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Geoff Kingston
- Title: Professor
- Position: Professor - Department of Economics
- Qualifications: Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Australian National University; Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University
Contact Details
- Ph: (61-2) 9850 7063
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Room: 411, building: E4A
Areas of Expertise
- macroeconomics
- personal finance
- international finance
Geoff Kingston obtained his Bachelor and PhD degrees from the Australian National University. Before moving to Macquarie University in 2009, he lectured at the University of Western Ontario, the University of Queensland, the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. He has published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, Economic Journal, Journal of International Economics, International Economic Review, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Journal of Monetary Economics, Journal of Public Economics and Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control. His co-authored book on superannuation was published in 2001 by Cambridge University Press.
- Doctor of Philosophy: Economics (Australian National University)
- Bachelor of Arts: Economics, mathematics, political science (Australian National University)
Research areas
Prof Kingston's research is on superannuation and retirement income policy, interest and exchange rates, and tax policy.
Down the retirement risk zone with gun and camera (with Lance Fisher) - October 2013
Restoring a level playing field for defined benefits superannuation (with Hazel Bateman) - June 2013
Agency Theory and Financial Planning Practice (with Haijie Weng) - June 2013 revision
Dynamic asset allocation when bequests are luxury goods (with Jack Die Ding and Sachi Purcal) - May 2013 revision
Refereed Journal Articles
(Since 2000)
- Agency Theory and Financial Planning Practice (with H Weng), Australian Economic Review, in print, 2014 September issue, pp290-203.
- Down the Retirement Risk Zone with Gun and Camera (with L Fisher), Economic Papers, 2014 pp153-162
- Dynamic Asset Allocation when Bequests are Luxury Goods (with J Ding and S Purcal), Journal of Economics and Control, 2014, pp. 49-53.
- Restoring a Level Playing Field for Defined Benefits Superannuation (with H Bateman), JASSA: The Finsia Journal of Applied Finance, 2013, December pp.36-41.
- The Future of Financial Advice and MySuper (with H Bateman), JASSA: The Finsia Journal of Applied Finance, 2012, pp49-53.
- Dracula in Charge of the Blood Bank, Economic and Labour Relations Review, 2011, pp.29-44.
- Tax and Super - Unfinished Business (with H Bateman), JASSA: The Finsia Journal of Applied Finance, December 2010, pp.49-54.
- Henry on Super and Saving (with H Bateman), Australian Economic Review, December 2010, pp.437-48.
- Financial Plans for Baby Boomers: How Much Risk?, Economic Papers, 2009, pp65-74.
- The Thoughts of Comrade McGuinness, Agenda, 2008 (No. 1), pp5-9.
- Superannuation and Personal Income Tax Reform (with H Bateman), Australian Tax Forum, 2007, pp137-162.
- Tax Reform: A Different View, Economic Papers, 2007, pp128-146.
- Currency Preferences and the Australian Dollar (with M Melecky), Journal of International Money and Finance, 2007, pp454-467.
- Our Treasurer Should Cultivate an Irish Lilt, Policy, 2006 (Summer issue), pp3-8.
- Choice of Tax Regime for Superannuation Contributors, Australian Accounting Review, 2006 (November issue), pp41-46.
- Joint Implications of Consumption and Tax Smoothing (with L Fisher), Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, 2005, pp1101-1119.
- Annuitization and Asset Allocation with HARA Utility (with S Thorp), Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, 2005, pp225-248.
- Superannuation: A Guide to the Field for Australian Economists, Economic Analysis and Policy, 2004, pp203-226.
- Theory of Tax Smoothing in the Small Open Economy (with L Fisher), Economics Letters, 2004, pp1-7.
- International Money: From Isaac Newton to Alan Greenspan, Economics, 2002 (June issue), pp19-26.
- Cost Benefit Analysis in Theory and Practice, Australian Economic Review, 2001, pp478-487.
- Privatisation, Deregulation and Microeconomic Reform(with C White), Economics, 2001 (September issue), pp32-38.
- Appendix to Efficient Timing of Retirement: An Approximate Solution to the Pre-Retirement Problem, posted on the website of the Review of Economic Dynamics, at www.economicdynamics.org, April 2001; 7 pp.
- The CPI, All Ords and Other Indexes, Economics, 2000 (September issue), pp15-25.
- Efficient Timing of Retirement, Review of Economic Dynamics, 2000, pp831-840.
Forced Saving: Mandating Private Retirement Incomes (with H. Bateman and J. Piggott), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, 2001
Book Chapters
- Financial Engineering for Australian Annuitants (with H Bateman and S Thorp), in H Bateman (ed.), Retirement and Scary Markets, Edward Elgar, 2007, pp124-148.
- The Equity Implications of Mandated Funded Pension Schemes (with H Bateman and J Piggott), in J Creedy (ed.), Taxation, Poverty and Income Distribution, Edward Elgar, 1994, pp163-174.
- Equity, Efficiency and the Superannuation Guarantee (with H Bateman and J Piggott), in D Knox (ed.), Superannuation: Contemporary Issues, Longmans, 1994, pp40-53.
- Customised Investment Strategies for Accumulations Superannuation (with H Bateman and J Piggott), in K Davis and I Harper (eds), Superannuation and the Australian Financial System, Allen and Unwin, 1992, pp139-156.
- Demographics, Retirement Saving, and Superannuation Policy: An Australian Perspective (with H Bateman, J Frisch and J Piggott), in P Stemp (ed.), Saving and Policy, CEPR, A.N.U., 1991, pp193-227.
- Stabilising Australia's External Debt: Twin Deficits versus Tight Money, in C Kearney and R MacDonald (eds.), Developments in Australian Monetary Economics, Longman-Cheshire, 1991, pp207-226.
- Optimal Foreign Debt: Alternative Perspectives, in Background Papers on External Debt: Studies Prepared for the Office of EPAC, AGPS, 1990, pp25- 45.
Superannuation and Retirement Incomes(with H. Bateman, R Block, P. Brennan, A. Connelly, G. Lehman, J. Maroney, J. Newman, J. Piggott, D. Solomon, A. Smith, D. Thompson, and G. White), Committee for the Economic Development of Australia, 1992.
Consultancy Reports
- 2007 - presentation on the budget and the economic outlook at a function sponsored by Benchmark Debtor Finance, Sydney
- 2005 - report on the economic implications of population ageing to CPA Australia (with G Barrett and H Bateman)
- 2004 - expert evidence on prospective asset returns to the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Medical Research and Compensation Foundation
- 2002 - expert evidence on house prices to Watkins Tapsell solicitors
- 2001 - six lectures on the Australian economy on behalf of the Alumni Travel Corporation
- 2002 - expert evidence on regional unemployment to White Barnes solicitors
Professional Membership
- Member of: Economic Society of Australia, Sydney Australia
PhD Student Supervision
- Associate Supervisor of Anh Tuan Bui - PhD-Economics Research - Full Time
- Principal Supervisor of Jie Ding - PhD-Economics Research - Full Time
- Principal Supervisor of Rudi Kurniawan - PhD-Economics Research - Full Time
- Principal Supervisor of Ning Rong - PhD-Economics Research - Full Time
- Associate Supervisor of Haijie (Jacky) Weng - PhD-Applied Finance and Actuarial Studies Research - Part Time

subset: commoncrawl


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1. Go to the BAA Public Portal at https://baa2.st.dhs.gov/. 2. Click on the Solicitations > Current Solicitation tab. 3. Select the desired LRBAA Solicitation. 4. Locate and click on the "Submit a Pre-Submission Inquiry" button. 5. Complete the required components and click Submit.(Back to General FAQ questions)
Solicitations are posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website at www.fbo.gov, and simultaneously on the BAA Public Portal at https://baa2.st.dhs.gov/.(Back to General FAQ questions)
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Time to own and get out of Manhattan. Light, brigh and freshly painted. One bedroom coop in Bronxville. Open floor plans which are great for entertaining. Unit easily accessed by elevator. Kitchen and bathroom have been remodeled recently. Close to shops, trains, and transportation. DUE TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS THERE IS NO ACCESS AT THIS TIME, ONLY BY WAY OF VIRTUAL TOUR
Listing courtesy of John Russo from Weichert Realtors
The data relating to real estate for sale or lease on this web site comes in part from HGMLS. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Eric Stein Team are marked with the HGMLS logo or an abbreviated logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing broker. The information appearing herein has not been verified by the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service, Inc. or the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Inc. or by any individual(s) who may be affiliated with said entities, all of whom hereby collectively and severally disclaim any and all responsibility for the accuracy of the information appearing at this web site, at any time or from time to time. All such information should be independently verified by the recipient of such data. This data is not warranted for any purpose. Copyright 2020 Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Via: Racing Retro
From Shonen Club magazine 1936. Via: Pink Tentacle
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Via: Gexogen
The art of Joon Ahn. Via: Concept Ships
Concept art for Ethan Maniqui's scifi action flick SCAR 23.(click to enlarge) Via: Quiet Earth
Monday, June 28, 2010
Via: 3points
The art of Buichi Terasawa's playboy space pirate Manga hero Cobra. Via: Le Blog Moto
The upcoming Tron Legacy Zero Gravity Light Cycle features six-foot light-emitting trails and innovative technology allowing the toy vehicle to be driven on a wall or even upside down. Via: ESP Visuals
Via: Buy Vintage
Gaston Lagaffe by Franquin. Via: Two Wheels Plus
DKW/Auto Union 1935 record braking sidecar. Via: Forum Auto
Via: Neo-Fukuoka
Sunday, June 27, 2010
"In May 2008, while excavating around the castle of Château-Gaillard, the archaeologists of Bristol University made a surprising discovery. They have unearthed two graves side by side. In both of them they have found the rests of the body of an armored knight, and above it in one grave the well preserved skeleton of a horse, while in the other the fragments of iron objects which, seen from above, resembled… a bicycle."The art of Boris Indrikov. Via: Riowang
Cone Custom Cycles "Wood Luck" Via: No Style Blog
The making of one sweet ride from Atogureisu Bakery
"The last photograph of Frank Lenz, who in the mid-1890s attempted to circle the world on bicycle. He disappeared in eastern Turkey and is the subject of David Herlihy's new book, The Lost Cyclist.
Via: Invisible Stories
DIY with Imperial Cycles
(builder unknown) Via:
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The art of Rex Burnett. Via: Ze Last Chance Garage
The 1950 Premier Novy moped.
Fortunato Depero. 1944
Via: Ecofriend"Vancouver-based startup Ryno Motors is creating a line of electric Monowheels. The bike has a range of about 30 miles and can hit a top speed of 25mph. Powered by LiFePo4 batteries, it is expected to cost about $3500 when on the market.
Friday, June 25, 2010
The art of Yuki Hisashi
William Buridan's sculpture "Steel Life".
Photography by Julien Taylor
The Spirit of Mechanics. Via: Art e Arti
»Spleen« is a freeze-frame explosion, an autopsy on motor and chassis that encapsulates the utopian fantasy of the overhauled scooter, driving off into the sunset."
Via: vvork
Thursday, June 24, 2010
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Last week I went to a national pet store chain to pick up some dog bags, and for the third visit in a row, they were out of my favorite biodegradable bags. These bags are made from cornstarch, which completely decomposes in just four months. In fact, there were no biodegradable bags at all. (You know, not even the ones that say they are biodegradable, except as defined by the state of California.)
I remarked to the cashier that the biodegradable bags seem to have gotten more popular since they always seemed to be out of stock. Perhaps they needed to get orders in more often?
"Actually we stopped carrying all the biodegradable bags," she said.
Stop the tape. All of them? In 2010? Turns out it wasn't even just this particular store, it was the entire chain. In a world where it seems like everyone is trying to be greener (or at least make it appear that way), this was something I never would have expected.
[Update: After calling several branches of the chain, no one seems to be able to confirm that this is a national policy, but none of the stores I called have been carrying them for several months.]
The day after the pet store incident, an article reminded me of just how important cutting our plastic consumption really is. "Researchers fear that such ubiquitous bags may never fully decompose; instead they gradually just turn into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic," according to the article.
Thoughts of my daily walks with Lucy and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch began to swirl together in my head and it got me thinking:
There are about 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States. If each dog uses an average of one plastic bag per day (considering that many use more than that and some dogs have yards in which they can do what they please), that is literally billions of bags per year. Sure, many of those are probably "re-used" from the last trip home from the grocery store, but those bags could have been recycled or never brought home in the first place.
We've had the message about using reusable bags at the grocery store hammered home over and over for the last few years. And it seems to have worked — every other person in line at the supermarket seems to be carrying their own tote bags these days. Why would these same people pay money for the same plastic at the pet store that they are rejecting at the grocery store?
We're taking the most compostable product on earth and wrapping it in something that can take 100 years to break down, and will probably never fully decompose.
Dog owners make up nearly 40 percent of the population in the United States. Why are there no anti-plastic campaigns directed toward us? And why is finding biodegradable bags not getting any easier? What can we do to encourage dog owners to pick up after their dogs more responsibly?
What I plan to do is order a jumbo shipment of biodegradable bags made from cornstarch and encourage my dog-owning friends to do the same. What will you do?
— Text by Margaret Southern, Cool Green Science Blog


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by Sue Ann Rybak
Many times in life the most successful person is not necessarily the most talented person, but rather the person who is the most passionate and committed to achieving his or her goal.
Erdenheim resident Sierra Schmidt, an eighth-grader at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, knows the meaning of discipline. She recently was selected to attend the USA Swimming's National Select Camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., to train at the Olympic Training Center. Only 30 girls in the country, aged 14-16, are selected to attend this camp.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – one that Schmidt, 14, worked hard to achieve. She specializes in the 500-, 1000- and 1500-yard butterfly and freestyle and swims 30 to 35 hours a week. It's almost like working a full-time job.
Schmidt wakes up at 5 a.m. to make it to her first practice in the morning and then goes home to get ready for school. After school she swims from 3 to 6 p.m. On Saturdays she swims from 7:30 a.m. to noon and on Sundays from 9 to 11 a.m.
"My schedule is pretty hectic," said Schmidt, who has been swimming competitively since she was 6 years old.
And the truth is, sometimes she just doesn't feel like swimming. She just wants to be a typical teenager and hang out with her friends – Katie and Mika.
"Last year, it was hard socially," Schmidt said. "I was feeling left out and I was still trying to figure out where I wanted to be."
But she is focused on her goal of one day making it to the Olympic trials.
"I was raised on the idea that there is always another step," Schmidt said. "In seventh grade, I just wanted to make the sectional cut."
She did. Now, she is focused on making the Junior National Team and hopes some day try out for the Olympics.
"Hopefully, I can keep my intensity up," Schmidt said. "If I can push myself past my limits, I can achieve that goal."
But she adds quickly, there are a lot of talented girls out there.
"Two girls in my age group were at the finals at Olympic trials," she said. "This camp is a stepping stone. It's an opportunity for me to go to the next level."
And that's exactly what her coach Dick Schoulberg, head coach and aquatics director at Germantown Academy hopes to do. Schoulberg said he started the Germantown Academy Aquatic Club in 1969 with "the intent to provide the opportunity for youth to go to the highest level of competitive swimming." Since then, he has trained 11 Olympians including Maddy Crippen, Alex Fung, Guy Yimsomruay and Dave Wharton.
Schoulberg, who was the head coach for the USA Pan-Pac Team (Brazil) in 2007, recalled watching Schmidt swim two years ago. He said she had a tremendous sense of pace and technique.
"She did everything methodically right," Schoulberg said. "I said that's special. I identify talent – that's my job. It's no different than a music teacher or physics teacher. If I see a student with a certain mentality, temperament and talent, then I'll challenge them. Conversely, I have never cut a kid. You'll always be hoping they'll find their skills and start to get a little more engaged."
He said The USA Swimming's National Select Camp teaches kids what they have to do to get to the next level.
Schoulberg said athletes will meet with Olympic medalists and work with exercise physiologists.
"Participants are videotaped above and underwater for stroke correction and analysis" he said.
Swimmers will learn practical psychological training skills, nutrition, drug and supplement education and race strategy. Other topics that will be discussed include post-race recovery and drug testing responsibilities.
"It's not for everybody. and everybody doesn't have that talent," said Schoulberg.


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When Grant went down during the game in the 2nd half he looked awful. He came right to the sideline and crumbled to his knees putting his head on the ground. What's worse is that I believe he went back in after that. Anyway, here is a concerning update from reader Ron L (thanks Ron) –
"Just heard via Bill Michaels (WSSP sports radio), Ryan Grant was taken to the hospital after the game, trouble breathing. Initially thought it was ribs, but that was not the reason. The cause is still unknown."


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text: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 AB 783 Pulled From Reconsideration; Bill Not Yet 'Dead' Yesterday, California Assembly Member Mary Hayashi pulled AB 783 from reconsideration by the Senate Standing Committee on Business, Professions, and Economic Development. If the bill had been voted down it would have been dead for the remainder of the session. However, by pulling the bill it can be brought back for a reconsideration vote on June 27 or anytime in 2012. AB 783 would specifically add licensed PTs to the list of "healing arts practitioners" who may be employees of medical, chiropractic, and podiatric corporations. In withdrawing AB 783, Hayashi indicated that she would sit down with representatives of the California Chapter, to see what can be worked out, reported NBC LA. Comments let this bill die. Why do physical therapist need to be employees of a chiropractor or podiatrist. the popi clinics are eroding the outpatient practice already. This will further erode our outpatient establishment and allow podiatrist and the other non-physican based practioners to capitalize on reimbursement dollars meant for physical therapist. Tehse enties will simply hire non-experienced new graduates,pay low salaries and profit for physical therapy reimbursement dollars. Physical therapist do not need to be employed by MDs, podiotrist, and especially not chiropractors. Whats next employemnt oppurtunites from nurse practioners or PA. The PT profession works in conjunction with the medical profession and entirely seperate from the sham practice of a chiropractor. Why isnt the apta blocking this? Posted by michael zielinski dpt on 6/22/2011 7:28 AM To the above question from the previous commentor asking why APTA isn't blocking this - it sounds like the California APTA has done exactly that. In reading the LA NBC news story it sounds like the California PTS are doing a great job! Posted by Jane on 6/22/2011 9:58 AM I completely agree with Michael. PT's do not need a title of "healing arts practioners". Posted by Prachi Apte -> ALPb=J on 6/22/2011 12:01 PM While I would personally never work for a physician, chiropractor, or podiatrist. I take some issue with laws that state "you can't". Being a libertarian, I like less regulation and more of a free market. That is why I despise any law that prevents a physical therapist from practicing without referral, when there is no evidence that it is a detriment to society. I hope everyone realizes that autonomous practice(Direct Access) solves most of these problems. Lets take control of this ourselves. Direct Access all 50 states, followed by Medicare Reimbursement without physician referral make all these issue go away. Posted by Ryan Grella, PT, DPT, OCS on 6/22/2011 2:51 PM


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Malted walnut seed loaf
Nutrition and extra info
- Can be frozen for one month
- Vegetarian
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal172
- fat4g
- saturates1g
- carbs28g
- sugars1g
- fibre0g
- protein7g
- salt0.43g
- 500g strong wholemeal flour (we used Doves Farm mixed grain malthouse bread flour)
- 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- up to 350ml warm water
- 100g mixed seed (we used a mix of linseeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds)
- 50g walnut pieces
Walnuts are one of the most popular and versatile of all nuts. When picked young, they're…
- a little sunflower oil, for greasing
Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is made from pressing sunflower seeds and extracting the oil. It's usually…
Make the dough with the flour, yeast, salt and water as stated in the 'Goes well with' recipe (see right), adding most of the seeds and all the walnuts as you knead the dough. Leave to rise in a clean bowl as stated, then knock back and shape into a large round. Roll the round in the remaining seeds, then lift the bread onto a tray to prove for about 30 mins until doubled in size.
Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Bake the bread for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and continue to bake for 30 mins until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Leave the bread on a cooling rack to cool completely. The loaf will stay fresh in an airtight container for 3 days or can be frozen for 1 month.


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Wilmington North Carolina Real Estate home prices.
National home prices are down 29.1% since their Q1 2006 peak.
But over the next five years they are expected to rise 3.9%, according to the latest CoreLogic Case-Shiller report.
We drew on the latest data to identify the best housing markets for the next five years.
The top 15 cities are ranked by the projected annualized change in home prices between Q4 2012 and Q4 2017.
We also included the median home price, median household income, unemployment rate, and the change in home prices since their peak, to offer a broader view of the local economy and housing market.
Note: The median family income and home price is for Q4 2012. Unemployment data is as of February 2013, and population data for the metros is for 2011.


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sponsored by
Obama arrives in Russia for G-20 meetings
Send a link to a friend
[September 05, 2013]
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia
(AP) -- President Barack Obama is in St. Petersburg, Russia, for meetings with world leaders at the Group of 20 summit.
Obama arrived Thursday morning from Sweden, the first stop on his three-day overseas trip. The Stockholm stop was added after Obama canceled plans to hold talks ahead of the G-20 with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in retaliation for Russia granting asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.
The White House says Obama and Putin will not hold formal one-on-one talks on the sidelines of the summit.
The economy-focused summit is expected to be overshadowed by the prospect of a U.S.-led strike against Syria. Obama is seeking to rally support from international leaders for taking military action to punish Syrian President Bashar Assad for a chemical weapons attack.
Press; By JULIE PACE]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Roger Neal Style Hollywood Beauty & Couture Suite is Proud to Announce the Official Charities for the Suite
Gentle Giants Rescue
The Performing Arts Magnet at Hollywood High School
The World's Most Expensive Hair Straighter to be Unveiled in the Suite Feb 19th at 1:00 PM
Beverly Hills, CA - Roger & Lynn Neal of Neal Public Relations, who is responsible for making designers like: Stuart Weitzman, Avakian, Jewelry on 7th, Kwiat Diamonds, Jelly Belly, Gown Designers Addy Van Den Krommenacker, Classified Cosmetics, Marley Coffee, Lorimar Winery, and Natalie K Diamonds to name a few household names during award season, is producing The Ultimate Beauty & Couture Suite in honor of the 85th Annual Academy Awards. Neal and wife Lynn for the past 17 years have produced the most talked about Golden Globe and Academy Awards suites. ??
The RNSH Academy Award suites will open Tuesday February 19th - Thursday February 21st 2013 at the L' Ermitage Hotel 9291 Burton Way Beverly Hills, CA in the Garden Suites from 9:30 am 7:00 pm daily. Stars will be pampered with beauty treatments as they prepare for the biggest night in the world.
On Tuesday February, 19th at 1:00 pm ISO Beauty president Mr. Alon Peled, Jeweler Raju Rasiah and Celebrity Hair Stylist Marcello Costas (Who is using the straightener on the hair of the best actress nominee Oscar morning) will be in the suite to unveil the most expensive hair straightener worth $500,000 thousand dollars. Jewelers Unblocked has provided the insurance policy for this one of a kind straightener.
Jewelers unBLOCKed™
Jewelers unBLOCKed™ is an exclusive jewelers block policy offered through the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. The program addresses the specific challenges of the jewelry industry by providing broad coverage with customized solutions that are flexible and fit the needs of clients ranging from retailers, designers, wholesalers and manufacturers. Jewelers unBLOCKed™ has been granted exclusive authority for a wide array of coverage including but not limited to: Premises, Worldwide Travel and Event coverage, Unattended Auto, Bank Vault, Trunk Shows, and Armored Car. For more information on Jewelers unBLOCKed™, please visit www.jewelers-unblocked.com.
In addition, Hollywood High School's elite group H20 who are considered The Original Glee from the Performing Arts Magnet will perform in the suite on opening day Tuesday February 19th.
The RNSH Suites has become THE PLACE for stars to get pampered, select gowns, shoes, handbags and jewelry for the Oscars. For the past 17 years we have had no less than 3 nominees and at least 8 stars wear designs from the clients in our suite to the Oscars and to major parties. Neal will have over 200 stars and 10 Oscar Nominees attend this year, in the past stars included: Steven Tyler, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Angela basset, Adam Lambert, Penelope Ann Miller, Wendi McClendon-Covey, Joe Montagna, Nominee Siedah Garrett, and Oscar winning director Michel Hazanavicius and his wife Berenice Bejo of THE ARTIST, among many others.
Our suite also has a purpose by spotlighting a charity each year. Roger Neal say's "WE ARE NOT A GIFTING SUITE." However we do gift stars for coming and supporting our charities. The gift bag is worth $20k
The RNSH suites will have beauty treatments for stars and media. Neal says "What we are having is an exclusive invitation only suite, where stars and media will be invited into a much needed relaxing and comfortable atmosphere, to be pampered with some of the most expensive treatments available today."
Stars will enjoy spa treatments that include:
* Spray Tanning, Facials, Massages provided by SunLounge Studios www.sunloungestudios.com
* Eyelash extensions by Long Mi Lashes/Daniel Dinh www.longmilashes.com
* Hair Blow outs by ISO Beauty www.isobeauty.com
* Shaves by The Art of Shaving in Beverly Hills www.theartofshaving.com
Guests will enjoy incredible couture designs by:
* Addy Van Den Krommenacker Gowns - of the Netherlands has made a mark in the U.S. with stars over the past two years and promises this years Oscar Collection will be the best ever. www.addyvandenkrommenacker.nl
* Timmy Woods Handbags Beverly Hills www.timmywoods.com
* Shekhar Rahate Gowns - Nominees wore Rahate to the 2012 Oscars including Marriane Brock whose movie LOVE OF GOD was nominated and WON! and the wife of Oscar Nominated exec. producer of THE ARTIST. www.shekharrahate.com
As a Thank you to guests attending and supporting the charities they will receive:
* A stay at the Historical Belleek Castle in Ballina, Ireland www.belleekcastle.com
* A stay at the Historical Bed & Breakfast Gold Mountain Manor www.goldmountain
* ISO Beauty hair care - will be giving luxury hair care products that you can only get at our suite these are the most innovative in the world www.isobeauty.com
* Banzai Saki, will making history by giving the world's most expensive sake to stars and nominees in the suite, they are valued at $2,000.00 per bottle www.banzaibeverage.com
* Jeannie Bottle - Mario Della Casa will be making WISHES COME TRUE and will showcase his celebrity art work, he will create a piece of celebrity art during the three day suite and has donated two Jeannie Bottles which will be autographed by stars attending suite and donated to Gentle Giants and Hollywood High School's Performing arts program. www.jeanniebottles.com
* Timmy Woods Beverly Hills handbag or jewelry known for her exquisite handbags that have been worn by stars to many award shows www.timmywoodshandbag.com
* Renee Taylor's Face Love - Created by Renee's makeup artist Cindy Cohen. This face serum lifts without surgery. Everyone is in love with this product www.rtfacelove.com
* Love On The Go - www.loveonthego.com
* L'Anza Healthy Hair care products is a leading manufacturer of quality hair care products and is the only company offering products that heal, seal and protect the hair. www.lanza.com/salonlocators
* Valeroso Cigars will be giving hand rolled cigars.
* Steps 4 Paws Cashmere Hoodie from www.steps4paws.com
* Erin Fader Jewelry www.erinfader.com
* Gentle Giants Rescue was founded by Burt Ward who starred as Robin on the TV series batman. BURT WARD will be in the suite each day www.gentlegiantsrescue.com
* Miracle Noodle products are vegan pastas that have no calories or fat. They are completely guilt free! Enjoy an assortment of angel hair, fettuccini, and rice. www.miraclenoodle.com
* "The Vallie" book from Adam Rendon www.thevallie.com


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Welcome to My Deli & Cafe | Greek Bistro. Aside from a restaurant, we are known as a bakery, cafe and deli all rolled into one. Located in Purcellville, Virginia, Loudoun County, we serve a variety of delicious food 7 days a week.
We are on a never ending pursuit to bring all of our customers satisfaction. Large portions, wonderful tastes and a pleasant environment encompass My Deli & Cafe.
Authentic Greek and Italian delicacies are served ranging from homemade bread, pita wraps, gourmet paninis, Mediterranean samplers and large salads, to wine, beer and a variety of delicious desserts! Please view our Menu section for a more detailed look at what we offer and feel free to browse our "catering" section for any of your special occasions!
Our mission is 100% customer satisfaction via amazing food, great service and a happy atmosphere every time.
Please visit us and make My Deli, Your Deli!


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Class Notes - 1970s
|Arts & Sciences Reunion June 23−26, 2011
Genevieve Hyslop Williams BA and David Williams BS moved to Portland in 2009 to be near their son and his family.
Dan Chun BS has been the senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu since 1994. He received his M.A. in cinema production from USC's School of Performing Arts, and his M.Div. and D.Min. degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary. He and wife, Pam, have three children. The couple founded Hawaiian Islands Ministries in 1983.
Allen Reel JD spent nine days walking over mountainous terrain in Honduras on a trip with the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. Reel sponsors a child living in Bolivia through the organization. He practices law in Beaverton.
Judy Straalsund BA directed and produced 1945 Christmas From Home for the Tapestry Theatre Company. The play was performed at Portland Community College's Sylvania campus and on Lewis & Clark's Main Stage. Fellow Lewis & Clark alumna Jodi Eichelberger BA '93 starred in the production.
Niels Marquardt BA, formerly the U.S. ambassador to Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros, moved to Sydney, Australia, in August 2010, to assume his duties as the U.S. consul general. Marquardt is responsible for U.S. relations with and activities in New South Wales and Queensland. He is there with his wife of 30 years, Judi, and the youngest of their four daughters, Yannika, a senior in high school. "Lewis & Clark is at the top of her list of colleges for life after Sydney," says Niels.
Matthew Murray J.D. is the 2010–11 president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. A shareholder in the law firm of Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen, he is the managing partner of the Charlottesville, Virginia, office. He teaches at the Virginia College of Trial Advocacy and has earned numerous professional honors.
Janel Wire Pratt BA has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. She currently works for Travel Guard, a Chartis Insurance brand. Pratt reports that she's lived in Australia "off and on for over 20 years" and now spends two out of every eight weeks in Malaysia for work. Her 21-year-old son attends Bond University on Australia's Gold Coast, and she visits her mother and sister in California several times a year.
Jan Wyers JD opened a new law office in the Oregon Pioneer Building in downtown Portland. His practice focuses on mediation and arbitration. He closed his 23-year-old private practice in 1999 and served seven years as a circuit court judge in Multnomah County. Wyers then served four years as senior judge, handling hearings and trials in 15 Oregon counties.
James Johnson BA, M.A.T. '79 was a native Minnesotan when he toured the campus in February 1972. "I remember seeing a robin appear on the lawn in front of the Manor House," he says. "It was the first time I'd seen a robin in the winter." After graduating, he taught in Oregon (Troutdale), Minnesota, Iowa, and Oklahoma, where he has lived since 1984. "Whenever I see a robin, I think of my first impression of Lewis & Clark, and I give thanks to my alma mater for the nurturing and challenging times I spent there."
Bill Martin B.M., M.M. '82 recently traveled to Sierra Leone to instruct teachers and students at the Ballanta Academy of Music in Freetown.
Evans Van Buren JD received the Multnomah Bar Association's 2010 Pro Bono Award.
Tabitha Whitefoot BA, M.A.T. '89 is the board chair of Healthy Native Communities Partnership, based in Shiprock, New Mexico.
Thomas Gerken JD was a science and technology fellow in 2009 with the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center, a national program designed to prepare judges to preside over cases involving complex scientific issues. He has been a common pleas judge for more than 22 years and has also served as a visiting judge on the 10th District Court of Appeals in Columbus.
James Robertson BA reports that he's worked as "a Presbyterian minister, an insurance salesman (not the same thing), and an English teacher." In 1995, he "morphed into a corporate lawyer in the Los Angeles office of a large international law firm." From 2000 to 2005, Robertson, his wife, and two daughters lived in Tokyo. He is now an in-house lawyer for Chevron Energy Solutions Company. His older daughter is graduating in May from Lewis & Clark, and his younger daughter is at Boston University.
Kent Stucky JD is vice president for alumni and development at Trine University in Angola, Indiana.


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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Despite pleas from the poor not to do so, a Senate budget panel voted Tuesday to do away with a longtime tax break for low-income seniors and disabled residents who live in rented homes.
The legislation backed by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon and Republican Senate leaders would eliminate a tax credit for about 104,000 low-income renters while leaving it in place for a slightly larger pool of homeowners. The $57 million in savings from the abolished tax break would be redirected to mental health care, nursing homes and home-based health and living services that could benefit the disabled and seniors.
The bill, which now goes to the full Senate, would implement a recommendation from a tax-credit review commission appointed by Nixon. That panel said the income tax break, which is intended to partially offset local property taxes, is not as necessary for renters because there is not enough evidence that landlords pass on the full cost of property taxes to renters.
But recipients of the tax break testified Tuesday that it helps them pay for utilities, medical bills, clothing and other daily living expenses.
"I ask you please not to pass this bill," pleaded Charlotte Moten, 56, of St. Louis, who has a foot disability and a jaw condition that causes recurring tumors in her mouth. Moten said she gets about $500 from the tax credit, which she uses for her dental costs.
If the tax credit is repealed, "quite possibly it could endanger my life, because there are no resources I could use for satisfying the desperate need I have" to remove tumors, she told The Associated Press.
Among others testifying against the bill was Cory McMahon, 25, of St. Louis, who is blind and has cerebral palsy. He told senators that his $750 tax credit — the maximum allowed for renters — could help pay an outstanding ambulance bill, cellphone bill or buy clothing.
Even some of the potential beneficiaries of the legislation told senators they didn't support it.
Nixon has proposed to allot $1 million from the abolished tax credit to the Missouri Area Agencies on Aging, which provide home-delivered meals, transportation and other services for seniors. But Catherine Edwards, executive director of an association for those agencies, said she would rather leave that money in the pockets of the people the agencies serve.
"That little bit of self-determination means a lot to a person to be able to buy an item they need," she said.
The only person testifying in support of the legislation was Nixon's budget director. But the plan also got support from some Republican senators.
Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, said he rents housing to others and questioned the necessity of the tax credit for several of his senior tenants.
"There are many, many people out there who receive money from this program who do not need it," Parson said.
Nixon's proposal is being sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, and also is supported by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, both of whom opposed the repeal of the tax credit during a 2011 special session. The senators noted that the latest proposal would redirect the savings to services for seniors and the disabled whereas the earlier proposal did not.
Missouri has offered a state income tax break intended to offset the property taxes or rent payments of low-income seniors since 1973. That tax break was expanded in subsequent years to cover the disabled and the surviving spouses of deceased seniors. To qualify for the tax credit, individuals can earn no more than $27,500 for renters and $30,000 for homeowners. The maximum eligibility for married couples is $29,500 for renters and $34,000 for homeowners.
Homeowners can receive tax credits of up to $1,100 while renters can get up to $750. The amount of the tax credit gradually decreases as incomes rise.
Tax credit bill is SB350.
Senate: http://www.senate.mo.gov
Follow David A. Lieb at: http://www.twitter.com/DavidALieb


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Over A Year After Being Dismissed As Sensationalist For Questioning the ECB's Continued Solvency After Sovereign Debt Buying Binge, Guess What!
There has been a lot of noise in both the alternative and the mainstream financial press regarding potential risk to the ECB regarding its exposure at roughly 48 to 72 cents on the dollar to sovereign debt purchases through leverage, and at par at that. This concern is quite well founded, if not just over a year or so too late. In January, I penned The ECB Loads Up On Increasingly Devalued Portuguese Bonds, Ensuring That They Will Get Hit Hard When Portugal Defaults. The title is self explanatory, but expound I shall. Before we get to the big boy media's "year too late" take, let's do a deep dive into how thoroughly we at BoomBustBlog foretold and warned of the insolvency of both European private banks and central banks, including the big Kahuna itself, the ECB! The kicker is that this risk was quite apparent well over a year ago. On April 27th, 2010 I penned the piece "How Greece Killed Its Own Banks!". It went a little something like this:
Yes, you read that correctly! Greece killed its own banks. You see, many knew as far back as January (if not last year) that Greece would have a singificant problem floating its debt. As a safeguard, they had their banks purchase a large amount of their debt offerings which gave the perception of much stronger demand than what I believe was actually in the market. So, what happens when these relatively small banks gobble up all of this debt that is summarily downgraded 15 ways from Idaho.
Well, the answer is…. Insolvency! The gorging on quickly to be devalued debt was the absolutely last thing the Greek banks needed as they were suffering from a classic run on the bank due to deposits being pulled out at a record pace. So assuming the aforementioned drain on liquidity from a bank run (mitigated in part or in full by support from the ECB), imagine what happens when a very significant portion of your bond portfolio performs as follows (please note that these numbers were drawn before the bond market route of the 27th)…
The same hypothetical leveraged positions expressed as a percentage gain or loss…
Bubble, Bubble, Real Estate Toil and Trouble: Macro Climate for Real Estate Still Sucks, Despite New Bubbles
A reader wrote me complaining about the nonsensical bubble blowing in multi-family properties before the last bubble was even finished bursting. I feel his pain. Let's run through a quick pictorial of how I see the macro climate for real estate as of right now...
Inflation + Deflation = Stagflation ~ Lower Real Estate Values!
Of the major economic powers, China is the only economy that is facing true inflation as I see it and China is primed for a hard landing - at best. The US, EU, and UK face stagflation. After the AP excerpt below is a clip from my recent keynote presentation at the ING Real Estate Valuation seminar in Amsterdam on this very timely topic.
LONDON (AP) — Rising inflation around the world weighed on stock markets Friday as investors wondered how fast central banks will raise borrowing costs to counter the threat of rising prices, while the euro was undermined by ongoing worries that Greece will have to restructure its massive debts.
Figures Friday reinforced market expectations that both the European Central Bank and the People's Bank of China will soon be raising interest rates again to counter rising inflation.
In China, figures showed consumer prices rose 5.4 percent in the year to March, up from February's 4.9 percent. The increase was largely driven by surging food costs and represents a setback for the government, which has boosted interest rates four times since October to cool prices.
Analysts expect the People's Bank to enact further measures in the days to come in response to those figures.
[youtube o0CD2fsc-gQ]
Here is a collection of my archived posts on the topic:
- Economic contractions AND rising prices, dare Reggie utter the "I" word – Enter a global phenomenon
- Reggie Middleton's Take on Investing for Inflation, pt. 1
- Reggie Middleton's Take on Investing for Inflation, pt. 2
- Reggie Middleton's Take on Investing for Inflation, pt. 3
- Reggie Middleton's Take on Investing for Inflation, pt. 4
- Reggie Middleton's Take on Investing for Inflation, pt. 5
- More on my stagflation rant
- Deflation, Inflation or Stagflation – You Be the Judge!
- Is My Warning of the Risks of a Stagflationary Environment Coming to Fore?
- China's Most Expensive Export: Price Inflation
Attention subscribers: related content is available for download: BoomBustBlog Complimentary FX Index model
It Should Be Obvious To Many That The Risk Of Defaulting Sovereign Bonds Can Spark A European Banking Crisis
I'm fresh back from my trip to Amsterdam where I lectured ING institutional clients and staff on the potential of a European banking collapse. Below are a few clips from the first of two lectures.
Now that the mainstream media has been reporting what BoomBustBloggers knew as fact as far back as two years ago. Today, the FT printed an article titled "Greek debt hit by restructuring fears", whose pertinent points are as follows:
The euro tumbled on Thursday and premiums charged on Greek debt over Germany's hit euro-era highs after the countries' respective finance ministers talked of Greece needing more time and raised the prospect of debt restructuring.
In an interview with the Financial Times, George Papaconstantinou said Greece needed more time to convince international investors of its commitment to reform its finances.
Separately, Wolfgang Schauble, Germany's finance minister, told Die Welt newspaper that, if a study already under way showed Greece's debt levels were unsustainable, "further measures" would have to be taken.
When asked what those could be, he ruled out any involuntary restructuring before 2013, but warned investors could face losses after that point… Yields on Greek two-year bonds jumped nearly a full percentage point to 17.884 per cent.
… "Greek bonds are getting crushed today due to the comments from the German finance minister and the Greek equivalent," said Gary Jenkins, head of fixed income at Evolution Securities. "The European Stability Mechanism allows a roadmap towards restructuring, indeed it insists upon it if debt cannot be restored to a sustainable path."
Investors… flight left yields on equivalent Greek debt 24bp higher at 13.162 per cent while Portuguese 10-year notes yielded 8.88 per cent, up 14bp. Mr Jenkins said investors expected that any restructuring would start with Greece trying to extend repayment deadlines on existing debt, or asking investors to "forgive" interest on the loans. But he warned it could take more than that. "Ultimately we believe that if the idea is to get the debt back to a sustainable level then the target will be the Maastricht treaty limit of debt-to-GDP of 60 per cent. In order to reach that level bonds will have to take a haircut of some 62 per cent," he said.
Online Spreadsheets (professional and institutional subscribers only)
Professional and institutional subscribers should feel free to look at a variety of haircut scenarios via out proprietary sensitivity analysis for the Greek head grooming. If you remember last year when illustrated How Greece Killed Its Own Banks!, you realize the main reason why the EU has been using the kids gloves with the Greeks. To make a long story short, let's employ the old adage "A picture is worth a 1,000 words"…
Insolvency! The gorging on quickly to be devalued debt was the absolutely last thing the Greek banks needed as they were suffering from a classic run on the bank due to deposits being pulled out at a record pace. So assuming the aforementioned drain on liquidity from a bank run (mitigated in part or in full by support from the ECB), imagine what happens when a very significant portion of your bond portfolio performs as follows (please note that these numbers were drawn before the bond market route of the 27th)…
The same hypothetical leveraged positions expressed as a percentage gain or loss…
When I first started writing this post this morning, the only other bond markets getting hit were Portugal's. After the aforementioned downgraded, I would assume we can expect significantly more activity. As you can, those holding these bonds on a leveraged basis (basically any bank that holds the bonds) has gotten literally toasted. We have discovered several entities that are flushed with sovereign debt and I am turning significantly more bearish against them. Subscribers, please reference the following:
- Leveraged European Entities from a Sovereign Risk Perspective – retail
- Leveraged European Entities from a Sovereign Risk Perspective – professional
If you think those charts look painful, imagine if the Maastricht treaty was actually respected. Our models haven't pushed passed 80% debt to GDP, but if you were to put the treaty's debt ceiling in you would see the very definition of contagion. The following chart represents the first order consequences of a 62% haircut on Greek debt…
From ZeroHedge: Greek 10 Year-Bund spreads just passed 1,000 for the first time ever and were last trading north. Following this statement from Germany's Hoyer, it seems all hell is about to break loose for peripheral spreads.
For Those Who Failed To Heed My Warnings On Portugal, Visualize The Contagion That Causes European Bank Failure!!!
For anybody who didn't catch the hint, another banking crisis the continuation of the banking crisis is inevitable. I've said it before, Is Another Banking Crisis Inevitable? This is the current landscape, undoubtedly fudged over by optimistic marks.
Banks NPAs to total loans
Source: IMF, Boombust research and analytics
Euro banks remain weak as compared to their US counterparts
Health of European banks is weaker when compared to US banks. European banks are highly leveraged compared to their US counterparts (11.1x versus 4.1x) and are undercapitalized with core capital ratio of 6.5x vs. 8.5x. Also, the profitability of European banks is lower with net interest margin of 1.2% compared with 3.3%. However, non-performing loans-to-total loans for European banks are slightly better off when compared to US with NPL/loans at 4.9% vs. 5.6%. Nonetheless, considering the backdrop of high exposure to sovereign debt in Euro peripheral countries, we could see substantial write-downs for Euro banks AFS and HTM portfolio, which would more than offsets the relative strength of loan portfolio.
I really do mean substantial!
Inflation Is When The Price of The Most Valuable Things (Such As Your House or Small Business) Drop Precipitously During High Unemployment, Right???!!!
The definition of "Inflation" is when the "value" and "price" of some of the most widely held and most used assets fall dramatically in price... NOT!!! Well then, why are all the financial rags, blogging pundits and mainstream media outlets crowing about inflation? Mr. and Mrs. Editor, stand up and stick that "S" on your chest. That's right, not Superman, but "Stagflaton Man".
Portugal Is On The Verge Of Tapping Out, UFC Style - You Knew It Was Coming, Here's The Analysis!
The ING real estate valuation seminar in Amsterdam that I have been invited to as the key note speaker (see www.seminar.ingref.com) with a capacity of several hundred seats, is now sold out. This is, of course, no surprise being that we're in a global real estate depression and I've been declaring a rate storm emanating from insolvencies and potential haircuts in Europe that will spike CRE cap rates. It is not these bombastic declarations which make the seminar interesting. It's probably not even that I have been correct about each and every past declaration. It's most likely that my proclamations of European insolvencies are coming to fore in lockstep fashion in the here and now, and right before everybody's eyes. No, I am not that smart, I don't have a crystal ball, nor do I employ tarot cards. My secret is that I'm realistic as hell and tend to look at things for what they are - no the way I want them to be, nor they way they use to be, but the way they are. With that being said, there is significant risk to those who are exposed to rate sensitive assets, with bonds, real assets and the debt behind them standing at the forefront.
What I plan on doing at the seminar is not only outlining the specific issues in REALISTIC detail, as I routinely do on my blog. I will introduce real world solutions to the risks swallowed by those who are exposed to the European (not so) slow train wreck. Yes, that's right. Not just bitching about the problems, but proffering real, actionable solutions. Till then, though...
I made specific warnings of insolvency: Portugal, Ireland and Greece - complete with hundreds of pages of analysis for my site's subscribers. Thus far, two of the three have been bailed out and the third (Portugal) is about to tap out as its yields go vertical after revealing what BoomBustBloggers already knew...
The Inevitable Has Finally Been Admitted In Europe: The Macro Experiment Has Ignited Inflation Without Commensurate Growth & Rates Will Spike
Last week I posted a comprehensive piece, The Coming Interest Rate Volatility, Sovereign Contagion, Geo-political Unrest & Double-Dip Recessions: Here's The Answer To Valuing Global Real Estate Through This Mess. The goal was to outline the literal mess that those who decided to drag us through this "Great Global Macro Experiment"have left us in. Since then, in merely one week's time, we have bore witness to:
- The potentially imminent toppling of another multi-decade, long standing regime, the third in as many months. Gaddafi asserts control amid worldwide dissent - Libyan U.N. mission urges Gaddafi's downfall - Gaddafi son denies civilians bombed - Analysis: Libya could face chaos in post-Gaddafi era. Leading up to the Libyan affair, Tunisia and Egypt fell into the hands of virtually weaponless protesters (at least from a conventional weapons perspective) armed with simply laptops and cellphones (the new age computers and apparently the weapon of choice for those in uprise) to post messages on Twitter and Facebook, amassing solidarity with supporters to converge in certain areas to join the mass protests. Identifying, fearing, and failing to understand the true power of the Internet in toppling a regime, Libya has repeated the faux pas of Egypt in attempting cut the country off from cyberspace - attempting to halt the charge of an African bull elephant with an Acme Walmart (by way of China) fly swatter. It is apparent that Egypt's efforts to isolate its populace from the Internet, although failing to halt the toppling of its regime, did succeed in hiding the futility of such an effort from Quadafi, et. al. This not only forms another basis for contagion, but one that was actually foreseeable nearly a year in advance- see Egypt's Social Unrest As A Pan-European Economic and Financial Contagion? It Can Happen!!! and First Tunisia, Then Egypt, Now Yemen: Will This Reach The Powder Keg That Is The EU & What Will Happen If It Does? Subscribers should reference Potential Spillover Effects from the Middle East to the EU.
If Japan Lost Two Decades From Its Bubble Popping, How Many Decades Should The US Expect To Lose?
The Harlem Community Development Corporation and AAREPNY hosted a breakfast symposium on real estate last Thursday in which I was the keynote speaker. The audience consisted of bankers, developers, investors, lawyers... the usual fare. I fear I may have rained on the optimism parade with my presentation, but I also feel a few salient points were communicated. I have included portions of the presentation here for the blog readers to peruse. One of the main themes of the presentation was that of "lost decades". How likely is it that we can have 20 more years of housing price declines? Note: The "74%" reference below is a typo, the Japanese residential index did not drop that far.
Let's see if any of this sounds familiar, as excerpted from Wikipedia:
FASB Appears to Have Bent Over For The Final Time & Accuracy In Financial Reporting Dies An Ignominious Death!!!
This is my response to an inciteful insightful comment posted by GJK313. It is in reference to an article which readers can find here, titled "FASB Surrenders - America Win". I suggest readers read the aforelinked document in its entirety before moving on. Notice how this is written by economists and analysts, not real world investors that are investing THEIR OWN CAPITAL! When I state "own capital" I mean their money, and not that of their clients. I cannot fathom how anyone who had their own money at stake would ever want more ambiguity in pricing assets, in lieu of less.. Let me pick this apart...


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Hi, I'm Aly! I just got back from playing some football with
the boys. I just love it when they tackle me, and put their big
strong hands all over me! It just makes me so wet, I had to come
home and take all my clothes off!
Will you come play with me?


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On raising a son on the autism spectrum, progressive politics, pop culture, and coffee addiction.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
A tale of 2007
For Bud, 2007 was a year of upheaval and, strangely, progress.
Most of what I blogged about our lives in 2007 was written between the lines. I alluded to what we were going through, but I didn't write much about it. I wasn't sure what to say, for starters. And I wasn't sure how much of the story was mine to tell. So I stuck with allusion.
I talked to Bud's dad the other day, though, and he told me that he feels like a guy whose character got written out of a sitcom because the actor's contract was not renewed. I can see where he's coming from.
As you may have surmised by what I haven't written this year, Bud's dad and I are no longer together. It's complicated, of course, and really not for public consumption. He made a difficult – but logical – move to another area, and he talks to Bud on the phone every day, and often several times a day.
As a result, 2007 was characterized by extraordinary change for Bud. He had to deal with a radical shake-up at home, and with the absence of one of the most primary people in his life. He had to manage confusion and uncertainty and anger and sadness. His transition to a new school year was difficult. His anxiety was at an all time high. His unrelated health issues prompted the scheduling of major surgery.
And yet, he did it.
Bud negotiated the difficulty. He named his sadness and his anger. He forged a new kind of day-to-day relationship with his dad, and became masterful at the art of the telephone conversation. He focused on working through small changes, which helped him learn to work through the big ones. He trusted his dad and me. He kept moving forward.
As a result, 2007 was also characterized by extraordinary growth for Bud – physically, emotionally, and developmentally. He became a terrific reader. He made tremendous advances with language – using it to comment, consult, question, explain, describe, implore. He learned that though circumstances change, a parent's love never does. And neither does a child's.
We have all survived 2007, both apart and together. No one has been written out of the sitcom, though the plot has taken some sudden turns. And we all move into 2008 with hope - hope for a year of continued progress and hope for a year of settling in.
19 comments:
- kristina said...
And thank you for letting us share in yours and Bud's life for another year. As I look back----2005 was the low, low, low year for us----even though Charlie was struggling beyond belief, he made some tremendous gains in his independence and ability to express himself, in swimming in the ocean and in bike riding. Our kids do rise to challenges and change and grow.
Wishing you many sunny days, big hugs, and warm smiles, and lots of really music, in 2008.
- December 29, 2007 2:23 PM
- Marla said...
Wish you the best for 2008. It can be hard to decide what to keep private and what to blog about. I enjoy your blog and look forward to another year!
- December 29, 2007 3:01 PM
Your resilience* over the course of the past year awes and inspires. Your story is a touchstone for so many of us and I look forward to another year of the Chronicles of Bud and MOM-NOS! Happiest of happy new years to you and yours!
*I know, I know, overused word in the annals of special needs parenting, but apt here!
- December 29, 2007 3:05 PM
- Stimey said...
I've really enjoyed discovering and reading your words in 2007. I hope 2008 brings more progress for your family and happiness for all of you.
Happy New Year!
- December 29, 2007 3:09 PM
- Niksmom said...
The growth and maturing that Bud has experienced this year is a testament to his own strength and resilience but also to the love and support of both of his parents —whether together or apart. I know from watching my sister's family as she went through a long, drawn-out and very painful separation then divorce, sometimes it's better for parents to be apart and children sense that. Strange as it may sound, you and Dad-NOS actually are helping Bud learn to navigate his world on his own more and more. Okay, this isn't coming out how I wanted it to so I'll stop here and just say...
You *all* have weathered a lot this year and the way Bud has come through speaks volumes about strength, grace, forgiveness, and resilience. xoxo
- December 29, 2007 3:58 PM
- Ange said...
I was introduced to your blog in 2007, and really enjoy your style of writing, allusion and all. My best to you and Bud in 2008.
- December 29, 2007 4:45 PM
- kristen spina said...
Sending you a hug and warm wishes for a peaceful, joyful 2008. Happy New Year!
- December 29, 2007 8:25 PM
- Daisy said...
Sending you good wishes for a less-momentous year next year -- meant in the best of ways, be sure.
- December 29, 2007 9:29 PM
In a world of crass and selfishness, its nice to know that "grown-ups" still exist and can agree to do what is best for their child rather than trade hurtful retorts. As a child of divorced parents, I'm thankful that my mother was always a grown up. Despite what I'm sure were angry and regretful moments she felt, she never expressed them to me knowing my relationship with my father was something seperate and unrelated to their interpersonal relationship.
Cheers and a happy new year,
- December 29, 2007 9:54 PM
- KAL said...
Hooray for Bud and Hooray for you too, mom-nos. It can't have been easy. I always enjoy my visits here and wish you all the best in 2008. Happy New Year!
- December 29, 2007 10:54 PM
I have enjoyed your blog so much...so much that I failed to read between the lines at all, just enjoying the words on the screen. I, too, recently went through a separation and divorce and I know the extraordinary challenges that brings in so many ways.
I want to invite you to my blog if you would like a friend who is going through some of the same things you are...my blog is "friends only" for the very reasons you have not publicized your private matters, so please email me if you are interested as I consider you a friend.
Much happiness in the new year!
karen in ca
- December 29, 2007 11:50 PM
- Wendy said...
Ditto the first line of Niksmom's comment. Bud is one lucky boy to have such wonderful parents. You've both come through this year with flying colors!
Can't wait to read more of your writing in 2008. Still waiting on a book though.....:)
- December 30, 2007 7:54 AM
- floating in space said...
Thank you for sharing your story with us. Bud is one lucky young man to have such loving, caring parents. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2008.
- December 30, 2007 11:13 AM
- Drama Mama said...
I love the allusion to Tale of Two Cities - my favorite book in high school!
You both have done an excellent job navigating a potentially difficult year. Bud rests in capable arms for any upcoming challenges, and he has just the mother to get get him through anything.
You have raised a strong child.
Mazel Tov, and Happy New Year!
- December 30, 2007 12:56 PM
- gretchen said...
What a year, what a year. I wish you a 2008 that is not as eventful, but just as successful. You've both made some broad strides forward, and I'm sure Bud's dad has also.
A kiss to you both at midnight!XX
- December 31, 2007 8:45 AM
- mommy~dearest said...
Yet another way that children are amazing.
I am facing a similar situation, and hope that if a separation is decided on, Jaysen will be able to cope (he wasn't even two when his father and I divorced, so as far as he knows, his dad and I have always been apart. He has more of a relationship with Companion, than his dad).
Your blog has truly been an inspiration to me. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year.
- December 31, 2007 8:56 AM
- David said...
Let me add my thanks to you mom-nos for sharing 2007's ups and downs on your blog.
Your recap "tale of 2007" puts a nice little bow on what I'm sure was a really hard year for all 3 of you. It's really quite wonderful how well Bud has grown through all this. I hope that I get to meet him some day.
- January 01, 2008 10:59 AM
- Mom without a manual said...
Thanks for sharing your tale. It truly is amazing how great our kids are! And yes, Bud does have great champions!
Here is to a great 2008!
- January 01, 2008 3:29 PM
many blessings for all the characters in your 'show' and so many heartfelt congratulations to bud for meeting the challenges in his life with such humor, strength, innovation and character.
- January 06, 2008 5:10 PM


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Saturday, April 14, 2012
I have been approved for my surgery. I am also having abdominoplasty as well so thjey will be repositioning the belly button. Im scared shitless, I know someone who has had this and she said she couldn't stand strait for weeks. I have a Rammstein concert three weeks after surgery..... I WILL BE THERE DAMN IT!!!!!
I will try to post some pics after surgery. Flat tummy here I come!!!
While weight loss can improve the health of many obese individuals, drastic weight loss, particularly when associated with bariatric surgery, can leave behind large amounts of excess skin. The excess skin and fat in the lower stomach area that hangs below the belt line is called the pannus, or abdominal "apron," and can have several negative affects on one's quality of life. The extra fold or folds of skin can hinder hygiene, put stress on the back, and make everyday activities difficult. Often, the areas in the pubic region under the pannus can become moist as perspiration is trapped. This can cause rashes, skin ulcers, and odor. Clothing may not fit comfortably, and, if severe, even simple activities such as standing and walking can become difficult. In such cases, a surgical procedure called panniculectomy, a type of abdominoplasty procedure, may be appropriate.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Panniculectomy
People who have lost a large amount of weight and are experiencing negative side effects due to excess skin in the abdominal area are good candidates for panniculectomy. Be aware that a panniculectomy patient should have had stable weight for at least six months, and, if a woman, should not be planning to bear children. A potential patient should also be following a reasonable diet and should be in relatively healthy condition.
The Panniculectomy Procedure
Panniculectomy is an invasive surgical procedure which can take from three to five hours to complete, and always requires at least one overnight stay at the hospital. Unlike abdominoplasty, panniculectomy does not tighten muscle or reposition the belly button. It only removes the excess skin and fat of the pannus from the lower abdomen, using a horizontal incision that runs from hip to hip with a downward curve, and a vertical incision from below the sternum to the pubic area. After overhanging skin and fat are removed, the remaining skin is pulled tight and sutured together.
Panniculectomy Recovery
The first few days after a panniculectomy may be uncomfortable due to swelling and bruising. These symptoms can be eased with proper care and medication. Patients will need to sponge bathe and wear a support garment. Patients are also advised to avoid strenuous activity for a few weeks. However, patients can usually return to work within two weeks of the operation. Stitches are generally removed in about a week, while deeper sutures stay in for two or three weeks. The scars incurred by the surgery will begin to look worse before they look better, but this is normal. They will fade as healing continues. After a few months, patients will really begin to see the results of the surgery and will look and feel better.
Posted by Raven_Nightwind at 9:49 AM
1 comments:
- panniculectomy said...
I am so thankful to open this kind of site of yours because you really helped me so much to know how and what to do when there are things that will happen...
- June 27, 2013 at 5:03 AM
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We have a soft spot for dilapidated dinosaur theme parks. Here's another prehistoric-themed park in a Russian gypsum mine, 230 feet underground.
Creepy dinosaur sculptures are one thing, but creepy dinosaur sculptures in an old gypsum mine is the stuff of a very special cave-in episode of Scooby Doo in which the Mystery Machine gang must share the scraps of Scrappy until help arrives.
Also, observe the rotting mannequins. They immediately make even the most innocuous tourist attraction a profoundly surreal experience. If you ever go to the Château d'Ussé (a.k.a. "the Sleeping Beauty castle") in France, you'll notice that the beauty of the castle and countryside are eclipsed by the fact that you're surrounded by moldy facsimiles of Sleeping Beauty characters whose faces are melting off. Not recommended.
[mr-ank via English Russia]


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Due to variances in monitors, the colors and patterns displayed may vary slightly from the actual product. Physical samples should be ordered prior to specifying.
Splashes of color on a canvas-like base with traces of a light shimmer create a whimsical but modern design in Rapson. This fresh look allows the beauty and simplicity of watercolors to translate into a large scale design for your space.


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Our Garden Design services including preparing detailed Garden Designs, Concept Layouts and Planting Plans. Plans are prepared as pen and pencil sketches, rendered drawings, working drawings and also fully detailed CAD drawings for planning applications. 3D Visualisations are also available.
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Two years ago, Portland animator Chad Essley never could have imagined he would become the webmaster and primary public liaison for John McAfee, the reclusive millionaire and former antivirus software mogul now sought for questioning in a Belizean murder case. But that's exactly what happened to the aspiring graphic novelist, who is currently at work on an illustrated account of his adventures with McAfee.
The relationship between the fugitive and the cartoonist began in 2010 on a private internet forum where an anonymous entrepreneur hired Essley to produce an animated web short for an antibiotic venture called Quorumex. The mysterious businessman soon revealed himself as McAfee, and the two struck up a friendship. When the news broke this April that a gang suppression unit had raided McAfee's property in Belize, Essley was taken aback.
"After I [heard] about the first raid, I wrote [McAfee] saying, 'Oh my god! They shot your dogs! I can't believe that!'" said Essley. "I received a reply that said, 'We're fine. Things have calmed down. Time to come to Belize. Moneypenny will arrange the details.'"
Although Essley has done most of his professional work in the field of animation at his studio Cartoon Monkey, producing animations for clients that include Microsoft and *Sesame Street, *McAfee asked Essley to join him on his estate and document his life in a graphic novel. After spending nearly a month with McAfee this summer, the artist began work on The Hinterland, an illustrated first-person account of his time in Belize.
After McAfee began his recent flight from the law, he first spoke exclusively with Wired's Joshua Davis, whose coverage is collected in the e-book The Last Stand of John McAfee, and then began talking with other reporters. But he soon became disenchanted with his portrayal through media filters. That's when he turned back to Essley, one of the few people he still trusted, to set up a website and Twitter account where he could voice his side of the story. Overnight, Essley went from being an eccentric millionaire's comic book biographer, to serving as webmaster to a wanted man.
"I did it because I had the ability to do so for free, in a keystroke or two," says Essley. Since then, he has kept McAfee's often rambling personal blog WhoIsMcAfee.com up and running, and served as one of the only contacts to the millionaire fugitive, who is still on the run.
Essley is clearly concerned when he speaks of McAfee's well-being, and has questioned his friend about whether staying in Belize is simply a drawn-out form of suicide, particularly given the Belizean police's history of excessive force, and the country's sweeping surveillance laws and ability to hold trials without juries.
He shows me photos of McAfee's taxi driver, bodyguards and friends, some of whom, like Eddie Ancona, are still being held by police. He shows me pristine ocean views, fresh lobster cooked at home, and many of the girls that stayed on McAfee's estate, noting that one of them, Amy Emshwiller, tried to kill McAfee at least twice. The young woman will be a central figure in the graphic novel, which opens with one of her attempts on McAfee's life – the same incident detailed by Davis in John McAfee's Last Stand:
[Emshwiller] slipped out of bed and pulled McAfee's Smith & Wesson out of holster hanging from an ancient Tibetan gong in his bedroom. Her plan, if it could be called that, was to kill him and make off with as much cash as she could scrounge up. She crept to the foot of the bed, aimed, but at the last moment closed her eyes. She pulled the trigger but the bullet went wide, ripping through a pillow. "I guess I didn't want to kill him," she admits.
Essley is careful not to give away too much about his graphic novel, but provided two exclusive pages from the book to Wired. An artist by trade, not a programmer or web developer, Essley seems grateful for the potential to have his first graphic novel reach an audience far broader than most independent comics work, but also visibly exhausted by his intermediate role in the media maelstrom and relieved that he's currently handing over the some of the tasks involved with the website to a friendly benefactor in Quebec.
He hopes this will give him more time to finish drawing The Hinterland, which he says is three-quarters complete and designed to be a printed work – though an e-book with extended multimedia content is a possibility as well.
"As crazy as it sounds, I plan to share whatever revenue this project makes with John, since he's helped me work on it," says Essley.
While he maintains that he would take the trip to Belize all over again ("if my wife would let me"), he's reluctant to return at the moment. "I would be afraid that the police would want to speak with or detain me in some fashion, because of my association with John. There were real dangers while I was there."
Asked whether he thinks McAfee is responsible for Faull's murder, Essley responded in a single word: no.


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WebCo necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 68 diseños de 27 diseñadores freelance.
S.T.E.P.S. of forgiveness
S.T.E.P.S. (of forgiveness) is a German based charity that supports education projects in Sri Lanka.
The charity was founded by a Tamil student who is studying in Germany right now. His initiatives allow a growing number of orphans and children of poor families to get a free basic education.
The letters of the acronym stand for Singhalese, Tamil, Education, Peace, Sri Lanka, expressing the need for reconciliation between the ethnic groups in this war-torn country. One focus of the education projects is teaching both Singhalese and Tamil language to promote understanding between ethnic groups.
I am not directly involved, but I am impressed by the work they do and would like to help this organization getting a professional logo. That's why I am running this contest.
The logo has to appeal to people who are willing to donate and support the projects in Sri Lanka.
I will upload the logo the organization is using today. But you are free and welcome to come up with completely new ideas.
You should not focus on the "pitty factor" but maybe more on the fact that S.T.E.P.S. is a courageous initiative.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Cox Continues Winning Streak
COLUMBIA -- It's not often someone has the chance to be the best at something, but if J'Den Cox finishes his senior season the same way he did the past three. He'll pin the right to carry the tag of best wrestler in Columbia High School history.
Hickman's J'Den Cox won a State Championship in 2010, 2011, and 2012, but wrestling didn't start out so easy.
"My first 13-26 matches I lost badly... very badly," Cox said.
The last time he left a state tournament disappointed, he was seven years old.
Cox said, "I've lost one match at state. That was my very first year I was able to go and I was in the finals and I took 2nd."
Now the magic number is four, as in four state titles...something no wrestler from Columbia has ever done before.
Hickman wrestling coach JD Coffman said, "I''m aware that the best I've had is a couple two-time state champs. So, this is very special."
"A lot of people say I'm supposed to win, but you never know what's going to happen. I always go by the quote if you want to make God laugh... tell him your plans," said Cox.
The plan for his hair usually includes some purple and gold dye...but this year will be different.
Cox said, "I'm not coloring the hair this year. I'm going to relax it like we do for Nationals."
While the hair is different, the headgear is always the same. Cox uses the same one his uncle phil arnold did to win state titles at hickman more than two decades ago.
"It has my Uncle's state titles on it," said Cox. "It has 1990 and 91 titles stamped on each side."
Cox will continue to call Columbia home in college. He chose Mizzou instead of a chance to workout at the Olympic Training Center.
Coffman said, "If he got hurt at the Olympic Training Center there might not be a scholarship to wrestle collegiately. He can still go get his education and wrestle at the Olympic Trials."
"I just made my pros and cons list and thought about it. MU just seemed the place for me. Plus, the OTC is always going to be there," said Cox.
Cox carries confidence and he should, he hasn't lost a match since his freshman season.
Cox said, "Cockiness and confidence... you know there's only one thing that separates that... there's only one thin line and that's cockiness you talk about how good you are. Confidence, you just do it."
"I've seen some pretty good ones." Coffman said, "he's the best I've ever seen."
Cox needs to make a big decision before he goes to state this season: will he wrestle in the 220 pound division or heavyweight? He's done some of both this season.
Cox has a streak of more than 100 straight wins in head to head matches.


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Those were times when, to forget an evil world, grammarians took pleasure in abstruse questions. I was told that in that period, for fifteen days and fifteen nights, the rhetoricians Gabundus and Terentius argued on the vocative of 'ego', and in the end they attacked each other with weapons. (Brother William to Adso, Umberto Eco 'The name of the rose')One of the enlightening moments of my undergraduate degree came in a tutorial on Edward Gibbon. We were discussing why Gibbon had written 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' and myself and the other students exchanged ideas about Gibbon's intentions to reshape the enlightenment, argue with Machiavelli, discredit Christianity or explain the course of history. Our tutor leant back on his chair and asked us why we didn't just beleive Gibbon's own explanation: that sitting on the Capitol Hill he had heard the monks singing above the ruins of the empire and decided that this was the subject that should consume his lifetime's energy. That explanation did not satisfy me at the time: I left the tutorial with a friend we both agreed that there must be a better more intellectual explanation. Over the years though, I've come to reject our view and embrace the view of our tutor.
Part of the reason that people do intellectual things- whether its write a history of Rome's decline and fall or whether its a philosophical essay because they enjoy doing it. That sounds pretty simple as an account of why people do things, but it can't be neglected as a description because it ties to a vital question in intellectual history. Intellectual history increasingly focusses, following Quentin Skinner's lead, on the reasons that a book is written. If you write something- you want to contribute to some debate, your argument is to be evaluated in that light. Of course Skinner is right and his method has become very fertile as a way of reinterpreting and understanding better the thinkers of the past. I don't think we can leave out the 'enjoyment factor' from our analysis. Hobbes did not just write Leviathan to answer an authority crisis or a de facto debate during the English Civil War, he wrote it because he enjoyed that particular form of argument. In some sense, Hobbes found the experience of writing the book both enlivening and inspiring and hence he wrote it.
Lets come back to the citation at the front of this post. Imagine you are a historian and you ask why did Terentius and Gabundus argue about the word 'ego' at that point: were they responding to a grammatical crisis in Latin? William's description implies that no they were not, they did this because they sought to drive out the evil and terrible events of their own lives. They responded to their immediate situation. One might say that Leviathan was written less because of a political crisis in 1650 and more because Hobbes was bored or was particularly interested in politics at that point in time. Reintroducing a work to its immediate context is a fair thing to do, but we must be sure that we do not imagine that works are written because of their contexts. Terentius and Gabundus argued about ego because they used a language which contained the word and had a vocative tense: they argued at that particular point in their lives because they wanted to drive other thoughts away from their consciences.


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Ray Aghayan
Ray Aghayan (born July 28, 1928 - died October 10, 2011) was an Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated costume designer whose credits included more than a dozen Oscar shows and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He died at age 83.
Aghayan was the lifetime partner of costume designer Bob Mackie. He died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles.
In a career that spanned television, film and Broadway, the Iranian-Armenian Aghayan designed costumes for such stars as Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Dinah Shore, Julie Andrews, Carol Channing and Doris Day.
"He was a darling man, and I loved working with him on my films," Day told the Los Angeles Times. "He designed some beautiful gowns for me in classic, timeless styles."
A onetime stage actor, director and producer, Aghayan launched his career as a television costume designer for "Matinee Theatre" in 1957 and went on to design the costumes for two Fred Astaire TV specials and other shows.
Aghayan, who was also costume designer for Garland's 1963-64 musical variety show, was instrumental in persuading the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to recognize the contributions of costume designers — and he and Mackie shared the first Emmy ever awarded for costume design, in 1967 for "Alice Through the Looking Glass."
Aghayan received six more Emmy nominations and shared an Emmy in 1987 with Ret Turner for "Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues." He won his third Emmy in 1992 for the 64th Annual Academy Awards.
After establishing himself in television, Aghayan moved into films in the mid-1960s, with credits including "Do Not Disturb," "The Glass Bottom Boat," "In Like Flint," "Caprice" and "Doctor Dolittle."
For his work in films, he received three Oscar nominations: for "Gaily, Gaily" in 1970, for "Lady Sings the Blues" in 1973 (shared with Mackie and Norma Koch) and for "Funny Lady" in 1976 (shared with Mackie).
Aghayan also worked as a costume designer for Broadway productions and received a Tony Award nomination in 1970 for "Applause."
As costume designer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics, Aghayan created 50 designs multiplied, as The Times reported at the time, "into some 11,000 costumes, most of which will be unveiled at Saturday's three-hour [opening] extravaganza in the Coliseum."
Aghayan said the spirit he wanted his costumes to convey was "as American as possible and at the same time as California and as sporty as possible." For that reason, he said, the predominant color in the costumes was white.
"White is just happy," he explained. "And it's very summer. I don't think there's anything better."
In 2008, Aghayan was honored by the Costume Designers Guild Local 892 with a Career Achievement in Television Award.
"There was nobody better in a fitting room," Rachael Stanley, executive director of the guild, said Thursday. "Whenever there was a problem trying to make something work during a fitting, Ray could come in and take a look at it and say, 'Oh, the problem is....' He had a very keen eye for details."
Stanley, who worked with Aghayan on three Academy Awards presentations, described him as "brilliant" and "versatile."
"He was just a visionary, and he was right, down to the smallest detail," she said. "Everything mattered to him, that it be just right."
Aghayan was also executive producer of the 1979 TV movie "The Tenth Month" and a producer of the 1985 TV movie "Consenting Adult."
Of Armenian descent, Aghayan was born July 28, 1928, in Tehran, where his mother was a designer of haute couture.
"So, naturally, I learned about fashion and construction as I was growing up," he recalled in a 1968 interview with The Times. "But I wanted to go into the theater, to be a director or an actor."
Aghayan, who began working for his mother after impressing her by designing a line of costumes when he was 14, told Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper in 1965 that his family sent him to Los Angeles to study architecture but that after a few weeks in L.A. he enrolled in drama school.
"I acted in and directed plays for quite a while," he said in the 1968 Times interview. "I became a costume designer by happenstance.
"I was directing a play and found we didn't have enough money to hire a designer. So I designed the costumes. I've been a designer ever since."
Aghayan, who is survived by Mackie, continued to work and recently completed several costumes for Diana Ross' concert appearances.