text:
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Tomorrow's Headline Today?
Sales of New Homes Plummet
The 40% decline for 3-month period is sharpest in 15 years.
Thus reads the headline over a front page story in yesterday's Business Section of the Sacramento Bee, the daily chronicler of the economic and social activities in what had, up until several weeks ago, been one of the hottest real estate markets in the country.
As reported by Andrew LePage, a Bee Staff Writer:
Sales of new homes in the Sacramento region dropped 40 percent over the past three months compared with the same period last year, according to the local Building Industry Association.
It's the sharpest decline the group has seen for the August-October period since 1989-1990, when sales plunged nearly twice as much - 79 percent.
The most amusing aspect of the article, if there is one, is that, as explained in banner ads surrounding the story on the Bee website, "The Business Section is brought to you courtesy of Beazer Homes."
Beazer Homes is one of those aggressively expanding publicly traded homebuilders benefiting from the trees-grow-to-the-skies nature of the housing market.
Beazer's just-completed fourth quarter earnings reveal a $2.9 billion land and housing inventory, up from $2.3 billion in 2004 and a mere $630 million five years ago.
That 36% compound growth in Beazer's inventory might be one reason Sacramento in particular suddenly appears to be awash in housing, according to the Bee article:
The 1,388 new homes sold during the past three months marks the lowest total for the August-through-October stretch since 2001, reported the North State Building Industry Association. The group tracks roughly 55 percent of the new home subdivisions in the capital region and reports net sales - the number of escrows opened each month, minus any canceled deals.
Cancellations of pending home sales have spiked in recent months because more buyers, including investors, either got cold feet, couldn't qualify for a loan or couldn't sell another property fast enough, industry sources reported. Also, some builders insist they're strictly enforcing the anti-speculator clause in their sales contracts and will cancel deals if they learn a buyer is an investor, not a primary resident.
But Sacramento's slower resale market may be the biggest reason that sales of new homes are down so much.
"One of the drivers (of cancellations) is people not being able to sell the home they have for the price they expected to get for it," said John Orr, president of the local BIA. "On the resale side ... the sellers aren't in the bargaining position they once were."
But you wouldn't have gleaned a bit of this from Beazer's recent (November 2) earnings call. Asked about developments in the Sacramento region, Beazer CEO Ian McCarthy told Wall Street's Finest not to worry:
We are still seeing pricing power there. We are very focused in that market on being affordable. In fact, our whole strategy in California is making sure that we're affordable. We have not played in the very highest prices there in either Northern California and we are only in Sacramento.... I would say we're not seeing flattening, we're still seeing some price appreciation.
Mr. McCarthy ought to pick up a copy of yesterday's Bee, or access its web site (complete with Beazer's own banner ads) and check out the story, which goes on at some length:
Still, there's no disputing the pronounced cool-down in the new home market…. Greg Paquin, head of The Gregory Group, agreed that "it seems pricing may have gotten ahead of itself."…In addition, lenders are beginning to scrutinize loan applications more closely, meaning some marginally qualified borrowers now find it more difficult to use the most aggressive, riskiest forms of financing.
Builders have been using these increasingly lucrative incentives, such as $50,000 toward upgrades on higher-end homes, in lieu of lowering prices.
This last may explain the apparently gaping chasm between Beazer's optimism regarding Sacramento home prices, which are not "flattening," and the recent collapse in Sacramento home sales according to Sacramento's own Building Industry Association: the homebuilders have yet to cut prices.
As anybody on Wall Street knows, price follows volume. And volume in Sacramento is down.
Jeff Matthews
I Am Not Making This Up
© 2005 Jeff Matthews
The content contained in this blog represents the opinions of Mr. Matthews. Mr. Matthews also acts as an advisor and clients advised by Mr. Matthews may hold either long or short positions in securities of various companies discussed in the blog based upon Mr. Matthews' recommendations.
20 comments:
- Its_strange said...
PMI and NFI are suing each other. I'm thinking the facts of the case will tell alot.
- hundredyearstorm said...
This is from last Friday's Washington Post. Another one of the "hot" markets starting to turn.
Housing Market Cooling, Data Say
In Washington, Sales Are Down, Inventory Is Up
By Kirstin Downey and Sandra Fleishman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, November 11, 2005; A01
Lynn Edmonds and his wife, Sebnem, could barely wait to sign on the dotted line back in May when they committed themselves to pay $796,000 for a three-floor townhouse under construction in Alexandria's Cameron Station.
But since May, the sales prices for the development have fallen -- and units like the one the Edmonds bought are now being sold for $699,900. The Edmonds are facing the prospect of a $100,000 loss in value before they even walk through the front door.
"We blithely stepped into the contract, thinking it would hold its value -- but that's not the case," said Edmonds, 46, a program analyst and Air Force veteran. "I feel so stupid putting myself into it. It's real estate -- I knew on a theoretical basis that it might go up and it might go down, but now I know it on a practical level."
New data released yesterday show that in the past year, home sales in the Washington region have declined sharply, the inventory of unsold homes is up significantly, and prices have flattened and, in some cases, fallen.
The trend is most striking in Northern Virginia, where most of the region's growth has occurred, but it is evident almost everywhere. Statistics on home sales released by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc., the regional multiple-listing service, show that:
In the two counties and three cities that make up the Northern Virginia market, more than twice as many homes were available for sale in October as in the same month one year ago -- 7,122 homes, compared with 3,254 -- and sales are off 28 percent.
In the District, listings are up 62 percent and sales are down 28 percent.
In Montgomery County, listings are up 49 percent and sales are down 8 percent.
In Prince George's County, the listings are up 45 percent. But home sales have remained fairly stable, dropping only 2.6 percent.
The last time the region had this many houses for sale was the late 1990s, the MRIS figures show .
With housing supply higher and demand lower, prices have fallen from their summertime peaks -- though prices fluctuate every month and often decline in the fall because summer is the busiest home-buying season. Nevertheless, some slides are evident almost everywhere: In the District, the median price -- the point at which half the houses cost more and half cost less -- was $425,000 in October, down from a high in August of $435,088. In Fairfax County, the peak was in July, when the median price was $503,000; in October, it was $489,450. The peak in Montgomery County was also in July, when prices hit $460,000; the median price in October was $429,000.
The notable exception in the region was Prince George's County, where October's price was an all-time high of $315,000 -- possibly because demand, spurred by prices that are still less expensive than elsewhere in the region, has remained high.
The MRIS, which is jointly owned by the 25 local associations of Realtors, has been tracking home sales since the late 1990s, compiling its monthly figures from 72 counties in four states and the District. Its data mostly reflect sales of existing homes, since builders usually sell new developments themselves, rather than through real estate agents. But new-home sales are also faltering: Within the past two weeks, two of the biggest developers in the region, Toll Brothers Inc. and NVR Inc., have reported that their sales are slowing.
Many local real estate agents say the market is returning to normal. "We're rebounding in terms of evolving to something close to a balanced inventory," said David Howell, a past president of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors and executive vice president and managing broker at McEnearney Associates Inc. in McLean. He said the true aberration occurred from 2003 to early 2005, when the number of listings fell to record lows, causing what he called "unbelievable and untenable" increases in appreciation.
Howell and others point out that the Washington area is unlikely to experience a major decline in prices because of its continued job growth and the prevalence of government jobs, which tend to be more stable than private-sector employment. "We're the most insulated of any market in the country" from extreme price volatility, Howell said.
The slower market "is so much healthier, it really is," Susann H. Haskins, president of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors and a broker at Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. in Potomac. "It's a better balance between buyers and sellers."
Economist Gregory H. Leisch, chief executive of Delta Associates, an Alexandria-based real estate consulting firm, said consumers would benefit in the long run from the slowdown because house prices had been rising so quickly that the market was destabilized.
"The market is fatigued, and it should be taking a breather," Leisch said. "It's healthy that it takes a breather."
Housing experts say the slowdown is occurring for several reasons. In the past few months, a lot of homeowners put their places on the market speculatively, hoping to cash in, creating a surge in housing supply. Many investors, whether speculators or landlords, have done the same, either because they believe the market has peaked or because they cannot make enough money in rent to support the mortgages.
They are finding fewer buyers because the double-digit price appreciation of the past few years has priced many people out of the market. The recent rise in mortgage interest rates, which causes monthly payments to rise, adds to price pressures. And now, with fears that the market has peaked, more people are simply afraid to buy.
Meanwhile, new construction is inflating the housing supply, as condominium developers rush projects to market. According to a recent report by Delta Associates, 47,000 units in dozens of projects are hitting the local market in the next three years, which is about five times as many condo units as were sold last year.
Some real estate speculators are starting to feel burned by investments that have turned sour.
Merzad Ranjbaran, a real estate agent with Weichert Realtors in Bethesda, bought a one-bedroom condominium at 1150 K St. NW in the District a year ago at a pre-construction price, hoping to flip it quickly. But it has not sold. He said he will only break even on the sale, after taxes and other costs.
"The market is changing from a seller's market to a buyer's market," Ranjbaran said.
Real estate investor Andy Cabral has had a townhouse on the market at the Wheaton Metro station for 11 months, and though he has steadily dropped the price, it has not sold.
"It's now below the appraised value," Cabral said. "I'm really not happy."
His sister-in-law, Sandra Cabral, a real estate agent with Re/Max Pros in Kensington, puts it more succinctly: "He needs to get rid of it; it's an alligator eating all the money."
But she sees an upside to the situation, with good opportunities to make purchases cheaply in the future. "Within two or three years, there's going to be a whole lot of foreclosures, because with all of the interest-only loans, a whole lot of people don't realize that in two years their payments are going to go up."
Homeowners who want to sell, meanwhile, are drumming their fingers and waiting for buyers to knock on the door.
Violain Romans-Murray, 33, is sick of the long commutes from her four-bedroom home in Gainesville; it can take her husband three hours to get home from his job as a technical manager for General Dynamics Corp. in Fair Lakes. The couple put the house on the market last month for $589,900, hoping to buy a home closer to their jobs. But three weeks have passed, and only two buyers have even visited. When they sold their previous house in Centreville in 2002, it sold in five hours.
"Honestly, we're thinking we might pull it off the market," said Romans-Murray, a mother of three and special projects coordinator for a trade group based in Herndon. "It's scary."
But many would-be buyers have withdrawn from the real estate market, saying prices are just too high to consider making a purchase. Dan McGrath, an organizer for the Service Employees International Union, and his wife, Teresa, who works at the Environmental Protection Agency, have been married for four months, have a combined income of about $100,000 a year and would ordinarily be good candidates to become first-time homeowners. But the McGraths, who live in the District's Shaw neighborhood, have been shocked and repulsed by the prices for homes in the area, including the $400,000 price on one 800-square-foot studio they visited.
"We can't figure out who -- for the life of us -- would buy a place with two doors for $400,000," said McGrath, 28. "We want to think about a future but homeownership here is just not possible."
- DaleW said...
Do you have an investment opinion on Beazer then? I thought we're talking about investing here. By the way, you might highlight the fact that this survey may miss a lot of condos, which are growing as a proportion of residential real estate in Sacramento and aren't generally included in this survey. California real estate is much more volatile than the rest of the US because buyers generally use more leverage and finance at the shorter end of the yield curve. Both of those conditions make this market like the UK, where average home prices are 3x more volatile on a YoY basis, based on monthly observations, than US home prices. So, sure, Sacramento has been extremely hot and you're going to get market adjustments. Do you know what Beazer's lot weighting is in Sacramento? Do you know how they're positioned in other markets? You can find out via their website exactly where their inventory is. These national builders have as much in inventory in markets where prices have been very cool, such as Dallas, Denver, and Indianapolis, as they do in hot markets like California. The big difference? Turns and margins. In the slower markets, turns are higher and margins are lower. In the hot markets, margins are higher and turns are much lower. You get the same ROIC if those balance and the same cash flow.
As for Beazer's product strategy, do you know what it is? It's not McMansions (which I get sick of hearing from my colleagues on Wall Street because it's so damned haughty and derisive of other people's tastes) -- their average selling price is $255K, which is 25% below the average selling price of the large builders group. They sell large luxury houses, but for the most part they're selling the American dream to people. If anything, much more weakness has been seen in the upper end of the market while starter and first move-up product has been good across the country. Thus Beazer can see pricing power while the market in general is weak.
I disagree with the almost the entire thrust of this post. Real estate is local and strategies among builders can differ. I am long and bullish on these for numerous reasons, one of the main ones being that everything you have written over the last five months on these issues is in these stock prices and more.
- DaleW said...
This is from last Friday's Washington Post. Another one of the "hot" markets starting to turn.
I think we should really try to respect others' intellectual property -- posting articles wholesale just rips off others' work. I think a link to this article would be advisable.
- Its_strange said...
Wow ! I just read the Gradient / Rocker / Overstock piece by Carol Remond in the WSJ ...Overstock never filed those affidavits with the Ca. court ! ....i gotta tell ya...You lawyers are absurd ! ..All of you...!..The OSTK suit is totally absurd !!!! What is Gradient / Rocker lawyers doing playing grabass with them for ? Phil and Patrick have been making it up , have been lying about all parties for so long ...why are you people allowing these silly lawyers to play dumb court games with them ...JUST SUE THE LIARS !! ..Now !!
- Jeff Matthews said...
DaleW: I never said Beazer makes McMansions, nor did I imply it. The condo market in Sacramento is one of the problems there--condos supply is overwhelming demand, and there is a spillover effect on housing. (I did not include that discussion in my excerpt, but it is in the Bee article). Congratulations on being long the stocks--you are making money today.
- DaleW said...
You used the term "McMansion" yesterday in referring to new homes and you described the sector in monochromatic tones, ergo I assumed you believe they all put up McMansions. Not that I care since I don't have a new house, but I try to identify with the consumer's experience with companies in which I invest instead of projecting from my more narrow personal viewpoint and tastes. I'm sure few who live in such houses really would like to refer to them as McMansions.
The condo market in Sacramento is one of the problems there--condos supply is overwhelming demand, and there is a spillover effect on housing. (I did not include that discussion in my excerpt, but it is in the Bee article).
Maybe I have a reading comprehension problem, but my takeaway from that article was totally different from yours. It makes no such mention of over-supply -- it says condos make up seven more percentage points of share last year and that many condo builders are not members of the builders association that compiles the market statistics. That builders association says this under-reporting of condo sales plus growth in market share may overstate the decline in the market.
- DaleW said...
Congratulations on being long the stocks--you are making money today.
Thank you, by the way. Given my investment time horizon is 3-5 years, however, I am nearly indifferent on what happened today. As I would like to buy more and I have cash, I would prefer prices to go down. I think lower prices and more articles like the Bee's will actually push managements to buy back stock rather than dirt. The latter is my preferred use of capital at this point.
- Counter Trey said...
"...As anybody on Wall Street knows, price follows volume. And volume in Sacramento is down..."
C'mon, Jeff. You know better than to use this throwaway.
In residential development, NIMBY regulations can also have a big impact on volume, but their impact on prices are the opposite of what you suggest here. NIMBY regs do nothing to quell demand, just supply, and that is a big reason for the price increases we've seen in the housing market.
- Aaron Koral said...
Hi dalew - While I understand your viewpoint about the "value" imbedded in the prices of homebuilder's common stocks, I think you might be missing Jeff's point about management credibility
(Jeff, if I'm wrong in my interpretation of your comments, just let me know!)
The point I took away from Jeff's comment is that, while the sales of new homes has declined in Sacramento from the article, you would not have gotten that impression from Beazer's management team on that 11/02/2005 conference call.
Management credibility is, in my opinion, an important, if not the most important, factor in deciding whether to invest in common stock (outside of price, of course) of a publicly traded company.
If the management of a publicly traded company is telling you one thing, and yet, when you look around in your own neck of the woods, or do some of your own "research" to validate management's claims, their claims come up short, naturally, one would tend to ask why is the management of a publicly traded company "talkin' out the side of their neck" - in short, what is their motive as a constituency against other investors - raise their share price, anybody?
(My apologies to all in using the title of a not-so-bad Cameo song when talking about management credibility - and, as always, I could be wrong in my opinion.)
- DaleW said...
The point I took away from Jeff's comment is that, while the sales of new homes has declined in Sacramento from the article, you would not have gotten that impression from Beazer's management team on that 11/02/2005 conference call.
Well, perhaps Jeff is right and perhaps he is wrong. Beazer can be correct in saying they are seeing pricing power in their market segment while pricing overall is down. You could say today equities haven't been all that great over the last couple years and get a nod of agreement from the large cap investor and disagreement from the small- and midcap investor. It's not the same in every market and every subsegment of every market across the country. This really is a market by market business. So I think we should be careful about levying charges of duplicity against managements until we understand very well the dynamics we purport to understand.
- Its_strange said...
Has anyone ever read what Gradient had to say about OSTK ? I'm surprised it hasn't made its way to the internet .
I recall David Rocker asking Patrick how he knows they were short on a conference call some time ago. Now when i read those affadavits weren't filed with the Ca. court i'm starting to think those ex-Gradient people might have been talking with Patrick long ago. They might have told Patrick. This is beyond goofy and the whole system should be ashamed.
The short case is OSTK's income statement and balance sheet . Rocker and Gredient were handed the suit on a silver plater with Patricks and Bob's behavior and the street knows it . They were figuring on a counter suit with serious documentation. They got nothing. Gradiant and Rocker look weak.
But did OSTK really want to sue Gradient and Rocker ? Hmmmm
- Its_strange said...
Isn't this largely a self regulated business ? Why don't the serious / legit short funds chip in and get to the bottom of this naked shorting stuff ? They certainly are fooling themselves if the think NCANS wants to . Chip in a few dollars and get the job done . Patrick and NCANS are about self promotion , let the real shorts stomp out the naked stuff
And please if you are a lawyer would you warn me first so i can just skip over your comments
- henrymurfey said...
The spirited quality of the observations and opinions regarding real estate make me infer that, for some, there is a conundrum in the real estate market to go along with the one in the bond and note markets.
Could U.S. real estate have gone international on the demand side of the equation? Is U.S. real estate increasingly being used as a hedge rather than as an investment for the buyers' physical shelter usage?
If the nature of the market forces has shifted, becoming a part of international financial strategy, could not the softness be merely "the bull flicking away flies with its tail" (shades of the mid 1900's!)
- Its_strange said...
The stock market is at high . Wallstreet is giving big Xmas bonus money . Job market seems very good for those with the right skills and education . Yet only the high end of the housing market is getting hurt ? I don't buy it.
Gradient..why don't you guys just go right to discovery and do it live on CNBC...Do it right now. Its time to show these stock squeezers the value of the truth
- Its_strange said...
Dow Jones said the affidavits were NOT filed with the OSTK suit but the Salt Lake paper says they were . What is it ?
- Its_strange said...
Rocker's lawyer issued a press release in response to Patricks nonsense but the release didn't go anywhere . Its not on yahoo or any other place that i can find. A message board poster had to post it. What can i tell ya ?
I have had enough. I'm headed to the Market Basket in Franklin Lakes NJ for a Pastrmi on rye and a Boylan's rootbeer . Have a good weekend
- Its_strange said...
I see Bottle King has Boylan's for $2.99 a 4 pack. Thats the best price i have found. Not bad .
- William said...
Keep up the good work and continue posting great information. I have a website that I think you will find of particular interest.
real estate training
- William said...
Job well done, very informative blog, I look forward to your updates. I have a website I think you would enjoy.
prudential real estate


text:
-Added new hero: Pandaren Fire Master.
A powerful sorcerer known as The Oracle, has offer you a mission to protect an icy artifact found in the middle of Icecrown Glacier, guarded by a mysterious force. Now, they're coming to destroy the artifact, preventing it from being taken. If you success, The Oracle will fulfill your wishes and reveal your future.
But the story isn't that simple...
- Based on Dota 2's Wraith-Night.
- This map's just like any typical Hero Defense maps: you chose a hero, set up a team and defend your main base from waves of enemies, kill them and get gold,
power up your Hero to stand against them.
- I love the Wraith-Night mode. So I decided to convert it to Warcraft III version.
- Total 40 heroes, 95 custom spells, 45 types of creeps, and over 40 buildable items.
- Gold is earned from collecting gold coins, which will droped from enemies when killed. Gold coin's value is shared equally to all players.
- Your Hero's health and mana will be refilled at the end of a round.
- Towers will respawn every time a new round starts.
- The final round is based on World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King cinematic.
Download: Frostnight v6.2 + AI.w3x

subset: commoncrawl


text:
your bag
Your bag is empty.
Fashion labels, cult classics and fresh finds - we've got them all.
Australian Clothing Brands are the ones to watch. Our very own homegrown heroes are making their mark on home turf and internationally. Think Alex Perry, Sass and Bide and more. And, you'll find the latest styles and trends all right here on ARCHFASHION.
Online Shopping for labels like Bec and Bridge, Alice McCall, Sass and Bide, Superdry, Maurie and Eve and many many more.


text: Online UK Trading Software is used to display the prices of stocks, futures or currencies to a trader. Since central exchanges do not wish to supply data to millions of individuals requesting it, exchanges make their price feed available to an aggregation company. This data is charted and displayed to the trader who can than execute trades based on that data. The UK Trading Software here is offered under the SaaS (Software as a Service) model, meaning that the software is web based, hosted on the Cloud and can be accessed when needed through a client or web browser. If you're looking for similar online software like UK Trading Software, consider our Revenue Cycle Management or Purchasing Software categories.


text:
Wanted to take the tram up and get to the top of Marion Mtn.. The plan is to take Tram Trail to Wellman Divide Jct and start finding a way up from there angling slightly west and south as we go up.
From other trip reports and google earth looks like a lot of brush (manzanita?) on the east side where we want to go up. Though there seems to be a bit less in a small ravine if you make a left at Wellman trail jct. If I was as proficient as HJ I would post a map. But I hope I'm explaining myself well enough.
Other than looping around to the back near deer springs, does anyone have any experince going straight up from Wellman divide and missing the brush?


text:
Twins hammer White Sox in series opener
Minneapolis, MN – Justin Morneau went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and four RBI and Aaron Hicks added a pair of solo homers and scored three times as the Minnesota Twins cruised to a 10-3 win over the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game set at Target Field.
Trevor Plouffe added two RBI, while Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit finished with one RBI apiece for the Twins, winners in five of their last seven games.
"I have confidence in our guys to hit the baseball. We still have a couple guys that aren't all the way there yet, but it was a pick-us-up kind of night for a lot of guys," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
Pedro Hernandez (2-0) gave up three runs on six hits while striking out four over 5 1/3 innings to earn the win.
Alex Rios doubled and drove in a pair and Dayan Viciedo knocked in a run for the White Sox, who went a dreadful 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Hector Santiago (1-2) surrendered six runs -- three earned -- on eight hits over 5 2/3 frames to absorb the loss.
"I had a few pitches that could have been a little better, and I left some pitches in the zone. It was one of those games. You try to make pitches and get out of stuff, it just goes the opposite way," Santiago said.
Chicago has dropped three of its last four games.
The White Sox scored a pair of runs in the first inning. Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez opened the game with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Rios followed with a double off the wall in left field to score De Aza. Viciedo then lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center field, scoring Ramirez without a throw.
Minnesota scored four runs in the third and never looked back. With the bases loaded and one out, Morneau laced a grounder to Ramirez to the left side of second base. Ramirez took two steps to his left to field what appeared to be a tailor-made double play, but couldn't field the ball cleanly, allowing Pedro Florimon to score. A Doumit sacrifice fly, followed by Plouffe's two-run double gave the hosts a two-run edge.
Hicks opened the fourth inning with a homer to center to put the Twins on top 5-2.
The White Sox added a run in the sixth inning. With runners on second and third, Rios grounded out to second, but it was enough to score De Aza.
Hicks, though, added his second homer of the day in the sixth to give Minnesota a 6-3 lead.
The Twins added four runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach. Willingham drew a bases-loaded walk and Morneau followed with a bases-clearing double to center field to cap the scoring.
Game Notes
Twins catcher Joe Mauer finished the game 1-for-2 with three walks and two runs scored to extend his hit streak to 12 games ... The Twins went 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position ... Minnesota is 3-0 against the White Sox this season and holds a 423-383-3 lead in the all-time series ... Chicago is 7-12 on the road this season.


text:
AARP's commitment to volunteer service first grew from… Read More »
AARP members and friends are working to make McDonough more livable for people of all ages, improve health care quality, and protect consumers from fraud and scams.
Find an opportunity near you »
Do you have 4 hours per month to make a positive difference in the life of a foster child? The Foster Care Support Foundation's Hope 4 Tomorrow (H4T) Mentoring Program is seeking caring volunteers to... Read More »
Help United Through Caring Hands, Inc governs the overall execution of the organizationメs mission. Principally, the board manages organizational finances and sets long term priorities for programs,... Read More »
We are looking for volunteers to help with our youth anti-bullying campaign for Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Month. There are multiple areas that help is needed. Most of the volunteering will... Read More »
Simply by using your vehicle you can save animals -Volunteer your time to transport animals along what is called a "Rescue Relay Transport". Each week there are hundreds of animal... Read More »
These volunteer listings are provided by AARP's Create the Good. Visit Create The Good to search more volunteer opportunities or post your own opportunity.
Find ways to help directly in the McDonough area, whether you have 5 minutes, 5 hours or 5 days to give. Read More »
Wednesday, Jul 3, 2019 at 9:00am
Mason Mill Park
Decatur, GA
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 9:00am
Mason Mill Park
Decatur, GA
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2019 at 9:00am
Mason Mill Park
Decatur, GA


text:
This new show is so awesomely bad that it deserves a drinking game.
1 Drink – Every Time There is slow motion.
1 Drink – Blood or blood splatter
Finish Drink – Per Decapitation
Do a Dance – sex scene, they bump and grind, you bump and grind.
Do a Dance – For bad dialogue, celebrate that crappy writing.
Other optional gaming rules (If you really want to get
1 Drink – every time someone talks of revenge or wanting someone's blood/death.
1 Drink – every time the CG looks uber fake.
For the trailer alone, you should have taken at least 30 drinks and shaken your booty around a dozen times. Enjoy responsibly.


text:
We have added one more popular category to our gallery – "Tax". On this tax landing page design category you can see various types of tax html landing pages like tax advice service, tax relief service, tax consulting service, income tax return, professional tax files etc.
We design our landing pages by keep in mind it's conversion. So each design element like tag line, lead capture form, call to action button are clean, visually appealing and attractive.
Use our conversion centered professional tax landing page to gather leads for your tax consultations professional business services.
Below is an examples of American's online tax in advance business service:
American's online advance tax service lead gen landing page design templates
Continue reading Tax landing page design added to buylpdesign


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
I was looking for other avenues to engage our readers.
The first thing I thought of was a live chat. Email is great, but I love being able to talk with readers instantly, getting you answers quickly.
Check out the first of what I hope are many online chats, with Grand Stamm — LIVE taking place at 2 p.m. tomorrow at oldhamera.com.
As many of you know, I chose the name Grand Stamm, for my column, about my thoughts and experiences. Think of the chat as an online extension of that, but with your input.
I want to talk sports of any kind with readers, from Oldham County sports to the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville and my alum, Western Kentucky University (Go Tops!).
As sports editor of The Oldham Era, I strive to stay on top of any sports happenings in Oldham County and I appreciate those who have reached out to me with information, story ideas and comments. Without you, I wouldn't have unearthed some great stories I've been able to cover.
Keep 'em coming!
The new interactive chat, Grand Stamm—LIVE as I'm calling it, is another way for you to let me know about events, get questions answered and tell me how I'm doing. Good or bad.
I'll also be having a special guest join us on the chat each week to give us even more insight. I'm asking for more input on potential guests as well.
For tomorrow's first Grand Stamm—LIVE, I'll be having on Kevin Combs, Oldham County High School athletic director. He'll be available to answer your questions and add valuable input to our discussion. I'm very appreciative for him agreeing to join us.
I hope this is the start of what will be a well-known weekly chat and look forward to seeing as many of you online tomorrow at 2 p.m.
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story


text:
IDA Documentary Screening Series 2013
International Documentary Association
The IDA Documentary Screening Series brings some of the year's best documentary films to the IDA community and members of industry guilds and organizations, from September 2013 through January 2014. Screenings are held at the Landmark Theater located at 10850 W. Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064.
Screenings will conclude with a moderated Q&A with the filmmakers. Moderators will include Dana Harris of Indiewire, Matt Holzman of KCRW and Jon Wiener of The Nation.
Check in for all guests will begin 1 hour before the screening starts. Seating priority will be given to members of IDA, Guilds, and industry organizations who show their valid member cards at check in. You must show your organization membership card when you check in at the screening to access priority seating. Eligible organizations include: IDA, AMPAS, ATAS, DGA, WGA, PGA, FIND, ACE, BAFTA, BFCA, MPSE. Seating for non-industry affiliated guests will begin 20 minutes before the screening starts.
An RSVP does not guarantee admission.
Parking is free for the first three hours, and $3 for an additional three hours with validation.
Children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
Schedule and programming subject to change.
Please note that cameras and recording devices are NOT allowed into the theater at anytime. While attending the film and Q&A, we ask that all smart phones be turned off. You may be asked to leave the theater if found with a recording device.
For any questions about the IDA Documentary Screening Series, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Founded in 1982, the International Documentary Association (IDA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that promotes nonfiction filmmakers, and is dedicated to increasing public awareness for the documentary genre. Our major program areas are: Advocacy, Filmmaker Services, Education, and Public Programs and Events.
Join millions of people on Eventbrite.
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.


text:
Orlando, FL. LATINA Style Business Series
Thursday, May 15, 2014 From 8:00am to 4:00pm
Location: Disney's BoardWalk at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida 2101 Epcot Resorts Blvd, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
The LATINA Style Business Series honors Wilfredo J. Gonzalez as the 2014 Orlando Founders Award Recipient
Wilfredo J. Gonzalez
District Director
U.S. Small Business Administration
Wilfredo J. Gonzalez was appointed director of the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) North Florida District Office in December 1996. As district director, Mr. Gonzalez is responsible for directing the activities of a federal government staff in support of small businesses in a 43 county area of northern Florida
Before accepting his position at the North Florida District Office, Mr. Gonzalez was district director of the SBA's Washington, D.C. district. Prior to joining the SBA in May 1994, he held the position of regional director with the Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency in Atlanta, Georgia. He has also served as director of business development and as a government marketing consultant in the private sector, as the staff director with the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, and as associate director of EEO and Civil Rights with the U. S. Department of State.
From 1985 through 1988, Mr. Gonzalez held the position of associate administrator for Minority Small Business and Capital Ownership Development (MSB&COD) at the SBA, National Office in Washington, D.C. Entering the Federal Government as an HEW Fellow in 1976, he subsequently served as special assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Labor; country director of the Peace Corps in Ghana, West Africa; chief of operations for Peace Corps' Latin America Region and deputy director of the Peace Corps in Bogota, Colombia.
Mr. Gonzalez's educational background includes a B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico (Magna Cum Laude) and studies at both the University of Puerto Rico Law School and Baruch Graduate School of Public Administration in New York. He also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass and the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA.
Mr. Gonzalez is currently a member of the Regional Community Institute (RCI) of Northeast Florida, Inc., the Board of Directors for the Police Athletic League (PAL), the Sports & Entertainment Commission, the Board of the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, the North Florida Hispanic Leadership Alliance and the SBDC Advisory Council, Mr. Gonzalez previously served on the Board of Trustees of the University of North Florida, the Citizens Forum of the Florida Bar, the Judicial Nominating Commission for the 4th Judicial District, the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity (HABIJAX), the Board of Directors of the National Council on Community and Justice, the Jacksonville Mayor's Hispanic American Advisory Board, the Florida State Advisory Committee for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the oversight committee for the Better Jacksonville Plan.
Mr. Gonzalez is a Veteran of the United States Navy. He and his wife, Rocelia, are the parents of three children and reside in Jacksonville.


text:
D&E Industries Revisited
Four years ago, in my first column for Modern Machine Shop, I wrote about a long time friend of mine, Jack Klim. Jack is president of D&E Industries in my hometown, Huntington, West Virginia.
Four years ago, in my first column for Modern Machine Shop, I wrote about a long time friend of mine, Jack Klim. Jack is president of D&E Industries in my hometown, Huntington, West Virginia. Their major product is the manufacture of truck and trailer brake cams.
Since 1987 they've produced some 10 million of these camshafts. I worked for Jack one summer during college. In those old days, we made drill steel for the coal mines. Well, that industry isn't what it used to be, which is why Jack got into supplying the trucking industry.
That production switch-over, from mining to transportation, was the topic of that first column. It almost put them out of business. Back then, Jack's company had just been nominated as the comeback business of the year by Inc. Magazine, Merrill Lynch and accountants Ernst and Young.
Comeback they did. Business is good for D&E. My dad sent me a clipping from my hometown paper. It was about Jack's recent trip to South Africa. The purpose of the trip was to extend D&E's already international customer base to a new continent.
So now Jack is making truck and trailer brake cams for South Africa. When I worked for Jack, Paducah, Kentucky, was home for D&E's most far flung customer. Now there's business coming in from Mexico, Canada, the UK, and Europe.
That's the point of this column. Not only has D&E moved away from the edge of business oblivion by changing its manufacturing base, they found a way to sustain growth by finding new markets. It's a key survival technique available to every shop. By going global, the vagaries of up and down local market conditions smooth out. Having a broad base of customers, is insurance that when one market is down another is up.
Global communication is the enabling technology for companies like D&E to find and sustain new markets. Thanks to internet and other communication innovations available now, Jack can sit in his West Virginia office and do business with the world.
Globalization is not a big business only club. D&E has 70 employees. Being competitive and willing are about the only dues necessary to join.


text:
Women in engineering and computing
The Faculty of Engineering has a strong commitment to supporting women in engineering and computing and this is reflected in the number of female academics and students working and studying within the Faculty.
Over 20% of staff and students in the Faculty are female, and over the past five years our actions have resulted in positive changes in a number of areas including:
- A significant increase in the proportion of female MSc and PhD students in the Faculty; almost 30% of our PhD students are female
- The number of female professors has increased from 5 (8%) to 11 (16%), which is well above the national average
- We have female staff in senior management positions and have female representation on every significant decision making committee in the Faculty
- We have launched a successful student led Women's Engineering Society.
Read our silver award submission and action plan.
Athena SWAN Charter
The Faculty of Engineering has received a prestigious Athena SWAN Silver Award from the Equality Challenge Unit, the national body that promotes equality in the higher education sector. The Silver Award is given in recognition of the strong and continued commitment to gender equality in the Faculty and reflects the significant progress made over the past five years.
We are only the second university in the whole of the UK to receive a Silver Award for all engineering and computing departments.
The award represents the combined efforts of all five schools in the Faculty and has been awarded only two and a half years after achieving the first stage Bronze Award. The Silver Award demonstrates that the Faculty has taken positive actions to ensure that policies, processes and ethos all promote an equal and inclusive environment for work and study.
You can find out more about our current staff and their career journeys in our staff profiles booklet, Footsteps: A Journey In Science.
Women of Achievement
Several members of staff in the Faculty have received University of Leeds Women of Achievement awards, recognising their substantial achievements and commitment in their field and to the University:
- Professor Anne Neville, School of Mechanical Engineering
- Professor Denise Bower, School of Civil Engineering
- Professor Jenny Jones, School of Chemical and Process Engineering
- Professor Ruth Wilcox, School of Mechanical Engineering
- Professor Cath Noakes, School of Civil Engineering
Women at Leeds Network (WaLN)
As part of the University's support for women there is an active network, WaLN for all female staff and postgraduate students. The network runs monthly lunchtime meetings, evening events and supports an annual conference to bring together female colleagues from across disciplines.
Meetings cover a range of topics including invited speakers who share their experiences, career development such as fellowships and promotions, maternity leave and work-life balance and personal development such as confidence, mindfulness, unconscious bias.
Student Women's Engineering Society
There is a student led society in the Faculty of Engineering, an affiliated student group of the Women's Engineering Society, who aim to strengthen the link between female students by providing an exciting range of events to network.
Equality and Inclusion
We have a range of family friendly policies including generous maternity and paternity leave and offer policies to support work life balance. The University's equality and inclusion webpage provides more information.
Useful links
Listed below are some organisations, which have been set up specifically to offer advice and guidance to women considering a future career in engineering:


text:
Fri, 6 November 2009
Shushannah Walshe and Scott Conroy give us a taste of "Sarah From Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar"... Reaction to Ft Hood jihad attack. Robert Merry talks about "A Country of Vast Designs"...a look at the history of President James K Polk.
Direct download: mickelson-2009-11-06.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:08am CDT


text:
Barndoor for StripLight
Barndoors are great for flagging off light and to control the light spread precisely without changing the light characteristics. The two barndoors can be adjusted individually.
The Barndoor for StripLight is offered in three variants – S, M and L.
Barndoor for StripLight S Used to control and flag off light from the StripLights
Product number: 100742
Profoto StripLights are special effect lights that provide a long and narrow light source with a subtle fall-off. They are often used with the optional barndoors to create perfectly even highlights with sharp outlines. This combination is especially popular among car photographers wanting perfectly even yet razor sharp reflections in the car body.
- Controls and flags off light.
- Two individually controlled barndoors.
- High quality.
- Used with the StripLights S, M and L.


text:
Write an iPad application using xcode
Orçamento £250-750 GBP
I have a project that is due in 40 hours and i am really stuck, i cannot work at it because i am busy with other things. i only need 50% of it complete.
70 freelancers estão ofertando em média £580 para esse trabalho
Ready to start work right away ——— Hello Sir, We are Dignizant Technologies from India and we have expertise in various skills like iPhone/iPad (Swift3, Objective-C), Android, Designing and Web Development, Mais
Dear, client. How are you today? I'm so interested in working on your project as a developer who has good experience in this field and am fully capable of giving you high quality product that will help you grow you Mais
Hi My name is XinZhe, a senior iOS and Android app developer with 6+ years experiences. I've read your description and get to know that you need to complete your iPad app. I felt a strong interest in your job, since Mais
(From the makers of Vivino & Dah Makan) Hi, I hope you are doing well, We are 7 year young rapidly growing Mobile App Development Company based out of New Jersey, USA, Gold coast, Australia & Pune, India. Mais
Dear sir. I am a professional mobile app & web developer with 7+ years rich experience. I would like to work on your project and deliver the project. I have developed many applications such as social dating, shoppi Mais
How are you? I had read your job description carefully. I believe that I can do this job well. Because I have follow skill and experience to build your product. - Object C and Swift - Jave and javascript Mais
How are you today? I am a full time mobile developer with 5+ good experience I can start your project from now on if we meet agreement. Please contact me for discussion, i am always ready to discuss about your proj Mais
Nice to meet you. My name is Bryan Valencia. I am Mobile app(Android, iOS, Backend) developer who has a great experience. I would provide the Best Product and offer good service until you are satisfied with my work. Mais
Hello. Please look at my freelancer profile. https://www.freelancer.com/u/jinthreek89.html I have developed many mobile apps and backend for 7 years so far. I have java, objective-c, swift and c# skills for mob Mais
Hi Thanks for your valuable time. :-) Please check below points : 1. I have a project that is due in 40 hours and i am really stuck, i cannot work at it because i am busy with other things. i only need 50% of Mais
How are you? I am a Mobile & Web developer who have 10 years experience of program develop and 5 + years in mobile. My main skill is social I am interested in your idea . please let me know when you are free f Mais
Hello, I have 6 years of experienced on mobile application and development web services I have gone through your project requirement specification and as per my previous experience with this I am capable to do thi Mais
Hello Sir, First of all, we would like to tell you how we will initialize the project with you Please have a look at our portfolio for Mobile App and Unity Game based projects: [login to view URL] Mais
***** iPhone | iPad | Android | FireBase | Swift3 | ObjectC | NodeJs | Ruby | Cordova ***** I have these skills under my belt. - this is my previous developed Dating app Screenshot. [login to view URL] http Mais


text:
Lost: Dog tags.
Name: Pat Tillman.
If anyone knows of the whereabouts of two dog tags that once adorned the neck of a former NFL star who was killed while fighting for his country in Afghanistan, please come forward.
His former team, the Arizona Cardinals, play Sunday in the Super Bowl
His former Cardinals roommate, Zack Walz, is desperate to wear them again.
Walz was given the tags by Tillman as a gift shortly before his death. With trembling hands, he held them aloft during his eulogy at Tillman's nationally televised memorial service.
Several months later, he says, they were ripped from his neck.
"The tags were yanked off in a crowded bar, I don't know how it happened, I was devastated for a long, long time," Walz said. "I blame myself, and I would do anything to get them back."
He has advertised on Craigslist, he has offered money on EBay, yet nobody has responded, and a nagging fear is becoming real.
If somebody doesn't return them this week, with Tillman's team on a national stage for the first time in history, will they ever?
"If anybody out there has them, no questions asked, please, I want them back," Walz said. "We're not talking about some football player here. We're talking about something much, much bigger."
Lost: Memories
Name: Pat Tillman
This is a story not only about a missing tag, but a missing legacy.
The Super Bowl is here, but any mention of the most nationally beloved alumnus of either team is not.
Pat Tillman played for the Arizona Cardinals from 1998 through 2001, yet, as you watch the Cardinals play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, you might never know it.
The NFL loves to wrap itself in the flag, yet the league has no plans to remember him.
The Cardinals have a statue and reflecting pool dedicated to Tillman outside their stadium, but nothing on their jerseys.
Tillman's foundation has no knowledge of any involvement. A Tillman family member said he was unsure of any family plans to attend.
An NFL spokesman said there may be something about Tillman on the NBC television broadcast, but there were no guarantees.
"I just think there's some missed opportunities there," said Walz, a linebacker who was Tillman's training camp and road roommate during their four-year Cardinals career. "Given what Pat represented, you would think they would do something."
In walking away from football and a multimillion-dollar contract at the height of his career to join the Army, he represented the ultimate patriot.
In agreeing to two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, he represented the ultimate veteran of all wars.
In dying in Afghanistan in April 2004 by "friendly fire," he represented the horrors of those wars.
Because Tillman embodied the best of the human spirit, many forget that he also once represented the worst of pro football franchises.
The Cardinals were 25-39 during his four years there, even with one trip to the playoffs. One season they won three games. Another season, their defense was ranked 30th out of 31 teams.
The Cardinals were considered so awful, when Tillman stunned the nation by walking away from the game to join the Army, one notable player said he couldn't have been that good anyway.
"He was good enough to play in Arizona, but that's just like the XFL," linebacker Simeon Rice said.
The Cardinals weren't great, certainly, but Tillman was the model for what made them great today.
In turning down a $9-million offer from the St. Louis Rams to stay in Arizona, he was the first Cardinal in recorded history to show loyalty to a franchise that wouldn't pay him half as much.
With his flowing blonde hair and a nonstop motor that led him to become an All-Pro safety, he was one of the first Cardinals to show the fire that all of them show today.
"There might be only 16,000 fans there, but, man, they all loved him, and he loved them," said Walz, who still lives in the Phoenix area. "There weren't many fans, but he could get them standing faster than anyone I've seen."
Yet, typically, it was in the shadows that Tillman made his biggest mark.
Once, when they were both Cardinals rookies, Walz was taped to the goal post by the hazing veterans. After Walz stood there in 100-degree heat for 10 long minutes, Tillman walked out to rescue him.
"He walked past all the veterans who warned him not to touch me," Walz said. "But he just kept walking."
Tillman cut the tape and freed his friend and the veterans never did anything about it.
His toughness became further evident during the afternoon of one of his first training camps in Flagstaff, Ariz. While most of the players were resting before the evening workouts, he was outside running through an ROTC obstacle course.
Then there was the time he was helped from the field because of an ankle injury that would require him to sit out as much as a month.
"Later that week, we saw him alone on one of the practice fields trying to sprint and cut," said Walz, pausing. "While wearing an ankle boot."
Tillman thought as eccentrically as he played. During training camp he could be found reading a book while sitting in a tree. During the season, he studied his playbook at an Irish pub.
"We all knew he was just a different kind of person," Walz said. "We all knew he was special."
Walz was driving through Phoenix in the spring of 2002 when he realized just how special. It was 8 a.m., and Tillman was on the phone with some news.
"He told me he was going to leave football and join the Army," Walz said. "I cannot put into words how I felt when I heard that. But I know I felt small."
Tillman, who once said he had been angered and inspired by 9/11, shunned publicity and virtually disappeared into the U.S. Army Rangers.
It wasn't until about a year and a half later that Walz, who has since retired, saw him again. He was in San Jose visiting family when he was literally tackled in the bar by another local kid.
"I got up ready to fight, and then I realized it was Pat," Walz said.
Tillman was home from a first tour in Iraq, he was still only 27, and he had been offered millions of dollars from NFL teams confident he could be discharged early. But he refused to leave the Army before the end of his three-year commitment.
"He said he had to stay," Walz said. "That's when I asked for his dog tags."
Tillman mailed Walz an extra set of the tags, then was deployed to Afghanistan, where, on April 22, 2004, while on patrol, he was killed by gunfire from a U.S. weapon.
The government didn't admit this at first, engaging in a lengthy cover-up, telling the press that Tillman was killed fighting the enemy, engaging in lies that became a centerpiece of the war resistance movement.
But none of this touched the memory of Tillman's sacrifice, the results of which will be evident again Sunday when his former team and its opponent will feel safe enough to run onto an outdoor field and compete in this country's biggest sporting event.
There is a chance if Tillman were still alive, he could be playing in this Super Bowl, a 32-year-old raging special teams star finally being rewarded for his Cardinals devotion.
"He'd be everywhere, he'd make a big play in that game, you know that," Walz said.
In his absence during Super Bowl week, it would be fitting if the football writers would elect Tillman into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After all, a group including everything that is wrong about sports -- O.J. Simpson -- should also be big enough for everything that is right.
Barring that, it would be great if Zack Walz would just get his dog tags back.
"Nothing for Pat was ever out of the question, nothing was ever out of reach," Walz said. "He would have been so proud of his Cardinals."


text:
Posted on November 21, 2013
Registering with NLG is straightforward. You can start the online process right here, right now.
Alternatively, please feel free to call us or contact us through the email form.
Start the online process right here, right now.Register Now
Interested in working with NLG?
01482 60 60 40 (Opt 1)
Find answers to the questions we get asked the most.
Already registered?
Sign in using any device.