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Morrison and co: just where to from here?
The recent madness in the LNP – both disunity and disloyalty – resulted in the recent, devastating Newspoll. You could reasonably have expected new PM Morrison to have moved quickly and decisively to begin to define himself, and a strategy.
Yet he has missed the opportunity. Indeed, rather than a substantive response, he has chosen to attempt to smooth things over, with a pretense of new found loyalty among his "new generation of ministers", and by seeking to spin his way out of difficult issues such as Dutton's abuse of power as Immigration Minister, the link between the drought and climate, his commitment to emissions reduction and so on.
The average voter has every reason to doubt the loyalty of Morrison's team.
After all, most swore renewed loyalty to Turnbull post-spill, only to vote against him a few days later.
While Morrison makes the point that the Immigration Minister does have such discretionary powers, this does not distract from the issue of how these powers were used, especially when used to the benefit of Dutton's mates. It also begs the question of what else Dutton got up to.
While some, but only a few, can accept the logic of giving Tony Abbott a job in the hope that he may become a team player, others feel Morrison should have moved to get him to exit Parliament – or at least to have him expelled from the Liberal Party for the damage he has done.
Clearly, if Morrison had taken a hard line on Abbott and asked Dutton to stand aside while there was an independent review of his performance, he would have done much more to define himself and the standards of his government.
Failing to have acted along such lines easily confirms Morrison's reputation as wishy-washy, with a preference for spin, slogans and stunts rather than leadership and substance.
You can reasonably expect the Shorten Opposition to run hard to exploit these issues when Parliament resumes. Obfuscation seems to be the strategy on climate and emissions reductions. Morrison sought to avoid any discussion of climate on his recent inspection of the impact of the drought.
Then the new Energy Minister Angus Taylor ducked media questions after his first speech, attempting to focus on his commitment to lower electricity prices.
Then the new Trade Minister Simon Birmingham was trotted out to make vaguely supportive noises about the new government's commitment to the Paris targets. Yet there are no specifics, beyond an obvious attempt to hope to skate by on the climate issue.
Again, Morrison has left himself and his government exposed to a concerted Opposition attack, having basically left the climate/renewables field wide open for them when all recent polls emphasise growing voter support for decisive government action on climate and for the further development of renewables.
Again, Morrison has left himself and his government exposed to a concerted Opposition attack.
I notice in his early colour interviews, Morrison has selected sympathetic interviewers in Alan Jones and A Current Affair, taking the opportunity to target a message to particular constituencies – raising the possibility of deregistering the CFMEU as raw meat to his party constituency; a generally populist possibility of a Royal Commission into the power companies, claiming them as bad as the banks; a possible mini-budget in December in the hope of buying the next election; the hint of a willingness to build a new coal-fired power plant; freezing the pension age, even knowing pension costs are getting out of control, and so on.
However, while the likes of Jones and Ray Hadley are being respectfully supportive, it is "for now". They are already signaling that they will monitor Morrison's performance very closely.
Don't be surprised if at even a minor hiccup in Morrison's performance they move back to fulsome support for their Abbott – it has become an obsession with them.
In an interview the other evening, Morrison made the comment that "we have a country to run". Yes, he certainly does, after a couple of decades of poor government.
His focus should be to provide genuine and sustainable solutions to all the key elements of the cost of living – housing affordability, power, education and health, child and aged care, at least. Actions and outcomes, not words, will be definitive.
John Hewson is a professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU, and a former Liberal opposition leader.


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And the same goes for language, be it your own or foreign study.
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You'll never use math in real life
Idea to make U$3,100
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner charged with covering up Iran's involvement in the AMIA bombing
The Friday OT: Soundgarden; Fell on black days
But Kim Thayil's riff is the thing here, it's one you can hear less than a bar of on the radio and it just grabs you, instant recognition.
It's bad business to be honest in the gold sector
Hug's comments at the Inside ETF Conference last month may raise some eyebrows because he is an executive at one of the largest online retailers of precious metals in North America.These so-called crazy gold provide lots of business for Kitco. He said their influence is most obvious in the market for smaller units of physical gold between one and 32 ounces."These investors buy the metal and it just disappears. It goes under their mattress. They want to use it when the world ends," Hug told CNNMoney.
Yamana Gold (AUY) (YRI.to) thinks Argentina is improving as a jurisdiction
Ah wuz shocked, shocked ah wuz to hear Peter Marrone say that Argentina is quickly turning into the cat's meow of a place to do mining business. In "Argentina's Mining Landscape Improving, Cerro Morro A Go – Yamana CEO" at Kitco today we get the quote...
"You've heard me say before that I think Argentina has an improving socio-economic and geopolitical state, certainly from a mining company's perspective,"...along with the news that the company has green-lighted Cerro Moro down in Santa Cruz (part of the portfolio since they bought out Extorre).
Hey, I wonder if owning Gualcamayo, 12.5% of Agua Rica and having your cash stuck in-country with severe restrictions on remittances had anything to do with the decision to hit the capex button, Marrone? Hey, I wonder if having all that real estate and asset value sunk into Argentina kinda nudges you towards saying nice things...just in case. Hey, how's that Suyai thing coming along down there Peter?
And we've done this before but it's worth making the point again so.... In other news The Gold Marketing Board's latest market analysis points to higher gold prices in the near future and considers that everyone should have 5% of their net worth in gold. A spokesperson for Apple (AAPL) told assembled reporters that she prefers Apple computing products to any other company's computing products. Papa John, founder of Papa John's Pizza, let slip that his preferred pizza brand is Papa John's. Oral-B and Colgate got together in a joint press conference to tell people that it's a smart idea to change their toothbrush every three months. The Optician's Society of America advises all citizens to get a sight test every 12 months. The peanut marketing board announces new scientific research that shows extra nutritional benefits of eating peanuts. Sarah Lee, world famous chocolate cake manufacturer, has also revealed that eating chocolate cake is good for you. And the Bitcoin appreciation society confidently predicted that Bitcoins would soon trade at $2,000 each.
I've watched the rebound rally in Santacruz Silver (SCZ.v) for the last couple of weeks... UPDATED
Therefore, the post below is incorrect. It's not "...mistakes were made..." and it's not "...some confusion due to...". I screwed up, me, first person. Therefore I apologize for the error (and for what it's worth, SCZ wrote in with a very intelligent and friendly mail to confirm the error made) and by way of penance, I'm leaving the post up so that you can all see my mistake.
I'll also write Fe Erratum post on Sunday evening, so that it gets seen by the biz world on Monday morning.
May 2013: Accident and one worker dead (another seriously injured) February 2014: Accident and five workers dead December 2014: Accident and one worker dead January 2015: Accident and one worker dead.
Because the truth is boring, Greg
One thing I've periodically mulled over, especially in the wake of Cuba policy liberalization, is Latin American "outrage."
We seem to see too few analyses that show U.S.-Latin American relations go beyond what people say, and that differences aren't always as extreme as they appear.
Rio Alto (RIO.to) (RIOM) and Tahoe Resources (TAHO) (THO.to) update
Primero Mining (PPP) (P.to) 4q14 results
Here's the link to the whole thing, here's how the 4q14 results NR from Primero Mining (P.to) (PPP) begins. A four-point observation of the paragraph below:
Primero Mining Corp. ("Primero" or the "Company") (TSX:P.TO) (PPP) today reported financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2014. On January 20, 2015 the Company reported record production of 225,100 gold equivalent ounces(1), a 57% increase over 2013, at low cash costs(2) of $687 per gold equivalent ounce. Today the Company reports record revenues in 2014 of $274.6 million, operating cash flow before changes in working capital(3) of $73.7 million ($0.48 per share), a net loss of $224.4 million ($1.48 per share) including $209.0 million ($1.37 per share) in non-cash impairment charges(4) and adjusted net income(5) of $5.4 million ($0.04 per share).
PS: Primero's financial advisors on the Brigus deal were BMO, who need to be taken out and shot for all the solid financial advice they're capable of offering.
Torex (TXG.to): The mine is still closed, here's why
Communities give ultimatum to Guerrero Government
During a meeting with Guerrero authorities and the Media Luna mine, community protection groups from Real de Limón, Nuevo Balsas and la Fundición said that if the leader of the La Familia Michoacana narco gang, Uriel Wences, weren't captured the company would remain closed.
Iguala: Members of the Real de Limón, Nuevo Balsas and la Fundición community protection groups gave an ultimatum to the State government and the Media Luna mine to capture the leader of the La Familia Michoacana narco gang, Uriel Wences, alias La Burra, and the two kidnapped people who are still captives, because if not the company will remain closed.
During a meeting with Guerrero authorities, the municipal president of Cocula César Miguel Peñaloza Santana and directors of the mining company whose doors were closed yesterday by locals due to the kidnapping of 18 people last weekend, the communities demanded that soldiers from the Mexican army and Federal Police join the search for the two missing people.
"What we want is that they bring in two helicopters and Mexican soldiers, as well as Federal Police to keep looking for our two community members. The soldiers shouldn't stay on the highways, but move into the hills with us", demanded the community members.
Congratulations B2Gold (BTG) (BTO.to)...
...for being the first of the gold producer bunch to give up every penny of its January bounce profits:
Now what did happen on January 27th? Oh yeah!
Moaning that gold's down this morning?
Oh dear, did you bet against the dollar?
You bought Kinross calls yesterday?
Went long that silver producer because it was looking like "great future leverage"?
Chopper has some heartfelt advice for you:
Dedicated to David B.
Dear CNN: Your mother nature does not exist
"I've been here for over four and a half billion years, 22,500 times longer than you, I don't really need people. I have fed species greater than you and I have starved species greater than you. My oceans, my soil, my flowing streams, my forests, they all can take you or leave you."
"Mankind is nothing more than a parasitic tick gorging himself on temporary plenty while the seas are low and the climate is clement. But the present arrangement of land and sea will change, and with it our brief supremacy."We are currently in a period that's conducive to human life, to mammalian life, to life on dry land and that's only because the current set-up of the continental masses allows the right type of heat moving flows around the world. That will change, with a probablility of 1.0, and we don't even have to wait until the next big joining and pangaea mass for it to happen. Just one example of many, the planet will do for a big slice of our current lebensraum just by blocking off the Strait of Gibraltar and that one will happen soon in geological time. And while we're at it let's also note that the planet will also kill, without a second thought, those crystal streams and lush forests that the Julia Roberts version of earth loves so very much. Without even thinking about it.
The message that the planet doesn't care whether we live or die is a half-truth that's ultimately a lie. The half-truth is that for sure it doesn't care but far more importantly, no matter what we do it's going to kill us. We can do nothing about that. Yes we can make our journey as a species more pleasant, but the destination is set fair. The ultimate lie is the thing that our oh-so-smartypants modern society has refused to admit since the time of Aristotle: We aren't some kind of passengers on a ship, we're part of the planet.
More Panoro (PML.v)
IKN reads brokerage opinions on the Rio Alto / Tahoe Resources deal so that you don't have to
A post on Frank Giustra, but only due to popular demand
UPDATE: This post was intended to stop mailflow on the subject, not cause more. If you didn't get the subtext I will therefore spell it out clearly: I do not care about how much money Frank Giustra has or where he keeps it, so stop mailing me on this. His continued failure to honour his word tells us far more about the guy than his chequebook ever will.
Two copper charts
Nevada Copper (NCU.to) updates
- January 7th to February 9th progress from 1,655ft to 1806ft = 151 feet
- Days elapsed = 34 days
- Average progress per day = 4.44 feet per day.
"First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin, then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it."
Another way in which China leads Canada when it comes to the 21st century mining sector
In one of the two countries, corrupt and criminal mining leaders are executed:
Mining Tycoon Liu Han ExecutedMining tycoon Liu Han was executed Monday, after being sentenced to death last May on 13 charges including leading illegal gang activities. continues here
In the other they're given the Order of Canada.
A Flash update...
...has been sent to subscribers, 8am local time Monday morning, an hour and a half before the opening bell.
I'm now off to listen to a conference call. While listening, coffee will be taken.
The difference between the blog and the newsletter
1) The Argonaut Gold (AR.to) we bought at $1.47 were sold for $2.53
2) The Rio Alto Mining (RIOM) (RIO.to) news today.
- Forecast One: Argonaut Gold (AR.to) may have started well since being recommended and then moves to Top Pick here at the Weekly, but don't think for a second you're too late to get on. You're not. Get on. This stock is set to move significantly higher in the weeks ahead. I'd like to have a more structured plan on what to do with my shares but with the rough seas of December tax loss/January pop around us, it's difficult to be mathematically accurate during a momentum-charged period. Right now my rough gameplan is to ride all my large position into January, maybe pick a spot and sell a portion for a decent gain, add dollars to a somewhat cash starved junior port right now, let the rest of the AR shares ride. But that plan is not fixed and could change on new circumstances. Whatever happens, it took until the very end of 2014 to find a trade potential that had all ducks in line and got me buying in with real confidence, no way do I let go too early because there's money to be made here.
- Forecast Two: Rio Alto Mining (RIO.to) (RIOM) will be bought out in 2015 by a larger mining company. Probably a paper deal, certainly at a premium to today's share price, a bidding war may even develop come the time as more than one larger-scale mining company decides it's willing to pay up for 200k and 300k oz per annum of low cash cost gold. Put simply, if Rio Alto exists as a separate entity come this time next year I will be surprised.
Tahoe and Rio
Deal. NR here
Bobby Genovese: With friends like these...
The IKN Weekly, out now
Torex Gold (TXG.to): Police and locals rescue some of the hostages
During an operation this morning, community police officers from the Nuevo Balsas and la Fundición towns freed ten of the 18 people kidnapped by members of the La Familia narco gang.
Six people, among them a contract worker from the Media Luna mine and a woman were taken to the Nuevo Balsas and la Fundición health centre and four others managed to escape by hitting one of the hijackers. However, one of them was injured in the fight and stayed on the hill (where they were being held) while the other three victims managed to escape.
The Torex (TXG.to) can of worms
- Locals blame Uriel Wences Delgado, a.k.a."La Burra" and a local operator of the La Familia drug cartel.
- According to locals, he let one of the hostages go so they'd give out his message: "I've come for my money, that of the mine and the population"
- La Burra was apparently behind the incident a few years ago when seven Torex trucks were stolen. From that moment until 2013, TXG paid him protection money in the form of a monthly quota.
- That stopped in 2013 when he and his clan were run out of town by the newly militant community guard. Now those movements have been outlawed, La Burra is back and he wants his action again.
- Locals also note that TXG contracts a local company called Capitsa, which is owned by La Burra's nephew.
Regarding emperors and clothes
Lefsetz with a good one this weekend:
We used to have a critical society. The only people poking holes in theories were not nobodies online. And the funny thing about the haters is they focus more on the nobodies, the stars are untouchable, because if the stars have feet of clay they've got nothing to believe in.

subset: commoncrawl


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Attractions New & Old in Abu DhabiBy Elena Price
Abu Dhabi represents an exciting and surprising destination blessed with gorgeous weather and a wide range of activities. Whether you are looking for sporting, cultural or entertaining things to do there is plenty to keep you busy in the desert. You can book flights to Abu Dhabi from London with Etihad Airways
Abu Dhabi is a city of contrasts; on one hand you have many traditional buildings constructed using Arabic styles such as the Grand Mosque and the other is the modern, futuristic Abu Dhabi. Its foreshore, the Corniche runs for 6 km along the city's coast and is populated with plenty of green parklands, fountains and outdoor cafés where people take a rest from the desert heat and enjoy the views.
This is a popular area and houses a replica desert oasis, the heritage village and modern air-conditioned Marina Mall, shopping centre. There is also the rambling expanse of the beach, which for a small entrance fee you can gain access to the shaded umbrellas and soft warm sand.
Ferrari World - Ferrari Rossa Roller CoasterOne of the newest attractions in Abu Dhabi has been built on the excitement generated by hosting the Etihad Airways 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Ferrari World experience "Formula Rossa" is the fastest roller coaster ride on the planet and you reach 240 km per hour at some points.
Here's a video about the Ferrari Rossa to show more...
There are a number of 3D and virtual rides as well where you get to try out driving with the stars and taking a virtual trip around Italy. The Ferrari World site also possesses the largest collection of Ferraris outside the company's home at Maranello.
There are a number of tour operators and you can sample the fun of taking a desert safari in a 4x4 and have a go at dune skiing. You can enjoy yourself on a canoeing trip around the nearby mangrove swamps or take a helicopter or light aircraft flights across the breathtaking landscape. Why not try exploring the areas waterways, coastline and islands in a speedboat, or a luxury sea cruiser, while the big bus offer tours around the city.
Around Abu Dhabi you will also find many examples of local traditions, craft and cultural expression. There are many curios shops and galleries brimming with locally produced embroidery work, pottery, woven shawls and handmade baskets. Competitions and exhibitions are a regular feature to show off the traditional skills and ancestral arts that have been passed down through the centuries.
Gallery One and the Folklore Gallery are two excellent places to visit and see the diversity and skills the people of the United Arab Emirates have. The Barakat Gallery specialises in art from around the world and in its collection has pieces from China, Africa, Greece and Rome. It also includes many different items such as coins, sculptures, jewellery and ancient pottery.
One of the greatest collections can be found at the Al Ain National Museum, this is part of the fort of Sultan Bin Zayed at the oasis of Al Ain. Here you can see many items found in the Hili Gardens nearby, along with collections of daggers, swords and a golden palm. This is also the location for the Al Ain Palace Museum, which holds the vast collection of artefacts and treasures collected by the ruling family over many years.
Abu Dhabi airport is the hub for Etihad Airways, the national Airline of the UAE, who proudly boast that they have not only flights from Abu Dhabi to London but all these world wide destinations. Abu Dhabi airport also serves nearby Dubai


text:
The British medical journal, The Lancet, has issued a special series of articles focused on emerging zoonoses (human diseases that originate in or are shared with animals). The featured papers are authored by leading scientists, many of whom collaborate with the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Pandemic Influenza and Other Emerging Threats (PIOET) program, which was established in October 2009 to ensure a coordinated, comprehensive international effort to preempt the emergence of future pandemic diseases, such as HIV and influenzas.
The Lancet series consists of three papers:
Ecology of zoonoses: natural and unnatural histories
Drivers, dynamics and control of emerging vector-borne zoonotic diseases
Prediction and prevention of the next pandemic zoonosis.
The papers are complemented by two comment pieces: Anatomy of a pandemic; and Emerging infectious diseases: the role of social sciences. All of the articles can be accessed at: http://www.thelancet.com/series/zoonoses
According to Dennis Carroll, PhD, director of the USAID's PIOET program, "These papers underscore the importance of emerging infectious diseases. But more importantly, they highlight the opportunities to build on the recent advances in science and technology to enable the global community to identify potential future threats earlier and respond more quickly before they are fully constituted."
Zoonoses cause more than 60 percent of human infectious diseases, and have been responsible for some of the most devastating disease outbreaks in the past few decades, including HIV, Ebola, and SARS. Despite their significant impact on human health, however, there are major gaps in our understanding of how zoonoses cross over and spread among human populations. The articles in the Lancet series aim to address these outstanding questions by discussing the ecology, drivers, and dynamics of zoonoses to better enable us to predict and minimize the impact of the next zoonotic pandemic.
This Lancet series is published ahead of a special 20th anniversary Symposium to be held Dec. 11-12, 2012 in Washington, D.C., and hosted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM)'s Forum on Microbial Threats. The symposium will take a retrospective look at the Institute of Medicine's seminal reports on Emerging Infections (1992) and Microbial Threats to Health (2003) as well as reflect upon the Institute of Medicine's creation of the Forum in 1996.


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The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Wednesday that the club has acquired Ghanaian forward Dominic Oduro in exchange for forward Calen Carr. Oduro, 25, will arrive in Chicago Wednesday afternoon and is expected to train with the team Thursday morning. Per league and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
A product of Accra, Ghana, Oduro comes to the Fire from the Houston Dynamo where he appeared in 44 matches, tallying six goals and four assists from 2009-11 for the Dynamo. In 2010, Oduro appeared in 27 of 30 MLS games, making 19 starts, and tied his career high with five goals. The fleet forward has spent time with both FC Dallas and the New York Red Bulls since entering the league in 2006.
Carr departs Chicago after five seasons with the Men in Red. The long-time Fire striker appeared in 82 matches tallying nine goals and three assists since being drafted by the Fire in 2006.
The Fire host Opening Day at TOYOTA PARK against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, March 26 at 3:00 PM CT (My50/TeleFutura). Chicago Fire Season Tickets and single game tickets are available by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE (657-3473), via Ticketmaster or by heading to the club's official website at Chicago-Fire.com.
Name: Dominic Oduro
Position: Forward
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 175 lbs.
Date of Birth: August 13, 1985
Place of Birth: Accra, Ghana
Hometown: Pramso, Ghana
Citizenship: Ghana
Last Club: Houston Dynamo
Acquired: Acquired via trade with the Houston Dynamo on March 23, 2011


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*Results may vary
After Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery)
*Results May Vary
Ethnic Rhinoplasty is another term for rhinoplasty surgeries performed on patients of ethnicity. Dr. Kassir see patients of all ethniciites and is an expert in:
Rhinoplasty in ethnic patients often requires a different approach than in Caucasian patients. Although individuals vary, there are some features in common to different ethnicities that make rhinoplasty for each ethnic group distinct. And these distinctions need to be taken into account to achieve great rhinoplasty surgeries.
Ethnic Rhinoplasty Areas:
African-America Rhinoplasty
Most African-American/black rhinoplasty or ethnic nose job patients want to improve their nose without removing their heritage and ethnic identity. Usually, these patients want to lift the bridge, enhance their profiles or narrow the nostrils. Dr. Kassir has the skill and sensitivity to achieve a cosmetic result that beautifies the face while respecting and preserving ethnicity.
There are also physical differences that a good plastic surgery will understand. Specifically:
Asian Rhinoplasty
When compared to other ethnic groups, Asian facial anatomy traditionally differs in size, shape, skin texture or thickness, structure and appearance from other ethnic groups. These appearances might be slight, but they are very important when it comes to Asian rhinoplasty. Asian noses have different attributes (thicker, more sebaceous skin, flatter bridge, wider base) than Caucasian noses. Traditionally, Asian noses have flat bridges, sometimes with less definition and wider nostrils. They may also have a minimal tip. Most Asian patients who want to redefine their noses with rhinoplasty wish to enhance their nose symmetry, while creating a more ...
Dr. Kassir Ramtin R MD © 2020
Top Plastic Surgeon in NYCClick to contact us
Disclaimer: this site only provides information about cosmetic surgery and this information is not meant to be taken as medical advice. For more information about plastic surgery, contact Dr. Kassir.


text: From home foreclosures to safeguarding your retirement account, here's what you need to know. By Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor October 8, 2008 I have been flooded with reader questions in recent weeks regarding the financial crisis. Below are the most common and pressing queries about the impact the turmoil has had on everything from retirement accounts to mortgages to annuities. RETIREMENT I'm five to seven years away from retirement. My diversified portfolio in my 401(k) has lost 25% to 30% of its value in the financial crisis, and it's still sinking. I'm really frightened I'll lose more. What should I do? If you have accumulated a comfortable nest egg that has achieved your goals up to this point, you might want to reallocate 30% to 40% of your portfolio into money-market funds and bond funds. The rates of return will be small, but stable, giving you piece of mind in this turbulent time. Sponsored Content If you are behind and trying to catch up, you may want to stay diversified. This bear market will lose its bite before you're ready to retire, so you'll benefit by making some investments at this year's depressed levels. There's less risk to putting new money in a fund that's already down 30% than holding accumulated gains through a plunge. Advertisement The value of my IRA on December 2007 was higher than it is now. Is that value still the one used to calculate my required minimum distribution amount in 2008? I'm 77 years old now. Sorry, but yes. You need to use your IRA account balances as of December 31, 2007, when determining how much money you need to withdraw from your IRA by December 31, 2008 -- even if your account has lost a lot of its value, which has happened to so many people this year. If you don't need all the money to live on, however, you can give up to $100,000 directly from your IRA to a charity and avoid paying taxes on the money -- a tax provision that was just extended for 2008 and 2009 as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. For more information, see Dealing With Required IRA Distributions. Advertisement MORTGAGES Is there any foreclosure relief or help for homeowners struggling to make mortgage payments coming out of Washington? Yes, the HOPE for Homeowners program -- created in July as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act -- took effect October 1 and will provide up to $300 billion in government-insured loans for people at risk of default or foreclosure. It allows homeowners who got mortgages before January 2, 2008, to refinance into a 30-year fixed-rate loan. Homeowners have to meet several criteria to be eligible (see the Department of Housing and Urban Development's fact sheet for more information). Plus, lenders have get on board for the program to work -- and the Federal Housing Administration has yet to release a list of participating lenders. But the federal financial rescue plan just passed by Congress and signed into law October 3 creates incentives for lenders to participate in the Hope for Homeowners program, says Bill Glavin of the FHA. The hope is that many lenders will participate. Advertisement For more information about federal assistance for homeowners, see Federal Rescue: Provisions for Buyers and Sellers. I'm in trouble with my Countrywide mortgage. Will I be able to get help from the company's mortgage settlement? You might. As part of a settlement that Countrywide made with state attorneys general, the company (now owned by Bank of America) agreed to make changes to nearly 400,000 loans to make them more affordable. The settlement applies to people who took out subprime or pay option mortgages on their primary residence with Countrywide before December 31, 2007, and have a loan-to-value ratio of 75% or greater. The company estimates that it will make up to $8.4 billion in interest-rate and principal reductions for these borrowers. on December 1, 2008, Countrywide will start contacting borrowers who meet the criteria and will focus first on people whose mortgage payments are delinquent by 60 days or more. If you're delinquent on your payment, you can contact Countrywide any time at 800-669-6607. Advertisement Borrowers who have not been delinquent but might become so because of a rate reset will be contacted after that, says Countrywide spokesperson Jumana Bauwens. The specific changes will be based on each eligible borrower's loan situation, but the rates can drop as low as 2.5% in some cases. For people with pay option loans, the negative amortization feature will be removed and the principal may be written down to as low as 95% of the current value of the property. For more information about eligibility and the specific changes Countrywide will make, see Countrywide's fact sheet about the settlement. I have a mortgage with Washington Mutual. Should I continue to send my payments to Washington Mutual or wait until I know what's going on? You can't get out of making payments that easily! You should continue to send your payments to Washington Mutual. You'll eventually get word from Chase about a new mailing address for payments, but everything continues as it has been for now. See What the WaMu Collapse Means for Its Customers for more information. And keep an eye on the Washington Mutual Web site for updates. Because the credit market has become so tight, now is not the time to miss any deadlines for your bills. Make all payments on time to keep up your credit score. (See Demystifying Your Credit Score for more information about improving your score.) MONEY-MARKET FUNDS Will tax-free money-market funds be covered by the new government-sponsored insurance program? Will Vanguard be participating? Both taxable and tax-free money-market funds will be covered, if the fund company chooses to pay the fee to participate in the new insurance program. The temporary insurance will cover assets that were in money-market funds as of September 19, 2008. If a money-market fund that participates in the program falls below a $1.00 net asset value (called "breaking the buck"), the program will provide coverage for shareholders up to the amount they owned on September 19 (shares purchased after that date are not covered). Funds had to decide by October 8 whether to sign up. Vanguard, Fidelity, T. Rowe Price and many other major fund companies have signed up to participate. For more information about the program, see Money-Market Funds: Now a Safer Haven and FINRA's Investor Alert about the Treasury's Guarantee Program. FDIC LIMITS I have more than $150,000 in my checking and money-market accounts (I'm hoping to buy a house soon), but I worried that all my money won't be covered by the FDIC if my bank goes under. I thought about opening a savings account with ING Direct, FBNO Direct or Emigrant Direct. Are they covered by FDIC? You're in luck -- the financial-rescue bill that was passed October 3 increased the limits for Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. coverage. People now have $250,000 in FDIC coverage for single accounts and $250,000 in their share of joint accounts at each bank. The increase from the old $100,000 limit became effective October 3. As long as your account balance stays below that limit, you're safe if your bank is covered by the FDIC. To check on your bank's FDIC status, use the Bank Find tool at FDIC.gov. Your strategy was correct, though. If you exceed the new FDIC limits, you can easily expand your coverage by opening an account at another bank because the limits apply to each institution where you have accounts. All of the banks you mentioned -- ING, Emigrant Bank and FNBO Direct (First National Bank of Omaha) -- are covered by FDIC. JOB LOSS I didn't qualify for the tax rebate this year because I earned too much. But I lost my job a few months ago. Can I qualify for a rebate in 2008? Yes, there could be a silver lining to the job loss. Those rebate checks that most people received in the spring and summer were actually a tax credit for 2008, which would normally reduce your 2008 tax bill. But to get the money into people's hands quickly to stimulate the economy, Congress had the IRS make a prepayment of the credit. That meant the rebate was figured based on information from your 2007 return. If you didn't qualify for a rebate check when they were first sent out but your income dropped in 2008, you have a second chance. There will be a special calculation when you file your 2008 taxes. You'll figure how big of a credit you deserve based on your 2008 income and number of qualifying children, and compare that amount to the size of the rebate (if any) you already received. If the numbers show you deserve more tax savings than you received, you'll get the benefit on your 2008 return. Most single filers received a $600 rebate, or $1,200 for married couples, plus $300 for every dependent under age 17. The rebate amount starts to phase out for single filers whose adjusted gross income is more than $75,000 or more than $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. For people who earn more than that, the rebate is reduced by $50 for every $1,000 above the income limit. It phased out entirely at $87,000 for single filers without children and $174,000 for joint filers without children. People who had a good year don't need to worry: If you earn more in 2008 than you did in 2007, you don't have to pay back the rebate. For help calculating whether you'll get a rebate, use our Kiplinger Tax Rebate Calculator. AIG ANNUITIES I've had an annuity at AIG for 12 years. Is it safe? Regulators and ratings agencies say that American International Group annuity holders and policyholders are safe for now. AIG's insurance subsidiaries are subject to strict regulations to ensure they have enough money to pay claims and, as a result, have not had the same troubles as the holding company. See Don't Ditch Your AIG Policy for more information about the company's financial status. However, the safety of your annuity also depends on the type you have. If you have a variable annuity, the money is held in separate accounts that are invested in mutual funds and wouldn't be affected by the insurer's financial situation. If you have a fixed annuity -- or an annuity with guaranteed minimum income benefits -- then you should keep a close eye on the insurer's financial strength. But you still have several layers of protection if the financial status were to change. If an insurer did have financial troubles, then state regulators would take it over and try to rehabilitate the company. If that didn't work and the insurer became insolvent, then policyholders -- and annuity holders – would be protected by the guaranty association in their state. State guaranty associations must provide at least $100,000 in withdrawal and cash values for annuities. Some states have higher limits -- about a dozen states protect $300,000 in annuity values and at least four cover annuities up to $500,000, says Peter Gallanis, president of the National Organization of Life and Health Guaranty Associations. For links to your state's guaranty association, see the NOLHGA Web site. But Gallanis also says that people generally get back much more money than those limits. Life insurers are required to hold a high level of reserves to pay claims, giving them a lot more money to distribute if they do have problems. "Policyholders must be paid in full before any other creditors receive anything," says Gallanis. "However, it is possible that, in a relatively rare case combining a very large asset/liability shortfall and a large face amount annuity, the annuity owner might face a reduction in benefits." Annuity holders need to continue checking the financial strength of their insurer. AIG's major life insurance subsidiaries currently have an A rating from A.M. Best but are under review with negative implications. You can check an insurer's Best rating on our insurance page. Before making any change, though, find out about your state's rules and be careful about surrender charges. You may have to pay a steep fee to switch to another insurer, especially in the first few years after buying an annuity, and may have to pay an early-withdrawal penalty plus a tax bill if you cash it out. INVESTING Now that the federal government is supporting Fannie Mae, is this a good time to buy its stock? This is not a good time to buy Fannie Mae stock. Yes, the firm is getting government support, but it is neither free nor cheap. On September 7 the Treasury Department announced it would put Fannie Mae into a conservatorship to save it from insolvency. In return for an immediate injection of $1 billion and the promise of more help if needed, the federal government gets preferred stock paying 10% annually and a warrant that can be exchanged for an 80% common-stock stake. Dividends for all other shareholders, common and preferred, have been eliminated. Fannie's common shares closed at $1.09 October 8 (down from $69 less than a year ago) in hope that shareholders won't be wiped out completely. But there's no guarantee of that. Neither is there any consensus at this point on how, when or if Fannie will emerge from the conservatorship or in what form. Investing at this point is too much of a gamble. Got a question? Ask Kim at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Gartrell, 25, might be the White Sox's biggest sleeper since Magglio Ordonez. A 31st-round pick in the 2006 draft, he has hit .280 with 21 home runs and 85 RBIs in 127 games between Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte. He looks a little like Jermaine Dye on the field and will make the Sox think hard about exercising Dye's $12 million option for 2010. "He really has improved his hitting," Birmingham hitting coach Andy Tomberlin. "He has a chance to hit for serious power."
September 5, 2009
Watch out for Stefan Gartrell says Phil Rogers
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The Unhealthiest Ballpark Foods to Eat
Denise Crew
Diet Strikeout
Let's face it, the real reason we head to the ballpark every year isn't to root on our favorite pitcher or watch our home team win its first World Series. Baseball is about two things: 1) guys in tight pants and 2) food.
Funny thing is, all the food that stadiums serve up can keep you out of your own favorite pair of pants. So when it comes to making it through the season without resorting to sweat pants, it's all about labeling the worst of the worst.
Here's a look into the stadium's most common food strikeouts — and how you can sub them out without offending your all-American taste buds.
Paul Velgos
The Strikeout: Nachos
A standard serving of nachos contains more than 1,000 calories, but perhaps the biggest issue is the additives, says Laura Cipullo, RD, owner of Laura Cipullo Whole Nutrition Services in New York City. The chips are brimming with salt and the nacho cheese is probably more chemical than it is cheese. "Processed cheese foods" only have to be composed of 51 percent cheese. The rest can be anything the manufacturer thinks will make you eat more. Gross. Plus, let's face it, you'll devour those nachos in five minutes and still be hungry.
Sub it out: Soft pretzel
Granted you don't dip it in that gnarly cheese, a soft pretzel contains roughly 450 calories, says Cipullo. Make it healthier by skipping on sodium: Ask for a salt-free pretzel or at least brush some of the salt from the top. If you feel the need to dip, grab a packet of mustard. You'll actually score some potassium, phosphorous, and magnesium, she says.
STOCK48 Creative
The Strikeout: Hard Lemonade
"Hard lemonade is high in carbs, alcohol, and calories," says nutritionist Monica Reinagel, LN, CNS. "Plus the sweet taste makes it easier to swill these down." Sweet is right. While a bottle of hard lemonade can send more than 30 grams of sugar swimming through your veins, ballpark options can be even higher, as most stadiums use sugar-based mixes. When you down massive amounts of sugar with your booze, your liver can't handle both and lets your body store the calories as a type of fat called triglycerides. They congregate in the cells around your belly, the unhealthiest and most unflattering place to pack on pounds.
Sub it out: Beer
Whatever the brew, beer is still a better choice, says Reinagel. Besides being lower in calories and sugar, recent Japanese research found that hops' naturally occurring flavonoids promote muscle mass. They also reduce your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Beer is also rich in B vitamins, magnesium, and calcium, which can up your overall health and promote energy. Just remember not to overdo it. All you need is one to reap the benefits.
Chris Ryan
The Strikeout: Cotton Candy
While it's surprisingly low-cal (about 300 calories a bag), it's pretty much just sugar. One 3-ounce bag contains about 71,000 milligrams of the sweet stuff — that's more than 80 percent of your daily-recommended allowance. And none of those sugars are from natural sugars; they are all added.
Sub it out: Frozen yogurt
If you are in need of a sugar fix, you might as well get some protein with it. Most nonfat original or plain varieties (typically the lowest-calorie flavor) contain about 90 calories and 3 grams of protein per half cup. As long as you top it with fruit — and not candy — you'll do okay, Cipullo says.
Jill Fromer
The Strikeout: Popcorn
While the air popped variety packs more fiber than brown rice and more antioxidants than fruit and veggies, what you get at the ballpark is pretty much a health offender. The stuff is cooked in oil, butter flavoring, and loads of salt, which keeps you slurping down calorie-filled drinks refill after refill. And so much for sharing: In one Cornell study, people with large buckets of popcorn ate about twice as much as those who had medium buckets — even when the researchers filled some of them with two-week-old kernels.
Sub it out: Cracker Jacks
If you love popcorn (and who doesn't) a Cracker Jack box is far better than a tub of popcorn. "One half cup only contains about 120 calories and since Cracker Jacks contain peanuts as well, you are getting monounsaturated fats and vitamin E," says Cipullo.
Annabelle Breakey
The Strikeout: Corn Dog
That battered and deep-fried dog packs about 400 calories into five measly bites. Even worse, it's full of bad carbs, saturated fat, and the dreaded trans fat. Trans fat raises your levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and lowers your levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, upping your risk of heart disease (the number-one killer of women in the U.S.).
Sub it out: Hot dog
As anyone can attest, a hot dog isn't a health food. But it is better than a deep-fried one. It's lower in sugar, fat, and calories than the corn dog. And since you can fill it with tons of fresh ingredients, it can be more filling for fewer calories. "Redeem it by piling on the sauerkraut and raw onions," says Reinagel. "Although they might not make you popular with your date, the antioxidants do help counteract the nitrites in the dog."
Ursula Alter
The Strikeout: Fries
You know they're bad, but you might be surprised just how bad ballpark fries can be. Whether they are plain or topped with Parmesan cheese, they can easily come with more than 1,000 calories. They are also pretty much pure, fried carbs, so they speed through your system, spiking your blood sugar and shooting up your hunger factor two innings later.
Sub it out: Peanuts
Low in carbs and high in protein, peanuts are also full of healthy monounsaturated fat. If you flag down the peanut man in the stands, remember that peanuts in their shells are your best bet. The shells basically slow you down to keep you from overeating, Cipullo says.
Rubberball/Nicole Hill
Baseball's Biggest Calorie Bombs
Whatever you do, don't order these gut busters — unless you plan to split them with everyone else in the stands, that is.
Luther Burger, GCS Ballpark
If 1,550 calories isn't enough to send you running, the notion of a bacon cheeseburger sandwiched between two sides of a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed donut should be. Our only hope is that they were able to slash some calories with that hole in the middle.
Totally Rossome Boomstick, Rangers Ballpark
As big as six regular hot dogs, this jumbo dog is topped with brisket, pico de gallo, sour cream, and Nacho Cheese Doritos. While those behind the ridiculous concoction wouldn't reveal exactly how many calories the food's packing, they admitted it had to be close to a day's worth of calories. That's 2,000, FYI.
Souvenir Bucket of Popcorn, Yankee Stadium
With this purchase, you'll take more than a souvenir bucket home. If you eat all of the bucket's 2,473 calories, you'll have some extra pounds to drag home with you, too.
North Side Twist, Wrigley Field
When a soft pretzel comes in a 12-inch pizza box, you know it's going to be bad. This pretzel comes with three ridiculously unhealthy dipping sauces: chipotle honey mustard, beer cheddar cheese, and cinnamon cream. This baby will set you back 1,480 calories.
The StrasBurger, Washington Nationals Park
Eight pounds of ground brisket, chuck, and short ribs on a bun with a secret sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and pickles. It's estimated to weigh in at 8,000 to 10,000 calories. Add that to the burger's 600 to 700 grams of fat and 2,500 to 3,000 milligrams of sodium, and your arteries will be screaming.
Originally published on FitnessMagazine.com, June 2013.


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Kathleen W. Hinckley, the Executive Director of the Association of Professional Genealogists, sent the following announcement:
The syllabus from the 2013 APG Professional Management Conference (PMC) held 19-20 March 2013 in Salt Lake City is available for sale. Go to http://www.apgen.org/catalog/
The syllabus is $15 and will be delivered in electronic format (PDF).
The theme of the PMC was "Strategies for Building a Successful Business." Lecture topics and speakers included:
Overcoming Research Barriers--An Interactive Case Study by Thomas W. Jones, PhD., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
Variables in Professional Genealogists' Approaches to Research by Thomas W. Jones, PhD., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
Order in the Court: Hands-on with Court Records by Judy G. Russell, J.D., CG
Client Reports: Dos, Don'ts, and Maybes by Thomas W. Jones, PhD., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
Launching an Effective Marketing Campaign by Thomas MacEntee
More Than the Begats: Using the Law to Spice up a Research Report by Judy G. Russell, J.D., CG
Video Marketing: Killer YouTube Strategies by Lisa Louise Cooke
The Best Educational Plan for You: The Workshop by Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL
Organization for Genealogy Speakers by Jean Wilcox Hibben, Ph.D., M.A., CG


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Deborah Sandore Dunbar has been teaching business and office technology courses at CCC since 2000, first as an adjunct, then full time term, and now as an Associate Professor. Her past work experience includes employment at World Kitchen, Inc. as a Sales Financial Analyst, and Purolator Products as a Marketing Coordinator and Secretary to the Director of Marketing.
Dunbar brings real-world experience to her classroom, and has been certified in the Company Classroom Management Style, where students are able to work in a real-world atmosphere. Here they are considered "employees." Dunbar also has completed Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training, focusing on strengths, and is a 2013 graduate of the Leadership Academy at CCC. She is a Certified Administrative Professional with an Organizational Management specialty through IAAP. She also sits on many campus committees, and participates as a leader in college governance.
Dunbar graduated from CCC with an AAS in Business Administration, SUNY Empire State College with a BS in Business, Management and Economics, and has a MA in Business Policy. She enjoys outdoor activities such as gardening and downhill skiing.
Business Communications (BUSN 1030)


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My Name is Aram by William Saroyan
Age: 8th – Adult
My Name is Aram is a semi-fictional account of William Saroyan's life from 1915 to 1925 in Fresno, California, told in fourteen short chapters, each discussing a different event or experience. Aram Garoghlanian is a curious young boy, and his curiosity often leads him straight to trouble. We are introduced to his Armenian family, his friends and those that live in the same small-town.
The stories are short, simple and each one carries a special message or lesson learned by Aram. His book teaches the simple morals of understanding, not stealing, loyalty and the joys of learning. Aram is an adorable boy, with a mind full of questions and a routine of seeking out new experiences and facing the consequences. I want to compare Saroyan's work to Steinbeck. As contemporaries in poverty stricken farmlands in California, they both have a similar pool of experiences to share. While both write about small town life of the immigrant worker, Saroyan's work is more upbeat than Steinbeck's because Sarayan can make fun of himself in his work.
Saroyan touches upon many issues within each of his stories. He addresses religion in the story of the two boys paid to sing in a Presbyterian Choir even though they are Catholic. He discusses friendship in nearly all of his chapters, but the most powerful chapter is the final one, "The Poor and Burning Arab" where Aram learns about the value of words, and when silence is sometimes more appropriate than wasted words. He discusses compassion and understanding in the chapter "The Three Swimmers and the Educated Grocer", which incidentally has my favorite line in the book.
Well, I'll be harrowed, cultivated, pruned, gathered into a pile, burned, picked off a tree, and let me see, what else? Thrown into a box, cut off a vine and eaten grape by grape by a girl in her teens. (The Three Swimmers and the Educated Grocer)
A short book, this is a quick and fun read, but full of insight and humor into the simple activities in our daily lives.My Name is Aram by William Saroyan Dell Publishing, 1937 156 pages


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Some suspected that Sleeping Dogs would never see the light of day. Originally slated as True Crime: Hong Kong, Activision terminated the United Front development, only for it to be picked up by Square Enix, dropping the True Crime name in the process.
Fast forward to present day and we can expect Sleeping Dogs to launch in Summer 2012 and we've had the chance to play through several sections of the new title on the Xbox 360 at a one-on-one session with Square Enix.
Although the game is nearing completion, we didn't play sequential sections of it, so we don't know exactly how the story plays out. However, we'll be disclosing some elements of the plot in our quick review, naturally, so consider that your spoiler alert.
We also weren't playing final code - in fact, it was alpha marked - although that didn't detract from the excellent gameplay and the chance to experience the variety of action that Sleeping Dogs has to offer.
Sleeping Dogs is set in Hong Kong. You play Wei Shen, a cop in deep cover with the Hong Kong Triads. You're working to take down the organisation, piece by piece, from the inside. It's an open world game and although story driven, there is plenty to do along the way if you fancy a distraction, with side missions, collectibles and so on.
Visually, Sleeping Dogs is striking. The Hong Kong backdrop provides a diverse stage on which the unfolding adventure can be played out. From narrow back streets to neon-lit commercial districts, it feels like a city with life. There are people going about their business as you weave through them, going about yours.
The immediate thing that strikes you about Sleeping Dogs, however, is how similar it is it Grand Theft Auto. It's a valid comparison, because both games work in a similar way. You can deny the likeness - Sleeping Dogs has a vastly superior combat system for example - but you'll always be drawn back to their close proximity, from elements of the game, using your smartphone, your apartment and so on.
For us that's no bad thing as we love GTA, but Sleeping Dogs aims to take the open world game environment and push each element. The driving is tight, the hand-to-hand combat is rich and varied, and the cover-based shooting is good, too. Just walking about the place is great fun, because United Front has a freerunning gameplay mechanic to make climbing, vaulting and jumping more enticing.
But one of the best parts of Sleeping Dogs, also a characteristic of True Crime, is how well these elements interlink. The ability to leap off a motorbike on to the roof of a car to hijack is great fun, as well as hugely useful. Being able to vault and kick, or vault and shoot, makes Sleeping Dogs more dynamic than a straight shooter.
Hand-to-hand combat plays a huge part in Sleeping Dogs. The influence of Hong Kong cinema can be seen instantly, as you take on multiple opponents with a huge range of different moves at your disposal. The fighting flows beautifully, with slow-mo for some of those great finishing moves, but it doesn't feel intrusive to the gameplay.
When in combat, if you see part of the environment flashing red, that means you can use it to finish off your opponent. It might be an open lift shaft or a phone box and each brings a great deal of humour to combat. Sometimes you just need to reduce numbers, and setting fire to a guy's head on the gas hob might be the best way to do it.
Many games that mix disciplines as Sleeping Dogs does involve compromise: the driving is sloppy or the combat is too simple. Sleeping Dogs feels as though it avoids this pitfall. The combat is dynamic enough to avoid button mashing and offering different types of opponent means you have to mix things up for the better.
Sure, we got slapped down a couple of times, but in the three levels we played through, it was clear that the combat is going to be fun, rather than irritating. You need to keep your wits about you, however. On approaching one final boss to finish him off, we hit the wrong button, climbed the railings and leapt off the roof of the building. Mission failed, but you have to laugh.
The driving too is fluid and fast. Some of the developers for Sleeping Dogs worked on Need for Speed, so it's easy to see where the driving heritage comes from. Motorbikes and cars both offer you some degree of combat too, so expect to be taking the fight to the streets, literally.
As with GTA, you'll be able to store your vehicles in the garage of your apartment - which also has a heavy GTA feel to it - or you can just walk out and steal one. In addition to the story elements that involve cars, there are some aspects much more like Need for Speed. Littered around the place you'll find things you can jump, for example, so you can clock-up your longest jump and challenge friends.
The streets have been designed to let you drive. Unlike some US-based grid-type plans, the roads of Sleeping Dogs are designed a little more like a series of interlinking race tracks. This means you'll get some great driving sections without being constrained by the map.
Rolling over to gunplay, it's often here that games leave you wanting. With shooters so well established, the spray-and-pray approach can often feel a little hit and miss. Sleeping Dogs, from what we've played so far, is reasonable. This isn't going to challenge your big-name first person shooters, but it is fun.
You can exchange weapons readily enough and - playing to the freerunnning mechanics mentioned earlier - be able to vault and shoot, a clever slow-mo mechanic jumping in, so you can pop the heads off your rivals as you leap over cover. Again, like the combat finishing moves, it doesn't feel intrusive and can be strategically used to great effect.
As we mentioned, the sections of Sleeping Dogs we've played through weren't in sequential order, but strung together to form something of a playable demo. Opening in a Hong Kong jail, you get the back-story about Wei Shen's undercover status, working his way into the Triads.
The first of three levels we played covered a foot chase through the markets at night, culminating in the rooftop showdown we've already mentioned. It involved plenty of vaulting and climbing, where timing is everything, before your fighting skills are put to the test.
The second level was a better demonstration of Sleeping Dogs fusing different elements together. This level was from much later in the game. You've been captured, tortured and your cover is blown. You have to make your escape and take down a lot of bad guys in the process. The fusion of custom animations, the freerunning and gunplay come together nicely with some ferocious battles.
The third level was a straight racing section. Following the sort of thing you'll get in Need for Speed, it's a speed race, with plenty of jostling, to final victory.
In everything you do in Sleeping Dogs you have the opportunity to earn XP and upgrade. The XP are divided three ways into Face, Police and Triad, essentially reflecting your reputation on the street and with each of these different groups. Although this doesn't change the story, it does give you something to shoot for: you can perform side missions which will increase your Police XP, for example.
Overall, what we've seen of Sleeping Dogs is really impressive. Although we don't have a firm figure on how long the game is, we've been assured that it will last you longer than a weekend. With variety, a sense of humour and some really cool elements combined together, Sleeping Dogs is looking like a hot title for Summer 2012.


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SEM with Dichotomous dependent variab...
Mplus Discussion
Categorical Data Modeling
posted on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 2:49 pm
I am trying to run SEM on a dichotomous dependent variable with a combination of observed variables (dichotomous and continous) and three continuous latent variables. It is estimated by WLSMV. An initial model generated the following tests of model fit:
chi-square value of 37.7 (df=30), p = .16.
I have two questions:
1. Do I have to inspect and report univariate and multivarite normality information for SEM with a dichotomous dependent variable? Is it as important as SEM with continous measured variables to provide info on normality? Does Mplus v2.13 calculate Mardia's coefficient for examining multivarite normality? If not, any alternative available?
2. What is the best way of doing (or calculating) "power" analysis for a dichotomous dependent variable?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 5:09 pm
Do you have only one dependent variable? Are the dichotomous and continuous observed variables and the three latent variables independent (exogenous) variables?
posted on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 11:46 am
Dear Linda,
I have one dichotmous dependent observed variable. All the other dichtomous and continuous observed variables are exogenous variables. However, the three latent variables are endogenous variables. And these three latent variables, in turn, serve as exogenous variables to the one dichotmous dependent variable. They were conceptualized as mediating factors between selected observed variables and the one dichotmous dependent observed variable.
I hope this is sufficient information. Thanks!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 9:04 am
In your model, the normality assumption is that for the distal dichotomous outcome and any factor indicators of the mediating latent variables that might be binary or polytomous, the y* variables are normal conditioned on the exogenous x variables. I know of no way to test this conditional normality. Mardia's coefficient is for continuous outcomes.
Calculating power for categorical outcomes will be easy with Version 3 of Mplus. In Version 2, it would be very tedious to do. You would need to generate data outside of Mplus and analyze it using the RUNALL utility. You would need to save all outputs and then see, for the parameter of interest, how many ratios of the parameter to the standard error of the parameter are greater than 1.96.
posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 2:13 pm
Dear Linda,
Thanks for your reply. A couple of follow-up questions on your response.
1. When there is no way to test normality in my model, is there any reference that I can cite in my paper to that effect?
2. Could you elaborate a little bit more on power calculation? I understand that Mplus version 3 comes out in Fall, but I'd appreciate if you could explain in more detail a process of power calculation so that I will be able to do the calculation in Version 2. Any references on the topic as well?
Thanks again in advance!!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 8:30 am
1. See Muthén, B. (1993). Goodness of fit with categorical and other non-normal variables. In K. A. Bollen, & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing
Structural Equation Models (pp. 205-243). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
2. See Muthén, L.K. and Muthén, B.O. (2002). How to use a Monte Carlo study to decide on sample size and determine power. Structural Equation Modeling, 4, 599-620. This paper is for continuous outcomes but the same strategy applies.
posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 9:28 pm
Thank you so much for the references and your help.
posted on Sunday, October 24, 2004 - 10:28 am
I have a question. I have 5 dichotomous observed variables that I would like to use for my latent variable. I know this isn't suggested but how can I make this work? My lit review confirmed that these variables were proper ways to measure my latent variable. Can I create a scale of some sort? What can I do and how can I do it?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, October 25, 2004 - 8:59 am
Factor analysis of binary indicators can be done in Mplus using either a weighted least squares or maximum likelihood estimator. I'm not sure what you mean by "isn't suggested."
posted on Monday, October 25, 2004 - 12:21 pm
Doesn't Bollen argue against using a dichotomous variable as an indicator?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, October 25, 2004 - 1:49 pm
I am not aware of such an argument. It would seem strange because item response theory (IRT) is the same as factor analysis of binary items and it has been accepted for decades.
posted on Thursday, June 02, 2005 - 9:38 am
Hello! I am attempting to figure multivariate normality statistics for my data (three proposed latent factors - 1 continuous and 2 possibly categorical). When I request Tech 13, I only get stats for my continuous variable. Thus, I changed all of my variables to continuous. When I did this, the operation ran normally but at the point in the output that it reads "Technical Output 13," there is a blank space before "Technical Output 8" with no information available. Any ideas what might be going on? Thanks!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, June 02, 2005 - 11:35 am
You will need to send your output, data, and license nuimber to
. This type of question is best answered via Mplus support.
jackson de carvalho
posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 10:43 am
Dear Linda,
My model has four latent variables and its respective constructs (3-4 constructs for each latent variable) and one dichotomous dependent observed variable.
My dissertation committee is rejecting my completed analysis by saying that I cannot use a dichotomous dependent observed variable in a SEM model, and that all SEM variables need to be continuously measured. What do say about that?
If the answer is yes, can you point me to publications to substantiates it?
Thank you.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 10:58 am
In Mplus, an SEM model can have variables measured on many different scales among them categorical. EQS and LISREL can also analyze categorical dependent variables as part of an SEM model.
jackson de carvalho
posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 11:04 am
Dr. Muthen,
My model has four latent variables, its respective constructs (3-4 constructs for each latent variable) and one dichotomous dependent observed variable.
My dissertation committee is rejecting my completed analysis by saying that I cannot use a dichotomous dependent observed variable in a SEM model, and that all SEM variables need to be continuously measured. What do you say about that?
Any help and reference to current literature on the subject would be greatly appreciated.
jackson de carvalho
posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 1:05 pm
Dr. Muthen,
Thank you for the response of my previous question. However, can a SEM model with a dependent dichotomous obseved variable be measured with AMOS?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 2:28 pm
The last I heard AMOS could not estimate models with categorical outcomes. To be certain, however, you should ask AMOS technical support. Things may have changed.
Lyle F. Bachman
posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 12:33 pm
How robust is Mardia's coefficient to curvilinearity among observed variables?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 1:35 pm
I don't know.
Lyle F. Bachman
posted on Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 7:45 am
Do you know who might know? Thanks.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 8:50 am
No I don't.
Emily Blood
posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 - 11:31 am
Do you have a technical appendix or reference that gives the details of the MLR estimation when a model with a logit link and binary outcome is used? If so, I would really appreciate it.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 - 11:37 am
Muth�n, B. & Asparouhov, T. (2008). Growth mixture modeling: Analysis with non-Gaussian random effects. In Fitzmaurice, G., Davidian, M., Verbeke, G. & Molenberghs, G. (eds.), Longitudinal Data Analysis, pp. 143-165. Boca Raton: Chapman & Hall/CRC Press.
This paper is more general that what you asking because it includes mixtures. You can download it from the website.
Christoph Ihl
posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 12:28 am
Dear Linda and Bengt,
in a two-level model, I have an overall binary dependent variable. On within level, I have a some nominal indicators.
On between level, I have four latent factors (measured by continuous indicators) that (partially) mediate the effect of some other observed indicators.
The model seems to work fine, I just wonder about the number of integration dimensions. From my understanding, it should be five - one for the random effect and four for the latent variables. However, it says there is only one dimension. What point am I missing?
Thank you very much, Christoph
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 6:17 pm
The latent variables on Between do not need numerical integration.
Christoph Ihl
posted on Thursday, April 09, 2009 - 5:15 am
Could you please further explain why the latent variables on Between do not need numerical integration.
In my application, the latent variables are traits that are stable over choices made by individuals in four situations that are described by experimental variables on WITHIN. So, I cannot specify the traits on WITHIN because they have no within variance (or can I?).
On the other hand, these latent traits affect the binary choice probabilities. As the traits are not perfectly known, but only to its distributions, shouldnt the liklihood function be integrated over the distribution of the latent traits? Can I "force" Mplus to do so or does integration over the latent traits make no sense at all in this case?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, April 09, 2009 - 9:46 am
Having latent variables on Between that have continuous Between-level indicators is just like in a regular single-level SEM. In the EM algorithm, the posterior distribution for the factors is explicit (normal) and therefore does not need numerical integration. If the indicators had been categorical say, it would have needed it.
Integration over the factors is already taken into account when you consider the distribution of the between-level indicators in the sense that a normal factor plus normal residuals produce normal indicators that have variation due to both factors and residuals.
Christoph Ihl
posted on Thursday, April 09, 2009 - 3:55 pm
I really hope not to be too demanding on this issue, but please correct me when I summarize my take away:
When my overall dependent variable is observed binary or nominal, I do not need numerical integration for latent continous predictors, measured by continous indicators and directly affecting the DV - neither for regular models nor for the between level of two level-models.
But I do need integration for within level latent predictors (if so, why??)
I am asking because in a strand of discrete choice literature it is argued that when latent predictors are included in lets say a logistic regression, the likelihood function needs to be integrated over the normal residuals implied by the conditional distribution of the latent variables given observed antecedents of the latent variables. (Continuous) Indicators for the latent variables are introduced through factor-analytic measurement models in order to support empirical identification of the latent effects on choice.
Thank you, Christoph
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, April 09, 2009 - 6:20 pm
If you have a continuous factor predicting a categorical DV you will need numerical integration, even in a single-level model. This is because the DV is like just another factor indicator, so you fall into the case of continuous latent, categorical indicator - here the posterior of the latent is not explicit (such as normal).
My answer was for the case of a between-level factor measured by continuous between-level indicators.
Christoph Ihl
posted on Thursday, April 09, 2009 - 11:35 pm
Ok, I see. There needs to be integration when continuous factors predict a categorical DV. In the twolevel model below where my question orginiated from, however, there is only one integration dimension on between level for the random effect when I run it.
I do not need to specify "factor BY choice ..." to explicitly treat choice as indicator of the factor, do I?
VARIABLES: ...CATEGORICAL = choice;
WITHIN = genres access exchange forum price1 price2 price3;
BETWEEN = sex age int_pur bill use_freq multi_imp pf1 pf2 ea1 ea2 en1 en2 en3 en4 sv1 sv2 sv3 sv4;
CLUSTER = id;
choice ON genres access exchange forum price1(p1)price2(p2)price3(p3);
prefit BY
ease BY
enjoy BY
en2 en3 en4;
socval BY
sv2 sv3 sv4;
prefit ON sex age int_pur bill use_freq multi_imp;
ease ON sex age int_pur bill use_freq multi_imp;
enjoy ON sex age int_pur bill use_freq multi_imp;
socval ON sex age int_pur bill use_freq multi_imp;
choice ON prefit ease enjoy socval;
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Friday, April 10, 2009 - 1:54 pm
You have one dimension of integration on Between because of the "choice" variable, which on Between is the random intercept of the binary or ordinal variable "choice" on Within.
If your "choice" variable is polytomous, unordered (i.e. nominal) you should declare it as nominal and in that case you would have C-1 intercepts on Between for a C-category nominal.
Christoph Ihl
posted on Saturday, April 11, 2009 - 1:29 am
My DV is binary.
But shouldn't there be four more integration dimensions on between level in addition to the one for the random intercept. As you said there needs to be integration when continuous latent factors predict a categorical DV.
When I run the model, there is only one integration dimension...
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Saturday, April 11, 2009 - 8:08 am
No, there should not be four more integration dimensions on the Between level because the Between-level factors do not predict a categorical DV on the Between level but a continuous DV, namely the random intercept of "choice".
Christoph Ihl
posted on Saturday, April 11, 2009 - 9:05 am
Ah, I see.
Is it possible to have Mplus more dimensions of integration for the latent variables (in order to get closer to what the discrete choice literature recommends that I am referring to) - without getting rid of the two level model with random intercept to account for repeated observations?
When I include the latent variables on WITHIN they are considered in the integration procedure. Does this make sense although they do not have WITHIN variance?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Saturday, April 11, 2009 - 10:15 am
You should distinguish between model features and algorithmic features. Algorithmic features are details of the estimator choice, in this case ML, which follow from a given model, not the other way around.
Mplus uses the dimensions of integration that your model input specifications require. So it is up to your model specification - not the numerical integration - to match whatever modeling literature that you consider.
If you give me a reference I might find time to be able to tell you what the model specifications should be that you are interested in.
Christoph Ihl
posted on Saturday, April 11, 2009 - 11:49 am
An exemplary reference can be found here:
With the model specification above, can I assume that all measurement errors in the latent factors predicting choice are captured in one random intercept of unobserved heterogeneity? That is why the specification above does not require to integrate over each latent predictor?
So if I had only one observation per individual, integration over each latent factor would be required?
david bodoff
posted on Sunday, November 11, 2012 - 1:51 am
Dear Dr. Muthen
Our paper under review is being held up because our sem model contains a binary dependent variable. That variable is not latent, i.e. has no other indicators. Reviewers write "sem is not appropriate for binary outcomes". The model is a sem network with some exogenous variables and 5-6 latent endogenous variables, including that one binary variable. The binary variable's predictors are all latent, endogenous variables.
Can I please ask these questions (as we consider switching to MPlus)?
1. Is it true that MPlus can handle this? Any special handling needed?
2. Does it matter whether we "tell" Mplus that that variable is directly observed, or whether we tell MPlus that it is latent but has only the one binary observed indicator?
3. We had previously been using PLS. Our idea was to use PLS on the whole network, EXCEPT we would separately run the one regression that has binary outcome, in a logistic regression that uses the principal components (i.e. output of the first step of PLS) as the predictors.
Do you have any comment on the merit of using MPlus, compared with what we had planned?
4. Assuming we use MPlus, how do you recommend we respond to reviewers who state -- AND CITE PUBLISHED PAPERS -- that "sem assumes continuous variables and so is not appropriate in a model that contains a binary outcome"?
Thank you very much for your guidance
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Sunday, November 11, 2012 - 10:18 am
1. Yes. Put the variable on the CATEGORICAL list.
2. No. These treatments are identical.
3. No comment.
4. See the following paper which is available on the website:
Muth�n, B. (1984). A general structural equation model with dichotomous, ordered categorical, and continuous latent variable indicators. Psychometrika, 49, 115-132.
Pamela Medina
posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 - 7:23 am
Hello Dr. Muthen,
I have completed an SEM Model with a latent endogenous variable consisting of 7 binary indicators. When I ran the CFA (using WLSMV), the model fit statistics were not ideal (RMSEA .077, CFI .804, and TLI .715) even after using the modification indices to adjust the error terms. My sample size is 1,895.
Are the model fit statistics affected by the fact that all of the indicators are binary? Is it still appropriate for me to run the full SEM model even though my endogenous variable had a less than ideal fit?
Thank you in advance for your guidance.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 - 1:26 pm
Q1. The fit statistics are valid for binary indicators, that is, they are not worse because your indicator are binary.
Q2. No, I think you should first improve your 7-indicator model part.
Tyler Mason
posted on Thursday, September 24, 2015 - 11:49 am
I am running a structural equation model with a binary dependent variable. Thus, I am not able to get model fit indices. Would it be appropriate for me to run the model treating the dependent variable as continuous in order to get model fit indices? Then, when the model fit is deemed sufficient to run the model with the DV as categorical. I would report estimates for this model.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, September 24, 2015 - 5:20 pm
If you don't get model fit indices, you must be using maximum likelihood estimation where no absolute fit statistics are available with categorical outcomes. It would not be appropriate to report fit indices when the variables are treated as continuous. The WLSMV estimator does give fit statistics for your case.
Tyler Mason
posted on Friday, September 25, 2015 - 7:15 am
Thanks. I tried the WLSMV estimator and the model did not converge even after increasing the number of iterations. It is saying the a variable that is continuous may be dichotomous (it is actually continuous).
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Friday, September 25, 2015 - 8:01 am
Please send output, data, and license number to Support.
Marcel Paulssen
posted on Thursday, October 01, 2015 - 8:51 am
Dear Bengt, dear Linda,
you mentioned in one of your posts the following paper:
Muth�n, B., du Toit, S.H.C. & Spisic, D. (1997). Robust inference using weighted least squares and quadratic estimating equations in latent variable modeling with categorical and continuous outcomes. Accepted for publication in Psychometrika.
unfortunately I could not find it. Can you recommend others papers to justify WLSMV for binary dependent variables?
Thank you very much in advance!
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, October 01, 2015 - 6:41 pm
That paper is on our website under Papers, SEM.
There are also more applied papers that you find on our site.
Pankaj Singhi
posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2017 - 11:59 pm
I wanted to understand how does the functionality of SEM differ when we have variables on different scale types. So let say in one study all the variables are continuous, in another study all of them are binary and in another all of them are categorical. So how does SEM functionality differ. Does this change in variable scale also means that we need to look at different fit indices ?
Kindly help
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 - 2:24 pm
See our Topic 2 video and handout on our short course page.
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Rocker Courtney Love has yet to reconcile with her estranged daughter in person despite recently reconnecting via Twitter.com.
Musician was stripped of her parental rights to daughter Frances Bean Cobain in December, 2009 as Love battled substance abuse issues, and the child was placed under the temporary guardianship of her grandmother, Wendy O'Connor, and aunt, Kimberly Cobain.
Cobain, now 20, reached out to her mom online over Christmas to send her a seasonal greeting – and mother and daughter have been keeping in regular contact via email ever since, although the singer, who is based in New York, admits she has not visited Cobain at her home in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, during an appearance on "The View" on Thursday, Love revealed her daughter has received an offer to study at prestigious arts institution Bard College in New York.
She said, "My biggest wish for her, first of all, is that she's happy, and also that she goes to college because she's 20.
"She got into Bard and I don't care what college (she goes to), she could go to Santa Monica Community College, as long as she goes to college."
Frances Bean is Love's only child with her late husband Kurt Cobain.


text:
Gilles Simon, Michael Llodra advance to Montpellier quarterfinals
Michael Llodra of France had 13 aces and did not concede a break point, beating second-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-3, 7-6 (4) Thursday to reach the Open Sud de France quarterfinals.
Three other Frenchmen also advanced to the quarters: third-seeded Richard Gasquet, fourth-seeded Gilles Simon and sixth-seeded Julien Benneteau.
Llodra hit 20 winners in the first set and was the more aggressive player, displaying excellent volleying at the net. Tipsarevic saved two break points at 15-40 in the 11th game of the second set and then opened a 3-1 lead in the tiebreaker, but Llodra fought back and sealed victory with consecutive aces.
"My serve was good today and that helps on a quick surface like this," Llodra said. "There wasn't much in it, but I think I had more chances than him. I'm very happy to have won in straight sets."
Simon had 12 aces in a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win against qualifier Arnau Brugues-Davi. Simon next faces eighth-seeded Benoit Paire in an all-French match. Llodra plays Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic, who led 6-0, 4-2 against seventh-seeded Viktor Troicki when the Serb retired.
"He impressed me earlier," Llodra said. "The match is within my reach but all of these matches are tough."
Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine defeated Tatsuma Ito of Japan 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3) and will next face Jarkko Nieminen of Finland.
Gasquet will meet Benneteau in another all-French match after coming back from an error-strewn second set to beat compatriot Gael Monfils 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. Benneteau defeated Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-4, 6-4.


text:
Playing Musical Coats
This was the request made by a woman to the people running the BeggedYadLeYadUsedClothingCenter in Jerusalem. Her wish was granted and she walked out with the coat she liked, leaving the old one behind. Soon afterwards another customer entered with a similar request, and she ended up exchanging the coat she was wearing for the one that the previous customer had left behind.
As if this were not enough, a third lady came soon afterwards and exchanged her coat for the one that her predecessor had discarded. This lady, however, spiced her visit with a humorous accusation that the Gemach (the Hebrew term for a service such as this) was causing her trouble!
She went on to explain that when she went to a government office to plead for a reduction in taxes based on her economic plight the clerk remarked that the nice clothes she wore belied her plea of poverty. In response she told the clerk that she purchased her clothes for virtual pennies at the Gemach and they did not reflect her real financial situation.


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