island. You will check in and receive a safety briefing before boarding your very own Craig Cat for 2, complete with Snorkel Gear.
Leave the crowds behind and enjoy some great exploring. There are numerous options of where to head off to. Tie up to one of the protected marine park buoys situated off the beach. Slide into the underwater paradise below, where you will find huge coral formations, sponges, and shoals of tropical fish.
The snorkeling in Roatan is outstanding, and your Craig Cat is a great platform to snorkel from. Conditions here are typically smooth and calm, and it is easy to pull up the light and maneuverable Craig Cat onto the beach at any locations you take a liking to.
You could also head down the lush mountainous coastline, inside the protection of the fringing coral reef. Why not pull up your boat at any one of a dozen stunning beach locations along the West of the Island.
You will find some great secluded beach bars and restaurants dotted along the coastline or explore the deserted beaches and observe the abundant wildlife, including parrots and vivid green iguanas.
There is no better way to get yourself away from the busy tourist spots, and out onto some incredible reef and all at your own unhurried pace.
Enjoy the peace and quiet of Roatans more tranquil spots onboard your own little explorer boat. Even better, when you return, you can then spend as long as you wish at the islands most beautiful beach location, close to a great bar/grill, with amazing clear warm water, soft white sand, and swaying Palm trees
Craig Cats can be reserved for 1 or more hours and up to 3 can be reserved per hour. Reservations of more than 1hr will have a guide (free of charge) in a seperate lead boat to assist in navigation.
Craig Cat Rates:
Per Hour-Up to Two Passengers
Snorkeling gear
Floatation Vests
Craig Cat with canopy
Restaurant and bar onsite
Transport from the port not included but can be arranged for you
Roatan Excursions
Catamaran Sailing and Snorkeling Tour
LUXURY Catamaran Sailing and Snorkeling
Garifuna, Mangrove & Iguana Island Tour
Snorkeling, Fun Fishing and Beach
Visiting Other Ports of Call?


text:
He said it not me (ok, I've said it a few times).
Jason Whitlock commented on Matt Cassel's huge new contract today by saying that Randy Moss makes QBs rich.
This column is about Randy Moss. He deserves to be regarded as one
of the 15 or 20 best players of all-time. It's ridiculous that he's
never won the league's MVP award. He should've won the award in 1998
outright and should've shared the award with Tom Brady in 2007.
reminds me of Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq has one MVP award and four NBA
titles. Steve Nash has two MVP awards and no NBA Finals appearances.
his prime, we took O'Neal for granted because he was so much bigger and
more dominant than his competitors. We didn't think it was fair.
made the same mistake with Randy Moss. Not since Jim Brown has a single
offensive player had the kind of impact Moss has on the game.
That sounds pretty similar to what we said not too long ago. In discussing Marvin Harrison's rank among the all-time greats, we noted:
We aren't going to argue about Randy Moss
either. While Marvin is comparable to
Moss in many ways, we consider Moss to be one of the most devastating offensive
weapons in the history of football, and so in a completely subjective sense will not argue about his ranking. The
only question about Moss is, "Why hasn't he become the unquestioned greatest
receiver ever?"
Whitlock may have been trying to stir up trouble and controversy with his 'bold' opinion, but nothing could be more obvious and undeniable.
Randy Moss is a king maker.


text:
By Eric Balmer
Sports Editor
Not a single professional sports franchise calls the Bluegrass State home. The only sports teams that are in Kentucky are college level and minor league teams (the most well known being the Louisville Bats, which is an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds). One could make an argument that a professional sports team should be brought to Kentucky.
Obviously, University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville are the two major providers of sports entertainment to the state's inhabitants.
Ticket prices for UK basketball games range from $40-$50 (ukathletics.com), while the prices for the Cleveland Cavaliers can reach $159. This is to say, there is much money to be made from having a professional sports team in this state.
In Ohio, there are several NCAA Division I schools, including Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati and Xavier University which have competitive teams in at least one sport. Even though there are these elite universities, unlike Kentucky, Ohio has not one professional team, but five.
Surely there is enough money, in a city like Louisville for example, to be sufficient for a new sports organization. According to the United States Census Bureau, Louisville has a population of 253,128, while Cincinnati has a population of 296,550. These cities are very close in size, but the difference is one has two professional teams while the other has none.
I mean sure, people love their Kentucky basketball. Yes, I understand that it's not just a sport, it's a way of life, a disease one could say. But what I'm trying to say is that there is money to be made in, let's say, a professional basketball team (obviously the NBA would have to be open for adding an expansion team). If you don't want to look at it from a monetary sense, then just imagine the excitement that a new team would bring to a city and state; the energy of a new team to rally behind would be magnificent.
Maybe my Ohio disposition makes it impossible for me to understand the intensity of college sports in the state of Kentucky, but I think gaining a professional sports team would be a great opportunity for this state. The benefit will be not just for the city that gains the team, but also the whole Bluegrass State. In the words of Barry from "Dinner for Schmucks", "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not." You see, I don't think it's too ridiculous to want a professional franchise to come to Kentucky.


text:
Member since 11/20/2012
- 1 total post
- 1 comment
Recent comments from vmad1
Did you get the Non Ablative Fraxel, I think 1540 Palomar is what I am getting done tomorrow, now im really scared. I have acne scars but not so bad I cant live with. READ COMMENT


text:
killedthewind's exposition of state-of-the-style surf-kiting. 360's, ollie-reverts, magic-grip monster airs, and hit after hit of surf/skate-inspired liquid locomotion.
All strapless, all surf, all time. Where's the kite? Who cares…
A killedthewind film.
Athlete: Patrick Rebstock
Film/edit: Patrick, Mike/KTW
Music: PPK – Resurrection (Robot Outro), Bassnectar – Timestretch, Zion I – Finger Paint
killedthewind; n., v.,
1. moving images of athletes and water
2. to excel beyond limits over oceans


text:
On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 12:07 PM, Heikki Linnakangas <heikki(dot)linnakangas(at)enterprisedb(dot)com> wrote: > Anyway, I'm looking at ways to make the memcpy() of the payload happen > without the lock, in parallel, and once you do that the record header CRC > calculation can be done in parallel, too. That makes it irrelevant from a > performance point of view whether the prev-link is included in the CRC or > not. Better plan. So we keep the prev link in the CRC. I already proposed a design for that using page-level share locks any reason not to go with that? -- Simon Riggs http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/ PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Training & Services
Next: From: Heikki Linnakangas Date: 2011-12-16 12:50:24 Subject: Re: Moving more work outside WALInsertLock Previous: From: Greg Smith Date: 2011-12-16 12:31:39 Subject: Re: Patch to allow users to kill their own queries


text:
Prospect Williams fans 11 for Wisconsin
Right-hander Taylor Williams, the Brewers' No. 14 prospect, struck out a career-high 11 batters in seven scoreless innings on Friday, and Class A Wisconsin defeated Peoria, 5-1.
Williams' lone blemish was a leadoff double by Ronald Castillo in the second inning, otherwise he dominated the Chiefs. He threw 96 pitches and faced just one batter over the minimum.
Williams finished his start strong, striking out seven of the last nine batters he faced before yielding to right-hander Chad Thompson to start the eighth inning.
The Timber Rattlers employ a tandem starter system, which has given Williams the chance to work as both a starter and a reliever this season. But no matter when he pitches, he's found a way to win. He has won his last seven decisions and is 8-1 with a 2.36 ERA in 107 innings.
Williams, the Brewers' fourth-round pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, leads the Midwest League with a 0.94 WHIP, ranks third in ERA and fourth with 112 strikeouts in 107 innings.
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. Teddy Cahill is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tedcahill. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Several Rocketeers are on-site at the National Retail Federation's Annual Convention and Expo to offer mobile expertise within the Commerce@Ogilvy exhibit. Launched in 2012, Commerce@Ogilvy's mission is to design consumer-centric shopping experiences for brands across multiple channels anywhere, anytime. As Commerce@Ogilvy explains, there are three components of Continuous Commerce™:
Omnichannel: Continuity for the brand and the consumer across multiple channels, devices and locations to enable sales anytime, anywhere.
Relationship: Whether new to the brand or a loyal advocate, continually tailored to the individual.
Customer Experience: An experience that will delight across every touchpoint.
Let's break these components down as they relate to mobile:
Perhaps we are biased, but we could suggest that mobile is the most important channel of all. The smartphone, or perhaps we should call it the personal computer that we keep in our pocket, is really a touchpoint for all of the channels we consider when talking about Continuous Commerce. On the smartphone, you have phone, text, email, web, social media, applications and video all available at your fingertips (literally). If you consider a customer's shopping journey from start to finish, each touchpoint can be experienced on your mobile device.
Let's face it, shopping is personal and it doesn't get more personal than being able to reach your customer anytime, anywhere on the device they hold closest to them (literally). Getting to know each of your customers personally is the easiest way to increase brand loyalty. Listen to what they want, where they want it, how they want it and even how they want to pay for it…and then, give it to them.
Customer Experience:
The user experience is hands down the most important aspect to think about when you are talking about anything in commerce. As it relates to mobile, you should focus on the user above everything else. If a mobile experience does not delight your customers, they won't come back. When you create something that is absolutely magical, you will not only land a loyal customer, but also gain a true brand ambassador (if they love the experience, they WILL share it with their friends, family and social community).
Mobile is the key to commerce. If you build it right, they will come back again and again.
To learn more about Commerce@Ogilvy, visit their website.
To talk to a Rocketeer about our experience in commerce, visit our contact page!


text:
SANTA FE SPRINGS >> Damien powered past host St. Paul with big plays early on, securing a 34-12 nonleague victory on Friday night.
The Spartans made a statement on the first play of the game, when they connected on a 60-yard halfback pass from Leroy Cloud to Mackenzie Sternquist.
After a muffed punt by St. Paul, the Spartans scored on the following play when Brenden Callen found Thomas Romin for a 37-yard touchdown pass with 6:47 left in the first quarter.
Damien took a 17-0 lead after Washington State-commit Tristain Vizcaino kicked a 43-yard field goal with 40 seconds left before halftime.
St. Paul's Daniel Aguilar's 1-yard run on the opening drive of the second half pulled the Swordsmen to within 17-6.
The Spartans answered on the next possession when Callen passed to Sternquist in the corner of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown.
Sternquist was the leading receiver for Damien, catching four passes for 88 yards.
With 5:37 remaining in the game, Jacob Maier threw a 5-yard touchdown to Jakob Williams on fourth-and-goal, making it 24-12.
The Swordsmen's onside kick attempt was recovered by Damien, the good field position leading to a Vizcaino 27-yard field goal and a 27-12 Spartans lead with 2:05 left in the fourth quarter.
Callen finished 11 for 19 with 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Cloud led Damien with 134 rushing yards on 25 carries.
After allowing 36 points in the opening half of the season, the Spartans defense has only allowed 24 points throughout the last 10 quarters.
St. Paul has now lost 11 consecutive games, going back to last season. The Swordsmen's schedule hasn't done them any favors with losses to Servite, Mater Dei, and Serra in that stretch.
Aguilar led St. Paul with 91 yards rushing on 13 carries.


text:
When three poor soldiers found themselves unable to live on their meager pay, they decided to try to desert the army. The three men are forced to hide, trapped because the army is not moving on from the camp. While stuck in a ditch, the men encounter a dragon who offers to take them into his service for seven years. They layer find out the dark side of the deal, when the dragon tells them they will only be released if they can solve a riddle. One of the soldiers stumbles across the grandmother of the dragon, who is perhaps the only chance they have at solving the riddle and gaining their freedom.
Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish writer who collected fairy and folk tales from various cultures and put them together in 12 volumes of tales. He was noted for taking the tales from as many original sources as possible, keeping the fairy tales close to their intended meanings.
Public Domain (P)2012 Enunciation LLC
There are no reviews for this title yet.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


text:
Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL) will report its Q2 FY13 earnings on December 18. Oracle has been trying to improve its hardware sales and gross margins since the acquisition of Sun Microsystems and has entered into markets such as social media, virtualization and project management via acquisitions in the past few quarters. Oracle had a fairly slow Q1 FY13, in terms of revenue as total revenues fell slightly y-o-y to $8.18 billion compared to $8.37 billion the previous year. The software business showed strength as it grew to slightly to $5.7 billion up 4% annually but its hardware business declined to $2.46 billion down from $2.854 billion.
Earnings per share was up 13% y-o-y at $0.41. In this earnings release, we will monitor its cloud strategy as Oracle has been on an acquisition spree, snapping up companies in social media marketing and strategy. It has acquired companies such as Skire, Involver and Xsigo recently, which shows Oracles intent to get into virtualization, project management and social media analytics. [1]
- What To Expect From Oracle's Fiscal Q1 Earnings
- Higher Cloud Revenue Growth Estimates Has Led To Over 20% Rise In Our Valuation Of Oracle
- Oracle Ready To Sail The Cloud Wave As Future Revenues And Margins Look Strong After FY'17 Results
- Oracle Q3'17 Earnings: IaaS Could Emerge As A Dark Horse
- Oracle Q3'17 Earnings Preview: Overall Top-Line Likely To Grow, But Legacy Business Remains A Concern
- Oracle's Cloud Growth Reaches An All Time High But Legacy Business Continues To Offset The Growth
Check out our complete analysis of Oracle
Big Data Opportunity
Oracle is trying to capitalize on the Big Data growth opportunity through its Exalytics product which is an in-memory appliance and competes directly with SAP's popular HANA offering. It also launched Advanced Analytics that enables users to run scripts for business intelligence applications in its Big Data appliance. Since SAP's HANA has already been in the market for about a year, it'll be interesting to see what Oracle has in mind to capture some market share in this space. Enterprise hardware offerings like the Exalytics appliance will not only help the company ride the Big Data trend but also enable it to improve its hardware margins by phasing out older legacy hardware, launching new high-margin hardware and bundling it with its software products. Though its hardware revenue has taken a hit recently, we expect it to improve in the coming years.
New Growth Markets
Oracle has been focusing on acquisitions in social media, virtualization and project management and has acquired companies in these industries. Oracle has entered into an agreement to acquire Xsigo Systems, a leading network virtualization company. It simplifies cloud infrastructure by using software-defined networking technology to allow customers to dynamically connect any server to any network as well as storage, resulting in efficient resource usage. We expect the technology of Xsigo to be integrated with Oracle VM for server virtualization, making Oracle cloud environment more cost effective.
It has also acquired Skire, a program management and facilities management software provider. Skire has applications both for the cloud and on-premise deployment and provides a complete set of management and governance tools from planning to the operations execution stage. This is mainly used by companies to manage their expansion and construction programs. Oracle will integrate Skire's technologies with its range of Primavera products.
In the social media space, it has acquired Involver that mainly caters to the creation of campaigns on Facebook. It is a Facebook Marketing Developer and a technology provider for Facebook's internal marketing team. It pioneered social apps by creating the first social app suite on Facebook and is currently leading the industry with Social Markup Language (SML) and Visual SML. This allows front-end developers to achieve what Involver calls a "pixel-perfect" application and helps marketers customize applications. It also provides an intuitive interface to build the campaign with no requirement for coding. This is Oracle's third acquisition in the social media marketing space after its acquisition of Vitrue and Collective Intellect.
We currently have a $41 Trefis price estimate for Oracle, which stands nearly 30% above its current market price. Database, middleware and application software accounts for nearly 80% of its value, while enterprise server and storage hardware accounts for more than 10%.
Understand How a Company's Products Impact its Stock Price at TrefisNotes:
- Oracle SEC Filings, www.sec.gov, 24 Sep 2012 [↩]


text: I have an 04 LSV. The racks were mounted on the middle horizontal cross bar. Apparently they do not make these anymore so insurance said they would pay for two new racks. On the stock rack it would hold my wakeboard and my hyperlite surf board. I want my new racks to be able to do this also, any thoughts on what racks to ask for?


text:
BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
August 20, 2013
BP Daily Podcast
Effectively Wild Episode 269: Revisiting the Jose Fernandez Call-Up/Handicapping Cano's Suitors
Ben and Sam reevaluate whether the Marlins' early promotion of Jose Fernandez made sense, then talk about where Robinson Cano will end up.
Download Here (30 MB; 32:21)
Ben Lindbergh is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @benlindbergh
1 comment has been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Pat Folz
We talk so matter-of-factly about service time management/shenanigans that I think we sometimes forget that it's fundamentally pretty skeevy, anti-competetive, and hurts both the fans and the player concerned. If the Marlins determined that Jose Fernandez was ready for the Majors in April then it was absolutely in the best interest of Fernandez to promote him. It's both incredibly sad and sort of funny that the possibility that the Marlins were simply doing right by the player was never mentioned.
Aug 20, 2013 00:10 AM
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!


text: So far this year we have tested several USB 3.0 devices including a USB 3.0 drive dock and two USB 3.0 external enclosures. Today we have a USB 3.0 kit for review from Computer Geeks that is comprised of a USB 3.0 ExpressCard, USB 3.0 enclosure and a 2.5" SATA hard drive. By combining the interface card, enclosure and drive into one bundle, Geeks offers a complete package upgrade for those laptop users on the go who need fast, affordable storage. Join me as I take a closer look at the Computer Geeks USB 3.0 SuperSpeed 2.5" External Hard Drive Kit.


text:
Places for the Spirit
Traditional African American Gardens
An exhibit of photographs by Vaughn Sills
January 18March 10, 2013
Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Free admission; open daily 10 am-4:30 pm; Wednesday until 8 pm
Free public lecture by Vaughn Sills Jan. 29 at 2 & 7 pm
Experience an exhibit of black-and-white fine-art photographs of African American folk gardens and their creators. Author Vaughn Sills, an associate professor of photography at Simmons College in Boston, traveled throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina in search of these evocative gardens, and her photographs capture a vanishing element of the American landscape.
Vaughn Sills writes: "In my search for gardens I drove through small towns and cities and along country roads, stopping when I saw a certain kind of beauty. As I look at my photographs now and try to define what compelled me, I see a sense of both order and mystery, with a visual and soul-satisfying contrast between open space and dense arrangements of plant life. In many of the gardens I was drawn to the myriad objects placed to reflect light, to create structure, to delight and, it seemed, to entertain. I soon learned that all of this beauty was far more than entertainment, for beyond that there was meaning of the greatest import.
Vaughn Sills
"These gardens hold a place for spirits: the gardeners provide the means to communicate with ancestors, fend off harm, and offer security to those who enter."
Free public lectures by the author: All invited to "The Roots of Trust" a free public lecture at Matthaei Botanical Gardens by Vaughn Sills on Jan. 29. The author will discuss the importance of establishing trust with the creators of the gardens in her photographs.
Read an article by former Matthaei-Nichols intern and current PhD candidate Joesph Ciadella on the legacy of African American Gardens in Detroit.
Sponsored by University of Michigan College of Engineering and University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum.


text:
The following EPTA "Top Ten" items include issues which can be identified during the planning and initial stages of an examination.
1. Termination or Partial Termination - Potential Vesting/Distribution Issues
When comparing multiple years, there is a large drop in plan participants.
There is a large decrease in plan participants from beginning of the year to end of the year.
There appears to be a large number of separated participants during the year.
There appears to be a low percentage of participants compared to the total number of employees relative to other plan years.
The corporation appears to be "downsizing."
The employer uses plan assets to provide incentives for termination, such as enhanced early retirement benefits or severance pay not specified in the plan document. Note: This is a problem even when all the affected participants are fully vested as is often the case.
Not all of the participants from an acquired plan continue to participate after that plan has been merged with an ongoing plan.
2. Acquisitions
With respect to employer allocations made each pay period, the acquiring employer's profit sharing allocation may not be made to the trust timely for employees of newly acquired companies because the employees may not yet be part of the centralized payroll system.
The acquiring employer may exclude the matching contribution for employees of the newly acquired company.
The acquiring employer might fail to offer all optional benefits on distributions of transferred assets from merged plans.
The acquiring employer might use incorrect compensation amounts when computing the matching contribution for business units of the newly acquired company.
Incorrect matching contributions due to inaccurate participation dates for employees of newly acquired companies.
The acquiring employer makes a plan contribution relating to an assumed liability. Such contributions are generally acquisition costs that cannot be deducted by either company.
3. Deferral Percentage Tests
If the plan has no limits on HCE deferrals and no matching contributions, examining how the plan meets the ADP test may uncover a process inadequacy.
ADP/ACP percentage calculations may be performed incorrrectly.
ADP/ACP electronic data may be faulty.
There could be failures if testing is completed by a third party vendor and there is no oversight by the employer.
The employer's ADP test could fail if a benefit is provided to a "special" group of participants and not to "all" participants.
Newly acquired employees may have not been offered an option to make elective deferrals or may not have been considered for testing purposes.
4. Compensation
Equity compensation plans typically generate Form W-2 income on exercise of stock options or early sales of stock purchased through a section 423 stock purchase plan. A plan, which permits employees to make section 401(k) deferrals from such income, may not have any means to collect the deferred income and, therefore would be applying the deferral percentages incorrrectly.
If the section 401(a)(17) compensation limitation is exceeded, the result could be excess employer contributions.
5. Plan Document
Qualification issues exist where plans have not timely adopted amendments (including GUST amendments), leading to automatic disqualification. These issues are resolved through closing agreements.
The merger of plans into other plans - The plan documents may not have been timely amended to comply with all applicable laws prior to the time the plans were merged.
6. Vesting
Issues may exist where the accounts of participants age 65 and over have forfeitures. If the participant is age 65 or over, the participant should be 100% vested and there should be no forfeitures.
Issues exist where the plan failed to properly calculate participants' vesting percentages.
Plans may be using incorrect vesting schedules.
Plans may fail to properly determine participants' service correctly.
Failures occur when plan administrators incorrectly apply the vesting provisions written in the plan documents.
7. Distributions and Loans
- Large distributions on the income statement relative to plan assets or to a prior or subsequent plan year.
Large distributions payable relative to plan assets or to distributions actually paid out during the plan year.
Plans may fail to suspend "salary deferrals" of participants receiving hardship distributions from their accounts as required by I.T. Regulation 1.401(k)-1(d)(2)(iv)(b).
Plan participants, receiving premature distributions or defaulting on plan loans, fail to report the distributions and/or pay the 10% excise tax on their individual tax returns.
Return indicates that the plan terminated a long time ago, but distributions did not take place.
If the employer uses automated systems for participants to secure plan loans, in-service distributions, or hardship distributions, significant compliance issues may occur if required documentation or spousal consents are not secured and maintained.
Distributions may be understated due to a plan's failure to properly value employer real property or employer securities in a closely held corporation.
Distributions codes used on the Forms 1099 may be in error resulting in improper tax treatment of distributions and/or a failure to report the 10% excise tax.
8. Assets
- Large percentage of assets classified as other assets on the balance sheet.
Large percentage of assets in one single investment.
Large amounts of administrative expenses.
Significant misclassifications of assets or liabilities.
Significant changes in types of investments from one year to the next based on a comparative analysis of three or more plan years.
Existence of relatively large liabilities (other than in a leveraged ESOP).
Large percentage of assets invested in employer real property or employer securities (other than in an ESOP).
9. Limits
Excess deduction taken as a result of the "accrual" of a pension expense with no corresponding Schedule M-1 adjustment.
Plan(s) may exceed IRC section 415 limits when plan participants are participating in more than one plan of the employer and the employer is making annual additions to all plans.
Employees may also exceed the IRC section 402(g) limit when participants are participating in more than one plan that offers elective deferrals.
10. Miscellaneous
Lack of sufficient internal controls to ensure that data provided to third party record keepers/plan administrators is accurate. Often the audit reveals that reports and testing prepared by third parties have inacccurate data, such as dates of hire or termination, ages of employees, amount of compensation, etc. Thus the plan administrator is improperly calculating such things as vesting or employer matching allocations.
Large corporations with decentralized payroll systems may have problems administering the plan if there are no internal controls to ensure plan provisions are properly applied. For example, if each subsidiary determines eligibility for plan participation, who is an HCE, or what constitutes "plan compensation", significant compliance issues may occur in coverage and allocations.
Plan data used to prepare the 5500 returns does not always match the actual records (such as payroll data). In addition, the Taxpayer's Employee Master File has been found to be incomplete (for example, participants who are being reflected on the section 401(a) plan records do not have hire dates shown on the Employee Master File).


text: Preparing for your appointment By Mayo Clinic Staff Print If you think you may have atherosclerosis or are worried about having atherosclerosis because of a strong family history of heart disease, make an appointment with your doctor to have your cholesterol level checked. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment and know what to expect from your doctor. What you can do Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. When you make the appointment, be sure to ask whether there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet. Many blood tests, including cholesterol and triglycerides, require that you fast beforehand. Write down any symptoms you're experiencing. Atherosclerosis seldom has symptoms, but it is a risk factor for heart disease. Knowing you have symptoms such as chest pains or shortness of breath can help your doctor decide how aggressively to treat your atherosclerosis. Write down key personal information, including a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure or diabetes, and any major stresses or recent life changes. Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements you're taking. Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot. Be prepared to discuss your diet and exercise habits. If you don't already eat a healthy diet or exercise, you can talk to your doctor about challenges you might face in getting started. Write down questions to ask your doctor. Preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time with your doctor. For atherosclerosis, some basic questions to ask your doctor include: What tests will I need? What's the best treatment? What foods should I eat or avoid? What's an appropriate level of physical activity? How often do I need a cholesterol test? What are the alternatives to the primary approach you're suggesting? I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together? Are there restrictions I need to follow? Should I see a specialist? Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing? Are there brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend? Don't hesitate to ask any other questions you have. What to expect from your doctorYour doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, including: Do you have a family history of high cholesterol, high blood pressure or heart disease? What are your diet and exercise habits like? Do you or did you smoke or use tobacco in any form? Have you had a cholesterol test? If so, when was your last test? What were your cholesterol levels? Do you have discomfort in your chest or pain in your legs with walking or at rest? Have you had a stroke or unexplained numbness, tingling or weakness of one side of your body or difficulty speaking? What you can do in the meantimeIt's never too early to make healthy lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, eating healthy foods and becoming more physically active. These are primary lines of defense against atherosclerosis and its complications, including heart attack and stroke. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic Costs & insuranceSelf-management Aug. 04, 2017 Print Share on: FacebookTwitter References What is atherosclerosis? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/atherosclerosis/#. Accessed Oct. 1, 2015. Atherosclerosis. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/WhyCholesterolMatters/Atherosclerosis_UCM_305564_Article.jsp. Accessed Oct. 1, 2015. Zhao X. Pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Oct. 1, 2015. Mohler ER. Epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis and natural history of abdominal aortic aneurysm. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Oct. 19, 2015. Smith SC, et al. American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation Secondary prevention and risk reduction therapy for patients with coronary and other atherosclerotic vascular disease: 2011 update. Circulation. 2011;124:2458. James PA, et al. 2014 evidence-based guideline for the management of high blood pressure in adults: Report from the panel members appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8). JAMA. 2014;311:507. Natural product effectiveness checker: High cholesterol. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Oct. 1, 2015. Natural product effectiveness checker: Atherosclerosis. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Oct. 1, 2015. Natural product effectiveness checker: Hypertension. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Oct. 19, 2015. Mohler ER, et al. Noninvasive diagnosis of arterial disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Oct. 19, 2015. Lopez-Jimenez F, et al. A summary and critical assessment of the 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in adults: Filling the gaps. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2014;89:1257. Tapson VF. Fibrinolytic (thrombolytic) therapy in acute pulmonary embolism and lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Oct. 19, 2015. Riggin EA. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 18, 2015. RelatedStress and your healthDoppler ultrasound: What is it used for?Exercise benefitsBlood tests for heart diseaseDietary fiberHeart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart diseaseUltrasoundStress testCT scanAnkle-brachial indexNumbnessHigh blood pressure (hypertension)Leg pain Mayo Clinic in Minnesota has been recognized as one of the top Cardiology & Heart Surgery hospitals in the nation for 2017-2018 by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more about this top honor Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosisOverviewSymptoms & causesDiagnosis & treatmentDiagnosisTreatmentDepartments & specialtiesExpertise & rankingsLocations, travel & lodgingClinical trialsResearchCosts & insurancePreparing for your appointmentSelf-managementMore aboutIn-DepthExpert AnswersMultimediaResourcesNews from Mayo Clinic Advertisement Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Advertising & Sponsorship Policy Opportunities Ad Choices Mayo Clinic Store Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. The Last Diet You'll Ever Need4 Simple Steps to a Joy-Filled LifePain Management Strategies from Mayo ClinicStop Osteoporosis in its TracksProtect and Preserve Your Vision Diagnosis & treatmentRequest an AppointmentDiagnosisTreatmentDepartments & specialtiesExpertise & rankingsLocations, travel & lodgingClinical trialsResearchCosts & insurancePreparing for your appointment CON-20155124 Patient Care & Health Information Diseases & Conditions Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis


text:
One unexpected perk of having kids is that I now have excuses for all sorts of things I actually love to do anyway (afternoon snack anyone?).
Here are six of my favorites:
- Buy whole milk. I've never been a milk drinker, but then I discovered how good whole milk is. And I'll be buying whole milk for ever under the pretense that my 5th percentile children need it until they are 18. Once they move out, I don't know what I'll do. Advertisement
- Swing on the swings. I've always loved swinging on the swings and now I get a chance to do it multiple times a week. Wheee!
- Have a daily afternoon snack. How can I complain about having graham crackers or apples and peanut butter or popsicles every afternoon at 3 p.m.?
- Go swimming and just sit on the steps the whole time. I like to go to the pool, but I'm not really into actually swimming or pool games. Sitting on the steps with a toddler is pretty much the perfect pool trip to me. Plus, when I let my husband swim laps or dive, then I look really kind, even though I don't actually want to do anything else anyway.
- Wander aimlessly through every aisle of Target. When I'm on my own, I feel like I need to check off errands as fast as possible, but with the girls, I can happily burn time before nap time by looking at every single shelf.
- Put on my pajamas by 7:05 p.m. My girls go down at 7, so obviously it is late night and time for PJs by 7:05.


text:
News! The actress Jessica Brown-Findlay, who plays the youngest, "political" daughter of Lord Grantham in the Edwardian soap opera Downton Abbey, has said that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge told her they watch the show, and they love it – which means I have something in common with them.
This set me off on a mad royal-themed daydream as I imagined the royal couple watching Downton Abbey on TV, and remarking on the behaviour of the TV servants, and the look of the TV palace. Downton Abbey is a cultural octopus. No-one is safe, not even people with servants who actually live in palaces and own Labradors. Why?
First, let us look at what Downton Abbey is. Because TV is now our mass culture, it is interesting to analyse hit shows. From examining The X Factor, for example, you will learn that roughly 50% of the population is credulous because they think that Louis Walsh is a caring person, while the other 50% is merely cruel because it likes watching him lie to people about their dancing. And from watching Strictly Come Dancing, you can learn that Bruce Forsyth is immortal. But what is the meaning of Downton Abbey?
Julian Fellowes, who wrote it, says he doesn't know, because he is posh and to be posh means you have to pretend that good fortune happens solely by accident, and you had nothing to do with it despite having written the brilliant script. The Earl of Carnarvon, who owns Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey is filmed, thinks people love it because they miss the feudal system because the feudal system made people feel secure. Nothing makes a woman feel more secure than scrubbing a floor is this argument, which I think sucks.
I think '''Downton Abbey''' is brilliant because it looks like a costume drama but behaves like a soap
The actor Jim Carter, magnificent as Carson the butler, thinks it is due to the enormous cast and the fact it is not The Bill. Others think it is solely due to the presence of Maggie Smith, while yet more think it is the triumvirate of hotties Dan Stevens (presently paralysed), Hugh Bonneville (presently trapped in a script that makes him behave like a philosophising guineapig) and Brendan Coyle as the Heathcliff-esque valet, whose sex appeal is baffling yet unanswerable. Me, I think Downton Abbey is brilliant because it looks like a costume drama but behaves like a soap. The characters change personality every 12 minutes and the storylines zoom all over the place, like a malfunctioning motorcycle made of posh.
But what is in it for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge? Is watching ITV1 really more fun than counting the rooms in your castle? Do they like it because Downton Abbey is an advert for the class system, and thus for a constitutional monarchy, and thus for them? If so, they are watching a promotional video for their own existence. The aristocrats of Downton Abbey – apart from Lady Grantham, who is American and thus irrelevant – are noble and selfless, and are always arranging for servants to win flower competitions or die at home. In fact, the Edwardian aristocracy was all about insane overconsumption of claret, and shooting ducks. But in the TV version, the baddies are always servants; in fact, they are the servants who hate the class system and moan about it. The toffs, meanwhile, are saintly; even Edith, who used to be a bit evil, is now throwing concerned looks everywhere.
This is the sophisticated analysis, but I think the truth is simpler. Why do the future king and queen spend Sunday evenings on the sofa watching the soap described above? I'll tell you. A lot of money is spent trying to convince the general population that the royal family is different from us (and better than us) and therefore need huge subsidies, to spend on holidays and clothing and servants. Apart from this, they are actually the same as us; the Queen loves Tupperware and cereal, and is, I am fairly sure, wearing NHS glasses as I type. And now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have come out to say they love Downton Abbey. By their taste in TV shall thou know them.
Stylist's regular columnist Lucy Mangan is back in two weeks in issue 101
What's your view on Tanya's column? Share your opinion by commenting below.


text:
June 9, 2011 - June 9, 2011
Thursday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
SERC Schmidt Center
A joint CCMP, CSDMS, CBP, and U.S. IOOS Modeling Testbed Hydrodynamic Modeling Workshop will be convened at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, June 9-10, 2011. The purpose of this workshop will be to review state-of-the-art coastal and estuarine hydrodynamic modeling and compare the strengths and weaknesses of different model grids and their ability to simulate physical properties such as temperature and salinity variability and stratification. A strong emphasis will be placed on how well these models perform in Chesapeake Bay with goals of informing simulations of water quality parameters (such as light, nutrients, chlorophyll, and oxygen concentrations). These modeled attributes plus accurate circulation computations obviously have important implications for other critical components of the tidal bay and tributaries such as larval and juvenile transport, habitat, inundation, and climate change. Quantitative comparisons of model performance in Chesapeake Bay will draw heavily from the on-going U.S. IOOS Modeling Testbed model intercomparison project. The overarching goals of this workshop will be to 1) review, summarize, and finalize the results from the U.S. IOOS Modeling Testbed model intercomparison project and 2) provide input to the Chesapeake Bay modeling workgroup that can be used to inform selection of a future hydrodynamic model or model ensemble for assessing water quality and living resource management impacts.
Sponsor: Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee
The information on this Calendar regarding Chesapeake Bay Program meetings and events is accurate to the best of our knowledge.


text:
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Those who enjoy a little schadenfreude over an August weekend are getting a surfeit of it as hedge fund manager Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management twists slowly, slowly in the wind.Ackman -- the name means "oak man" in German -- likes to be seen as the smartest guy in the room and helped endow a center for Jewish Geneology Research. But sometimes the smartest guy in the room outsmarts himself. That's what happened to Ackman after he bought a huge stake (now 18%) in J.C. Penney ( JCP) in early 2011. Penney was one of the fallen angels of American retailing. A long-time shopping mall anchor, founded by James Cash Penney, a merchant who once taught a young Sam Walton how to wrap packages more efficiently, it had fallen onto hard times. Ackman figured he could make a killing by resurrecting it. But the man he picked as Penney's savior, former Apple ( AAPL) stores head Ron Johnson, turned out to be worse than the disease. Johnson tore down the old business model, replacing it with a high-tech paradise that didn't hold sales, where clerks carried iPads. The old customers bailed, new ones didn't show up, and in April Johnson was shown the door. This should have been bad enough, but in the meantime Ackman had decided to recoup his losses with a second big bet, a short on Herbalife ( HLF)Herbalife (HLF), announced at a conference in December. He called Herbalife a pyramid scheme and put his evidence online. Regardless of whether Ackman is right or wrong on Herbalife, the history of a short doesn't always follow the facts. Ackman's hedge fund rivals, including Dan Loeb of Third Point, George Soros and Carl Icahn, took the other side of Ackman's big bet -- Herbalife stock has doubled since Ackman stepped in. We now enter the "squeal like a pig" portion of our program. Penney brought back Johnson's predecessor, Myron "Mike" Ullman, to run the company. Ullman has a long-term plan that could get the company back to where it was, a low-profit $18 billion outfit selling at roughly half its sales, worth maybe $9 billion, within a few years. (The present market cap is about $3 billion.)
- Log In
- Newsletters
Access insights and guidance from our Wall Street pros. Find the product that's right for you.
- Action Alerts PLUS
- Daily Swing Trade
- Income Seeker
- Quant Ratings
- Real Money
- Real Money Pro
- Stocks Under $10
- Top Stocks
- Trifecta Stocks
- Real Money Pro Portfolio
- Chairman's Club
- Compare All


text:
hair isn't clumping and too much frizz
View Single Post
View Public Profile
Send a private message to GeminiLeslie
Find More Posts by GeminiLeslie
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 186
Thursday, March 1, 2007 at 02:09PM
: hair isn't clumping and too much frizz
OK, my hair is i think 3C with some 4a mixed in. On Saturday I washed my hair, and since then I have been CO washing everyday with Ocean Breeze Suave. I cowash in the shower and afer rinsing I spray in some leave in, it's Infusium 23, and I've mixed in some Sweet Almond Oil. After that I do my shower thing, and then once i get out, I don't towel dry or anything, and then put in some Fantaisa IC with sparklelites gel. I've just started using this gel and it's giving me nice curls but, my curls are really like..small? they don't clump well, and i've also been getting tons of frizz...anyone have any suggestions on what could help?? I'd really appreciate it.


text:
BECOME A PREFERRED SUBSCRIBER+ Get 15% off Your Next Order
The BEST deals come to your inbox. Sign up for GEMPLER'S emails to get exclusive offers and first dibs on hot new products!
View other products by Rubbermaid
Floor Cone - "Caution" - 36" Bilingual
Highly-visible, bright yellow hazard protection
Avoid costly workplace accidents with this durable indoor safety cone that you can place near spills, wet floors –anywhere employees could get hurt. Warning message imprinted in English and Spanish provides effective communication. Molded-in slots on top for easy handling. Four-sided shape for efficient stacking. Imported.


text:
The Effects of Z-338 in Subjects With and Without Functional Dyspepsia
This study has been completed.
Zeria Pharmaceutical
Information provided by:
Zeria Pharmaceutical
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: February 28, 2006
Last updated: January 12, 2009
Last verified: January 2009
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
To assess in subjects with and without functional dyspepsia the effects of Z-338 on:
- Type and severity of symptoms a standardized nutrient challenge
- The gastric nutrient distribution and gastric emptying of a standardized nutrient challenge
- The association of the above with the manifestations of symptoms and symptom pattern
|Drug: Z-338
|Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|The Effects of Z-338 on the Symptomatic Response to a Nutrient Challenge and Gastric Nutrient Distribution and Emptying in Subjects With and Without Functional Dyspepsia
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: IndigestionU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Zeria Pharmaceutical:
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 70 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Subjects with functional dyspepsia Positive documented diagnosis of FD via RomeII criteria and three or more moderate symptoms of Gastrointestinal Score
- Subjects with no history of functional dyspepsia Clinical assessment, physical examination and laboratory testing without evidence for relevant abnormality.
Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00298194
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00298194
|Australia, South Australia
|Royal Adelaide Hospital
|Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 5000
Sponsors and Collaborators
Zeria Pharmaceutical
|Principal Investigator:
|Gerald Holtmann, Professor
|Royal Adelaide Hospital
More Information
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00298194 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|February 28, 2006
|Last Updated:
|January 12, 2009
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Signs and Symptoms, Digestive
Signs and Symptoms
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
I'm your basic girl who is a huge Rays Fan. I grew up watching and enjoying baseball.
Shoot me an email please....I want to share some information with you. I appreciate your spirit and line of thought. We see it about the same way.
please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com....I would like to exchange some things with you. I am pretty certain I know who you are. I am impressed and appreciative


text:
Dog Walkers in Gonzales, TX
Book a dog walker to give your dog a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood.
Home Full-time with a fenced yard
Shiner, TX, 77984
Dog Boarding, House Sitting, Drop-In Visits, Doggy Day Care, Dog Walking
About: I absolutely love being around dogs as they are what makes me truly happy. My true happiness comes from being around animals each day! I worked at ... (more)
Experience exceptional service and a personalized match
From start to finish, we'll handle all the details for you.Learn About Premier
Rover also offers dog walking in:
|Bebe, TX
|Belmont, TX
|Cheapside, TX
|Cost, TX
|Harwood, TX
|Monthalia, TX
|Ottine, TX
|Pilgrim, TX
|Sandy Fork, TX
|Wrightsboro, TX
We know you can't always be there, and it's our goal is to connect you with sitters in your neighborhood who can help take care of your pet. With Rover, it's easy to find and book Gonzales dog walkers who will give your dog the exercise they need. Book a 30-minute walk one day, once a week, or even every day. That way, you can take care of what you need to do and know your dog is getting the love they deserve. No matter how often you need a sitter or dog walker, we're here for you. We're proud to offer complimentary premium insurance with dog walking services booked through Rover. The next time you're looking for a dog walker in Gonzales, TX, visit Rover to search for the perfect dog walker, set up a Meet & Greet, and book a walk anytime you need it. All you have to do after that is sit back and relax: your dog's in good hands.
Wondering what you should be paying for a walk? Check out our standard dog walking rates for a comparison.


text:
Herewith are excerpts from, letters come to the desks of the editors during the past week. They are selected primarily for the information they contain either supplementary to or corrective of news previously published in TIME.
Cherokee Rogers
Sirs: Not that it is a matter of international importance, but merely that your excellent publication may, as always, correctly record the passing showI call attention to two small errata in TIME, July 19, "Prairie Pantaloon" [p. 20] a) The father of Will Rogers was also of Cherokee descent, with about the same per cent of...
To continue reading: or Log-In


text:
The Next Wave of Money
Where is the money coming from? There's a good discussion in Columnist Conversation about this, and I have to tell you -- I think it is coming first from 401k contributions from the beginning of the month, and then trickling back in from bond funds.
That said, the gyrations of the stock market aren't making it any easier to get back in. That's despite the fact that Noodles (NDLS) just gave you a double from the initial public offering, and that Onyx Pharmaceuticals (ONXX) was a total home run....103 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
Already a Subscriber? Please login.


text:
Market Recap – October 15, 2013
Ultra-short post tonight. Not much to say until we get a debt deal passed through Congress and we see the market's response. Until then, we should expect to see more chop. As we can see below, the VIX term structure (courtesy of TradingVolatility.net) is demonstrating the current indecision of investors.
After a deal is done, though, we have to ask "what next"? At best, any deal just kicks the can down the road a little. Neither side seems interested in addressing the underlying deficit issue.
As for my trading plan, I'm in cash now and looking for a strong trend to emerge. As a backdrop to my trades, I am watching two things:
- Quarterly earnings – are margins staying elevated or are they starting to see pressure?
- Will the markets reverse the latest trend of waning participation with each new high?
- This is the one I am watching most. This trend does not favor the bulls.
- See below for a chart from DecisionPoint.com ($) illustrating the trend.
Disclosure(s): None
UVXY shares "hard to borrow"? No problem.
DISCLAIMER: This is in no way a recommendation to establish a synthetic short position in your account. It is for illustrative purposes only. You take full responsibility for your trades.
I'm throwing this post out there, despite a fear that it will coincide with a precipitous drop in the market. As every active investor knows, we have recently experienced a spike in the VIX from well below average to just over its long-term average value of 20. This leaves plenty of room to the upside. That said, I would prefer to share this now, rather than after the VIX falls and the markets rally.
I often hear traders express frustration over the desire to short shares of UVXY (or other stocks or ETFs), but they cannot because the shares are marked as "hard to borrow". Fear not…there is another option…through options! (bad pun intended)
The answer is a synthetic short position. The Options Guide does a great job explaining of how it works.
For this post, I will only touch on the synthetic short, which essentially carries the same risk/reward of directly shorting a stock. The Options Guide contains many more strategies that help limit downside risk.
Using yesterday's closing values, we get the following table (from Charles Schwab).
To create a synthetic short position of 100 UVXY shares, I would sell one call option and buy one put option, both with a strike price of 42.00. In selling the call (at the bid), I would receive a $4.50/share credit (x100 shares, or $4,500) for selling the call and pay $4.50/share (x100 shares, or $4,500) to purchase the put (at the ask).
To be clear, while the two cancel each other out and it may look like no money has left my account, I am now synthetically short 100 shares of UVXY and my position carries the same risk/reward profile. Knowing this, brokerages will require a certain amount of margin in the account to maintain the position.
The chart below describes the financial impact of various price moves on the underlying stock, UVXY:
Market Recap – October 9, 2013
First, a couple of must-read blog posts (coincidentally, both with poker themes):
- Know Your Probabilities (Kirk Report)
- Market Masters: Poker-Trading Parallels, Positive Expectation, and Moving Beyond Certainty (See It Market)
Second, a few of my usual daily reads:
- A Different Take on the Overbought VIX (Schaeffer's Trading Floor Blog)
- Vol Squeeze Over, Market Sliding Normally (Option Pit Blog)
- @ the money $VIX Vol in 160 on Sonar Report today (Dr. J's Blog)
It seemed like the market wanted to show capitulation today and start a relief rally, but then sold off to end flat at the close. VVIX (volatility of volatility) hit 120 today. I have found that elevated readings in the VVIX have often coincided with great times to open a short position on volatility, provided a few things:
- One manages position size properly. An elevated VVIX means volatility (VIX) and the ETFs that track volatility (either directly or inversely) will also be volatile and one can be easily stopped out or damaged in the whipsaw action.
- The trader has a trade horizon of at least a few weeks. Massive returns don't immediately follow a VVIX spike to 120. Good trades require some patience.
- The VIX term structure remains in contango. The last two spikes to 120 were in May 2012 (close, actually 117) and November 2011. Both were great times to short volatility. We also saw a spike >120 in August 2011, but that marked the beginning of an extended period of backwardation in the VIX term structure. Traders shorting volatility in August 2011 were crushed over the next few months.
I opened a small short position on UVXY early in the afternoon, but closed it about 10-15 minutes before market close. I did this for a few reasons — 1.) momentum of the reversal seemed to be waning and 2.) I would rather lock in quick day-trading profits than hold overnight positions until momentum in $SPY is clearly to the upside. I expect to continue dabbling in and out of small, opportunistic trades until a more positive trend resumes.
I still believe we will see a short-lived relief rally followed by more downside action in the intermediate-term, but I will keep an eye out for alternative scenarios.
Today's charts are below, courtesy of StockCharts.com and Trading Volatility.
Disclosure(s): None
Market Recap – October 8, 2013
Volatility posts of interest from today:
- A History of the VIX During Recent Debt Ceiling and Sequestration Battles (VIX And More)
- $VIX drifting like BattleCat over @SnoopDogg studio $3 move on Sonar Report (Dr. J's Blog)
- Rational Behavior from the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) (Schaeffer's Trading Floor Blog)
As I tweeted a few weeks ago, I closed my short position on volatility completely by Sept. 26. I remain in cash now, but I am looking for an opportunity to short volatility again.
My current market hypothesis is that we are due for a bounce, but we may see more selling before the bulls regain control. Important factors I'm watching include:
- VIX – we've seen a spike above 20…but remember, the long-term average is 20. I'd prefer to see a value in the high 20s or more before I "back up the bus" (by shorting volatility).
- VVIX – hit 110 today; this is a good sign; tradable bottoms are often found when VVIX hits 110 or higher.
- VIX term structure – near-term part of the curve is in backwardation, but long-term portion is still in contango
- First, this tells me the current market fear is a short-term concern…and that when that fear starts to subside, near-term volatility is likely to drop fast.
- Second, this means I do NOT want to be short VXX, short UVXY, or long XIV near-term backwardation exists. The tide is working again the "short volatility" trade right now.
- Volume – we have started seeing a spike in volume in the major ETFs (SPY, IWM, QQQ), as well as the volatility ETFs (VXX, XIV, and UVXY). I would prefer to see spikes in daily trading volume of 3x the average. We are close, but not there yet.
- Momentum – to be comfortable with a longer-term "short volatility" position, I want to see bullish market momentum. The last few weeks have seen bearish trading.
- New Highs/New Lows (in the S&P500) – highs have contracted, but we have yet to see a spike in new lows (representing excessive bearishness).
- Spike in my blog traffic and # of twitter followers – despite taking a blogging hiatus the last few weeks, I have seen a spike the last two days. Investors seek greater information during periods of uncertainty.
Today's charts are below, courtesy of StockCharts.com and Trading Volatility.
Disclosure(s): None
Market Recap – September 18, 2013
This market continues to frustrate the bears…or at least anyone who is 1.) short equities, 2.) sitting in cash, or 3.) long volatility. I agree with the voices that claim the market is overvalued on a fundamental basis. Unfortunately, the markets have a history of remaining under- or overvalued for extended periods of time. This time is no different.
Besides, the Fed seems intent on inflating us out of our debt problem. Rather than punishing over-spenders, they are punishing savers. Savers who invest on fundamentals are getting punished the worst.
Despite today's large, downward shift in the VIX futures term structure, VIX month 1 contract (October) is still trading ~8% higher than the VIX spot index…a healthy gap. The entire term structure is firmly in contango.
Overall, the trend in equities remains up. Sure, we could be in a topping process, but if you are expecting a "crash" (a legitimate one…not a 3-5% move), you will highly likely be disappointed. Momentum is firmly to the upside, we are making new highs in the indices, the # of underlying stocks making new highs continue to expand as the market advances, and volatility continues to decline (both implied and historic).
These are not the signs of a pending crash. …not to mention the fact that true crashes are rare. It shocks me how often "experts" call for crashes, despite the relative infrequency with which they occur. I guess selling fear helps drive TV ratings. I'l stick to selling the VIX…much more profitable.
Today's charts are below, courtesy of StockCharts.com and Trading Volatility.
Disclosure(s): Short volatility at time of writing.
Market Recap – September 09, 2013
A few volatility reads for the day:
- The Price of Long Term Volatility (Six Figure Investing)
- Two Takes on Volatility and High-Frequency Trading (Schaeffer's Trading Floor Blog)
- Jamie is back on $VIX Sonar Report (Dr. J's Blog)
Strong day in the markets as $SPY tacked on nearly 1%. Despite the below-average volume, we saw an expansion of new highs and momentum indicators are starting to point up. I don't think we are completely out of the woods, but this bounce/rebound has been gaining strength.
As I mentioned last week, I looked into realized (or "historic volatility" – HV) against forward looking (or "implied volatility" – IV) and what that meant for near-term market returns. Not a ton of exciting results to report, except that there seems to be at least a correlation between a the premium of implied volatility over historic volatility and positive market returns. In more simple terms, when IV > HV, the market has gone up (on average) over the next 20 days. When IV < HV, the market has tended to perform poorly over the next 20 days (on average).
I would need a lot more research time to pull tradable recommendations out of the data…but I'm sure there are some juicy things in there. Saved for another day…
Today's charts are below, courtesy of StockCharts.com and Trading Volatility.
Disclosure(s): Short volatility at time of writing.


text:
Delivery in 10 working days
Polycarbonate Composite Shell: Lightweight, fit and comfort "superior", thanks to an advanced CAD technology.
Ensures high standards of comfort, quality and performance.
Ventilation system advanced "ACS": aeration guaranteed throughout the helmet, ventilations front and rear allow the escape of heat and humidity constant.
Micrometric closure system for fast and adjustable.
Interior removable and washable
Clear visor Anti UV
Quick release visor mechanism - visor quick release mechanism
anti Fog
Micro Buckle closure
Glasses groove - comfortable even with eyeglasses and sunglasses


text:
INews- Arun Jatiley Promises Special Help For Telugu States
Sat, Feb 28, 2015, 05:45 PM
The Union budget has clearly disappointed the AP state who is already reeling with deficit budget. However, Arun Jaitley in his Budget speech said that his government is committed to comply with all legal commitments promised at the time of reorganisation. He announced a special finance package to AP along with Bihar. He also proposed to set up IIM in AP with 40 Crore rupees.


text:
Follow our guide to finding the perfect Engagement gift with the essentials you need to understanding quality craftsmanship and selecting reputable products. Easily find, organize and compare hundreds of Engagement gifts. Explore what's hot and new, see the latest Engagement trends, get ideas and inspiration. Learn what experts know about the best way to select Engagement gifts. Read our tips and hints on how to buy wholesale with confidence.
Buy Engagement buttons at Zazzle.
A magnetic closure on the front keeps your cash safe and sound while three slots on the back give your credit and debit cards a home. Your message will be with them each time they reaches for their wallet! -Things Remembered searched the world for the perfect leather to stand up to the daily abuseSee More
Would you believe the hottest holiday item out there is a rectangular piece of plastic? According to a survey from the National Retail Federation, 57.7 percent of consumers want gift cards as holiday
When you"re attending a baby shower, you"d always think of what items would make useful but lovely presents. Among the things you"d find in stores as practical gifts for baby are baskets of different
Nothing recognizes the achievement of proud new graduates better than personalized gifts. A personal touch lets the graduate know how proud the giver is of their success. The right gift will be treasu
Gifts are the best tools to bring a smile to a man"s face, whether it is your dad, boyfriend, husband, or a best friend. There are plenty of unique gifts for men you can choose from. Have a look at gi
© 2013 Infomat Inc | Terms & Conditions | About Us | Contact Us | Advertise


text:
These wellies are so much fun, and have a cool standout robot graphic on the side that's really eye-catching on a grey, rainy day. They add a stylish finishing touch that would brighten up any little boy's outfit.
But as well as looking good, they also do the job when it comes to the all-important task of splashing about in puddles. There's a good grip sole that withstands the rough and tumble of running around in a playground and helps avoid slipping on wet tarmac.
I also really like the material and drawstring toggle at the top of the leg, which stops surplus water and mud getting in the top and soaking the bottoms of trousers and leading to dreaded soggy sock syndrome. I would say the drawstrings are a little too long and there's surplus cord hanging down, but I might just cut this to fit and knot the ends again – simple!
My son doesn't need an excuse to go puddle-jumping, as it's basically the law when you're two years old, but these designer-looking wellies make it even more fun.
By Lucy