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Posts Tagged 'Meena Iyer'
WHERE ARE THE ROLES? Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu, Sonam and (above) Vidya Balan
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 5, 2010)
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 4, 2010)
Like a cat that has swallowed the cream, Kareena smacked her luscious lips and said, "There I was licking my wounds when God above answered my prayers. Honestly, I'm delirious. To think that I started 2009 with a whimper and ended it with a bang. Someone up there heard me.''
Just before she set off on a tour of England with Saif Ali Khan, the incorrigible Bebo said, "2010 has a lot of promise. I sincerely wish the Midas touch continues. I'll start the year with my idol, Shah Rukh Khan, with whom I'm travelling to Miami for RA 1. Then I'm going to be traipsing the globe with Saif in Agent Vinod. And, if Aamir keeps up his promise to me, the two of us will end up in a romantic film by the end of the year.'' Jumping like a child, she asked, "Listen, is it wrong to love more than one Khan at a time? I'm guilty of just that. Shah Rukh and Gauri are my close friends. I love Saifu. And as for Aamir, well, what can I say? He's the new Khan on my block.''
Gamely she takes the blame for her duds. She knows the critics dipped their pens in poison when she did KI and MAMK. "My funda is simple,'' said Bebo. "Actors should be like scientists, always willing to experiment. I experimented and I failed. That doesn't take away from my acting abilities. If I don't experiment, the same guys will write — she's a plastic doll on screen. One does take chances with one's roles and if the films fail, I'm more heartbroken than anyone else. Don't forget films are all I live for. I give my films everything I have. So failure does affect me. But to write me off each time I have a flop is unfair.''
Maybe, but that's the way things in Bollywood work. One Friday you're a handmaiden, the next Friday you're the Queen. And, if you're lucky, you can get an extended lease at the box-office. Like Bebo just managed. email@example.com
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 3, 2010)
The fortunate few who have already heard the track sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shankar Mahadevan and Richa Sharma say it holds the promise of becoming the anthem of 2010. Karan Johar says, "I'm glad Sajda has got an ovation.'' He adds that working with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy on this track was indeed different from the previous experiences of Kal Ho Na Ho and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna — both chartbusters in their own right…but both more similar to each other in a way.
"On the other hand, for MNIK, we decided to have music which is a sharp contrast to the visuals that may dominate the screen. The music has a rustic and soulful feel; the songs aren't your regular lipsynced numbers, as is the normal practise, yet each track is a haunting melody and will leave behind an indelible mark.''
Candidly Karan admits, "I'm besura, I can't sing to save my life, I can't play a single music instrument, yet if my films do throw up songs that find a following, it is simply because God has blessed me with the ability to say yes or no to a track that is suggested to me by my composers.''
Explaining how Bollywood film music has been his raison de etre for 30-odd years, Karan says, "I'm obsessed with Hindi film music. Be it on my radio or my iPod you will find me listening only to Hindi film songs. I have grown up listening to music from the 40s until now; and in a way, I can say I have developed a keen ear for it.'' Praising his composers Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, the filmmaker says, "I don't know how the three of them work in such perfect tandem. But they do. If I had to have a co-director, I'd probably kill the person. But these guys are amazing.'' The trade also has given Sajda a thumbs up. This track which has a sufiana kind of feel climbed to the eighth spot on the charts within minutes of it being aired. Of his lead pair, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, on who the MNIK tracks have been picturised, Karan says, "If Kajol loves a song, she'll say so instantly. As for Shah Rukh, most of the songs he vocalises seem like they are owned by him because he is one actor who gives 300 per cent to every song he sings. SRK's tracks have that evergreen quality because when he is on screen singing them you just feel the song was made for him and none other.''
Aamir Khan has two immediate plans when for the future. The actor, who was in Kolkata for New Year's Eve, is expected to go overseas for a holiday. And when he returns, he has plans to enroll for cooking classes.
Says Aamir, "I'm fascinated by cooking. My mother is easily my favourite cook. She can make everything from exotic dishes to regular stuff exceptionally well. And when I feel like home food, I just drive to Pune to eat it."
To keep the biwi happy as well, he adds, "Kiran is also a fantastic cook and she loves getting into the kitchen."
The actor, who confesses that his skills are limited to boiling an egg and making a cup of tea, says he has no cooking prowess. "I volunteer to help Kiran with the dishes if she asks me," he says.
Talking about his determination to join cooking classes, he says, "I admire people who cook well. It is just one of those things that keeps going on in my head.
Earlier, I didn't bother with it because I always reasoned this is not one of the equities that I as a star am expected to bring to the table. But now I just feel I must learn to cook. I don't know how soon I can get around to doing it though," he says.
Aamir, who is also fascinated by the thought of growing his own vegetables, has said, "I'm seriously toying with the idea of organic farming. Both Kiran and I are fascinated by farming. I think it would be really nice to be able to grow our own vegetables and feed people."
Luck By Chance
Posted January 2, 2010on:
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 2, 2010)
Yet, the reality of the matter is something else. It is usually who is available; and sometimes who is more saleable.
Take the latest: Aamir Khan was never meant to be playing the idiot in his latest film. It was to be Shah Rukh Khan. Since SRK and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra had a difference of opinion, the Bollywood Badshah was replaced by Aamir. And while the rest is history, there are innumerable such examples in the film industry.
History knows that Amitabh Bachchan was not Prakash Mehra's first choice for Zanjeer. It was meant to be Dev Anand or Raaj Kumar. When both actors said no, the Big B stepped in. Jaya Bachchan even thanked Dev saab for refusing the Zanjeer role. The film gave her — her real life husband and it gave Bollywood one of its most revered screen couples.
Today you wonder how Dev saab would ever have fit into the angry young man mould. But that's an after-thought.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee wanted Raj Kapoor to play Anand. When he couldn't, Hrishida sent for Shashi Kapoor but Rajesh Khanna wormed his way in. And till today Anand is synonymous with the 70s phenomenon.
Shatrughan Singh continues to smart that it was he who was to be Jai in the Jai-Veeru jodi of Sholay but because he was riding a crest of super-success then, he didn't want to do a twohero film. Amitabh Bachchan got the role instead.
Aamir had been pencilled in for Yash Chopra's Darr but at that point he 'accused' Yash of playing games. And SRK made a permanent place for himself in the YRF camp.
Saif Ali Khan had qualms about playing a pansy in Dostana so John Abraham was brought in. John got male and female temperatures rising with this fun flick and is now a part of its sequel.
Kareena Kapoor asked for too much money for Kal Ho Na Ho; result — Preity Zinta landed this memorable film. Shah Rukh was meant to be playing Munnabhai but since he walked out after some miscommunication, Sanjay Dutt became Munna. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was in Chalte Chalte till Salman dropped in as an uninvited guest forcing SRK to call Rani Mukerji to replace her… and Rekha and Jaya would never have had their screen face-off in Silsila had Parveen Babi and Smita Patil done their roles.
Unlike real history, reel history is often made by default.
Dimple in trauma, yet again
Posted December 31, 2009on:
Dimple's younger brother Suhail (fondly known as Munna) met with a terrible car accident just before Christmas. Munna was in a car with a friend and the impact of the accident was tremendous. Both have been admitted to a suburban hospital and Munna has slipped into a coma. The car rammed into a tree and it has been damaged beyond repair.
The car is parked outside Juhu Police Station with only its bumper intact. Additional Commissioner, West Region, Amitabh Gupta confirms the news of the accident, "Yes, Suhail Kapadia was involved in the accident."
A source provides additional details, "The car was speeding at night near Irla Masjid. They crashed into and almost climbed a tree in the middle of the road. The safety features of the car ensured that they were relatively unharmed, but the car has been damaged tremendously. But their legs were injured badly."
The day that Dimple heard the news, she was shattered. She was shooting for Nikhil Advani's Patiala House and the shoot had to be called off for the day.
Recently, Dimple lost her sister, Simple, and the accident has sent her into a state of shock. People who have visited her at the hospital say that nothing seems to register as she cares for Munna at the hospital. Munna is third in the line of four siblings and Dimple cares for him almost like a mother. Dimple, having lost two siblings including youngest sister Reema, is terrified of losing her brother. We sincerely hope Munna comes out of the coma.
Dimple was supposed to have been in Goa for the New Year with daughter Twinkle and her husband Akshay Kumar. Needless to say, those plans stand cancelled.
• Inputs by Akela


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1. Recognise and treat hypovolaemia
2. Look for underlying cause
1. Determine the site of bleeding-
2. Stop the bleeding-
The site of bleeding varies with the age of patient
a. Children
c.Elderly patient
Chemical (eg silver nitrate) or Electrical cautery, or packing tightly against bleeding point
Preparing the nose
a.Adequate illumination
b.Suction all visible clot
(i) Cophenylcaine Forte (V/C & L/A)
(ii) Cotton-wool pledgets soaked in either:
-Cophenylcaine Forte or
-4% lignocaine & adrenaline (max dose 7 mg/kg)
NB: adequate systemic analgesia (eg morphine)
(i) To perform chemical cautery, use silver nitrate-tipped sticks
*under direct vision , bleeding point only.
- Caution: Do not cauterise wide area of nasal mucosa, and do not cauterise
both sides of nasal septum since septal necrosis may result.
(ii)To place an anterior pack,
* Continuous strip of petroleum-impregnated gauze into anterior nares firmly
-Remember floor is horizontal & post choanae are 6 - 7.5 cm deep.
* If bleeding continues, pack other nostril .
*If entire nasal chamber is packed & bleeding persists posteriorly
=> posterior pack
(iii)To place a posterior pack,
* Simpson's balloon or Foley urethral catheter is inserted back along nasal floor
* Inflate balloons (water) & tape catheter to cheek
. *Then insert anterior nasal pack
NBM, IV fluids and antibiotic cover
Strict bed rest
TED stockings
Sedation (if no signif resp disease)
Rpt Hb in 6hrs (if concerned re ongoing bleeding) and 24 hrs
NB: A posterior pack may be left in place for 3-4 days.
1. May be asymptomatic or => serosanguinous, offensive, unilateral nasal discharge.
2. If easily accessible in anterior part of nose, attempt removal with a bent hook or pair of forceps.
3. However (as with the foreign body in the ear), if removal is difficult, or child is uncooperative => GA. Sudden posterior dislodgment with inhalation of the foreign body is a real danger.
1. Swelling, deformity and epistaxis.
2. Exclude more serious facial bone fracture,
(eg. CSF rhinorrhoea from cribriform plate damage)
3. Look carefully for septal haematoma,
*Nasal passage is blocked by dull-red swelling replacing septum
*If not drained may => septal collapse.
Refer to ENT team < 2 to 3 days
*Most => allergy, vasomotor rhinitis, or URTI
*CSF rhinnorhea : - Hx head trauma;
- high glucose level in discharge
*Foreign body - children
- unilateral air-flow obstruction
*Sinusitis - purulent discharge.
- sinuses tender;
-often a past Hx
-abNormal sinus x-rays,
*Tumour -primarily adults;
-unilateral airflow obstruction & bloody discharge.
Allergy -history of allergic rhinitis
- pale boggy rnucosa
Viral URTI -red, swollen nasal mucosa
-systemic symptoms
* Symptoms of viral URTI
* Palpate frontal & maxillary sinuses for signs of tenderness or swelling
* Nasal airway for unilateral obstruction,
* ?? foreign bodies or tumours,
Ix: * Sinus CT
* if suspected acute CSF rhinorrhea => urgent ENT & Neurosurgical R/V.
* foreign bodies should be removed
* if the obstruction is thought to be due to tumour, urgent ENT referral
* if sinusitis is suspected, obtain sinus CT, and treat with A/B's, decongestants &
Swimming (otitis externa), trauma (chondritis),
Palpate pinna & Xmn for chondritis.
Otoscopy => EAM & TM
Test hearing
Examine other facial structures (teeth, TMJetc) ??referred
Examine CN's (esp VII )
.*Two groups:
i. Central vertigo: => lesions in CNS,
(eg vertebrobasilar TIA, cerebellar or brainstem CVA, tumour, demyelination,
vertebrobasilar migraine & drug toxicity).
ii. Peripheral vertigo: => lesions in vestibular n & inner ear
(eg vestibular neuritis, Meniere's disease, BPPV, acoustic neuroma, otosclerosis,
cholesteatoma and ototoxic drugs).
1. Incapacitating vertigo
=> Diazepam 2.5-5-10 mg IM OR Prochlorperazine (Stemetil)12.5 mg IM.
2. Central causes of vertigo => medical team
3. Pperipheral causes of vertigo => ENT team.
*Defn: Blunt trauma to ear => bleeding b/w auricular cartilage & perichondrium.
*If left untreated => cauliflower ear.
*Aspirate small clots under local anaesthesia and apply pressure by head bandage.
If large bleed may need OT
*ENT R/V since the bleeding may recur
*Protect against perichondritis with flucloxacillin orally qid. for 7 days.
(swimmer's ear)
*Staphylococci or Pseudomonas aeruginosa or fungal infection
*Infection often follows exposure to water.
*Trauma associated with cleaning may also precipitate the disease,
*Swelling & purulent discharge from EAM with tenderness elicited by movement of
the pinna
*Aural toilet using cotton wick
*Small cotton wick should placed EAM
*Combined steroid/antibiotic otic preparations
*Adequate analgesia !!!
*Wick removed 2-3 days
*Systemic antibiotics for moderate to severe cases (Rx: Ciprofloxacin. Not for kids)
1.Pain, deafness & discharge if left.
2 Do not attempt maneuvers if:
* object is not freed instantly, or
* patient is uncooperative,
Live insects should be suffocated with oil & removed with large metal suction tip
1. Causes: direct injury from sharp object , or
indirect pressure from slap, blast injury, SCUBA diving, fracture of skull base
2. Pain, conductive deafness and sometimes bleeding.
3. Severe vertigo or complete hearing loss => suspect inner ear involvement.
1. Immediate ENT referral if inner ear damage is suspected.
2. Otherwise, do not put anything into the ear or attempt to clean it out.
Advise the patient to keep water out of the ear canal.
3. Amoxycillin 500 mg orally t.d.s. and refer the patient
1. Common in children due to pneumococcus or Haemophilus influenzae
( children < 6 yrs)
2. Intense earache, conductive deafness, fever
3 TM exm'n: loss of light reflex, injected vessels around malleus.
4. As infection progresses => bulging drum => may perforate & discharge pus.
1. Early stages: Augmentin Duo orally bd for 10 days & analgesia
2. If the drum is bulging or has perforated and the child is unwell, notify ENT team.
1. Extension of acute otitis media into mastoid air-cell system.
2. Patient is ill, febrile, tender over the mastoid
3. Immediate ENT referral ,CT scan and IV antibiotics .
4. Complications: CN palsy, meningitis & subperiosteal abscess.
1. Upper motor neurone paralysis
i. Weakness of lower facial muscles, +\- other neurological signs
ii. Cause is usually a CVA
2. Lower motor neurone paralysis
i. Weakness of whole side of face (including forehead muscles).
ii. Causes:
Examination: assessment of the external auditory canal, eardrum, parotid region & full CNS exmn.
Refer cases => medical, or ENT team according to likely aetiology.
Must be seen as an emergency ASAP.
All conditions that => SNHL may also => tinnitus.
Primary importance of tinnitus => possibility of significant SNHL
Acoustic neuroma must be ruled out as well.
1. Viral or bacterial, (usually beta-haemolytic streptococcus).
2. Sore throat, dysphagia, fever & foetor
3. Clinically may be impossible to distinguish viral Vs bacterial cause.
NB: Remember that glandular fever ( a grey, exudative tonsillitis).
*.Assess airway, hydration status, analgesic requirement, overall patient condition.
If these are abnormal admit:
*Penicillin V 500mg orally q i.d. for 10 days and an antipyretic analgesic
*GP f/up
1. More common in adults.
2. Spiking temperatures, muffled voice, dysphagia, referred earache & trismus.
3. Examination : unilateral swelling of soft palate, displacement of the tonsil down & medially
4. Start benzylpenicillin 1.2 grams i.v. qid
ENT team R/V for operative drainage.
1. Fish or meat bones most common
2. Fish bone will impact in the tonsil, base of the tongue, or posterior pharyngeal wall
3. If no bone is seen despite symptoms (including indirect laryngoscopy),
request a lateral soft tissue x-ray of the neck
4. Coins are the most common objects swallowed by preschool children, although
small children swallow almost anything and the elderly may swallow their dentures.
5. Oesophageal impaction, usually around the cricopharyngeus at the level of C6 is
suggested by dysphagia, excessive salivation, local tenderness or retrosternal pain.
NB: Batteries pose a particular risk as they may cause local mucosal erosion and
toxicity from mercury release, thus urgent removal is required.
1. Removal fish bone from tonsil or the back of tongue using Tilley's curved forceps.
i. If this fails in patient with pain or salivating excessively, refer immediately to ENT team.
ii. Occasionally pharyngeal mucosa has only been scratched, and if symptoms are minimal, prescribe an antibiotic (eg amoxycillin ), and ask patient to return in 24 hours for review.
2. Immediate ENT R/V for oesophagoscopy, if oesophageal impaction with dysphagia,
excessive salivation, local tenderness or retrosternal pain is suspected

subset: commoncrawl


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COVID-19 Update to ServiceAs we continue to focus on delivering products to our customers as quickly as possible while protecting the health and safety of our employees, the following temporary changes to operations are effective March 19:
***Delivery delays due to circumstances out of our control should be expected.
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***The credit will appear on the next month's statement following receipt of product at Save Rite Medical warehouse.


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Arctic Frontiers was held in Tromsø. The sun returned after two months, and 'sun-day' was celebrated during the conference.
The Arctic is a window to the future
- We reap what our forefathers have sown, and what we sow will be reaped by the generations to come. This perspective must be our premise when discussing development in the Arctic. The Arctic is a window to the future.
These were the words of Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Dagfinn Høybråten at the conference Arctic Frontiers – Humans in the Arctic held in Tromsø on 19‒24 January 2014. Politicians, researchers and representatives of trade and industry converged to discuss the present and the future of the Arctic – with a particular focus on the roughly four million people living in the region. Some 1 400 participants made their way to Tromsø, where conditions showed the winter Arctic from its best side: clear weather and ‑10°C with a backdrop of the Northern Lights.
Balance is key
NordForsk was in attendance at the conference to promote the coming Joint Nordic Initiative on Arctic Research, "Responsible Development of the Arctic – Opportunities and Challenges – Pathways to Action", to be launched this summer. We spoke with Salve Dahle, Chair of the Arctic Frontiers steering committee, who had this to say:
- I am very pleased with the conference. We were joined by large, interested delegations from around the world who have clearly found Arctic Frontiers to be a valuable meeting place. If I had to single out the speaker who made the greatest impression on me, it would be Professor Sean Strain of the University of Ulster and his lecture on mercury in the fish we eat. His point is that even if there is mercury in the fish, eating it still offers plenty of benefits, so we need to find a good balance. That is true for many Arctic issues – the region is evolving and we need to find sustainable balances. Remi Eriksen (Executive Vice President of DNV GL Group) also brought up a similar point in his talk by asking: How safe is safe enough?
No one can say exactly what is needed to ensure sustainable development with respect to Arctic residents. This is why a research initiative is so important. Aleqa Hammond, Prime Minister of Greenland, called for a general demystification of the Arctic, so that we can see the region's real challenges. Her point resonated among the conference participants.
Mr Dahle adds:
- It was also eye-opening to hear Prime Minister Hammond. She did a good job of clarifying the challenges Greenland faces in diversifying its industrial base to increase state revenues. This includes mining and offshore activities in a harsh and fragile Arctic environment.
Denmark strengthening Arctic research
NordForsk asked Erik Vilstrup Lorenzen, Senior Arctic Official of Denmark and representative to the Arctic Council, about how much priority the Council is giving to research.
Mr Vilstrup Lorenzen replied:
- Research is a very high priority, because research underpins all the thematic areas and working groups of the Arctic Council. Research is the essential foundation for ensuring economic development for inhabitants of the Arctic while safeguarding the environment. There is a major need for research, and it is therefore a high priority of the Arctic Council.
Denmark's Arctic ambassador continues:
- Denmark has just taken a new step to strengthen coordination of Arctic research by establishing the Forum for Arctic Research under the auspices of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education, which aims to enhance coordination and generate more knowledge. It is a signal of the priority given by the Government to efforts in this field. In the Arctic Council and around the world, the Nordic countries are known for their knowledge and concern about the climate. So our voices carry weight.
NordForsk will be announcing funding for cross-disciplinary research on Arctic issues later this year, Responsible Development of the Arctic – Opportunities and Challenges – Pathways to Action. At this point, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Greenland are participating along NordForsk.
Keep updated on the launch of the Programme via NordForsk's newsletter.
Text: Linn Hoff Jensen
Photos: Salve Dahle, Norden.org, and Linn Hoff Jensen


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Hi There! Is this Your First Time?
Did you know if you Register you have access to free search tools including the ability to save listings and property searches? Did you know that you can bypass the search altogether and have listings sent directly to your email address? Check out our how-to page for more info.
- Price$5,800,000
- Beds7
- Baths9
- Sq. Ft.12,481
- Acres2.24
- Built2008
16716 Artimino Loop, Montverde
Lakefront estate on 2+Acres located in the guard gated Country Club Community, Bella Collina. Home features 7 beds, 7 full & 2 half baths. Enter from the Porte Cochere through double doors to a 2 story foyer. Ahead is the Grand Living Rm, with curved ceiling & a stone fireplace with a spectacular view of the terrace, pool, & lake. The Dining Rm has an arched ceiling, with an accent stone wall. The office has a wall of built-ins and a wood floor. The 22' Kitchen has a 6 burner Gas Stove, 2 dishwashers, Double Ovens, Microwave, separate Refrigerator and Freezer w/additional pull out drawers and a 20' Granite Top Center Island w/additional refrigerator drawers and a walk-in pantry. The 30' Family Rm opens to the Pool & Terrace. 23' Master Suite has a sitting area w/morning bar, & see-through fireplace overlooking the lake. Master Bath w/jetted tub, double headed walk-in shower, his & her Vanity areas, and His & Her Wardrobe Rms. Home Theater, Game Lounge. w/wet bar , and 4 lrg bedroom suites are on the 2nd fl. Large Balcony off the Game Lounge overlooks the Lake,Terrace, & Pool. Terrace has a Heated Pool & Spa with a Summer Kitchen all overlooking the Lake. The 2 bedroom guest apt. consists of 2 bedrooms, kitchen, living rm. & bath. There is a 4 car side entry oversized garage. This Palatial Home sits on elevated lot with spectacular views. This is a must see. Bella Collina is over 1900 acres of rolling hills, Tuscan style infrastructure & a 75,000 sf clubhouse w/ golf, restaurants, spa & much more.
Essential Information
- Price$5,800,000
- Bedrooms7
- Bathrooms9.00
- Full Baths7
- Half Baths2
- Square Footage12,481
- Acres2.24
- Year Built2008
- TypeResidential
- Sub-TypeSingle Family Home
- StyleSpanish/Mediterranean
- StatusActive
- Listing AgentFrank Del Toro
- UtilitiesCable Available, Street Lights, Underground Utilities
- FeaturesFitness, Gated Community, Optional Additional Fees, Security, Tennis Courts, Vehicle Restrictions, Association Recreation - Owned, Buyer Approval Required, Deed Restricted, Fitness, Gated Community, Golf Community, No Truck/RV/Motorcycle Parking
- ParkingGarage Door Opener, Garage Faces Rear, Garage Faces Side, Guest, Oversized, Parking Pad
- # of Garages4
- GaragesUnder Building Parking, , 4 Car Garage
- ViewIn County, Lot - Oversized, Street Paved, Street Private, Water View
- Is WaterfrontYes
- WaterfrontLake
- Has PoolYes
- PoolGunite, Heated, In Ground
- ExteriorBlock, Stucco, Tilt up Walls
- Exterior FeaturesBalcony/Sun Deck, French Doors, Irrigation System, Lighting, Outdoor Grill, Outdoor Kitchen, Mature Landscaping, Oak Trees, Trees/Landscaped
- Lot DescriptionOne + to Two Acres
- WindowsThermal Windows
- RoofTile
- FoundationCrawlspace
Additional Information
- Days on Market902
- ZoningPUD
Community Information
- Address16716 Artimino Loop
- AreaMontverde
- SubdivisionBella Collina Sub
- CityMontverde
- CountyLake County
- StateFL
- Zip Code34756
- InteriorCarpet, Marble, Other, Wood
- Interior FeaturesBuilt in Features, Cathedral Ceiling(s), Ceiling Fans(s), Central Vaccum, Elevator, High Ceiling(s), Kitchen/Family Room Combo, Master Bedroom Downstairs, Open Floorplan, Solid Wood Cabinets, Split Bedroom, Vaulted Ceiling(s), Walk-In Closet(s), Wet Bar
- AppliancesBar Fridge, Dishwasher, Disposal, Double Oven, Dryer, Electric Water Heater, Exhaust Fan, Freezer, Microwave, Oven, Refrigerator, Tankless Water Heater, Washer, Wine Refrigerator
- HeatingCentral, Heat Pump, Zoned
- CoolingCentral Air, Zoned
- FireplaceYes
- FireplacesLiving Room, Master Bedroom
- StoriesTwo Story
School Information
- ElementaryGrassy Lake Elementary
- MiddleEast Ridge Middle
- HighEast Ridge High
Listing Details
- Listing OfficeSuzi Karr Realty
Listing information courtesy of Suzi Karr Realty.
All listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified through personal inspection by appropriate professionals. Listings displayed on this website may be subject to prior sale or removal from sale; availability of any listing should always be independently verified.
Listing information is provided for consumer personal, non-commercial use, solely to identify potential properties for potential purchase; all other use is strictly prohibited and may violate relevant federal and state law.
Listing data comes from My Florida Regional MLS DBA Stellar MLS.
Listing information last updated on March 30th, 2020 at 2:15am EDT.


text:
Rachel Marie Handstand Youth Short Sleeve T-Shirt
$ 25.001645313
- 100% soft jersey cotton*
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Size guide
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Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Firecracker, firecracker
boom boom boom.
Ipomea lobata, also known as the Spanish Flag Vine or Firecracker Vine is bursting with color out of the rose garden annual border. This garden is chock full of beautiful vines. From the edible Mexican Sour Cucumber Vine (tastes like it's pickled already) to the Moon Flower, which I haven't seen blooming yet because its flowers open in the evening, to the Cup and Saucer vine (Cobaea scandens), pictured below. Makes me wish I had a trellis to grow something up.
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Monday, August 30, 2010
I love checking out the plants in the rose arc. Today I saw the loveliest orange flower, a type of Abutilon, in the Malva family. I was cutting down some amaranth that had toppled over and crowded it and there it was. Hopefully now this lovely plant will get a chance to shine. If not, there's always next year. It isn't hardy here in New York but Sarah plans on bringing it inside to overwinter. You can tell it's related to the hibiscus but the flower hangs down like a bell. I wish I remembered the species name and variety, but I don't. I think this one would commonly be called a flowering maple. I imagine there are some stunning ones in the tropics and one or two in Hawai'i that might be endangered there.
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Sunday, August 29, 2010
Rocco's garlic chives
It's a testament to Rocco's skills as a gardener and his joy in the craft that his garden is so lush even though he has been absent here for much of the season. He would be so happy to see his fig trees growing so beautifully and it doesn't seem fair that he's missed seeing the asparagus that he raised from seed standing so tall. I'm still hoping to come to the garden someday and see him at the end of the aisle, recovered from his injuries and tending to a tomato plant.
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Saturday, August 28, 2010
Jewelweed, Alley Pond Park
Impatiens capensis growing in Alley Pond Park near what remains of the Old Vanderbilt Motor Parkway or Long Island Motor Parkway. It made me feel like I was biking through the Native Flora Garden. It's kind of funny that the remaining stretch of this parkway, built by Vanderbilt for cars exclusively in the early 1900's, is now a pretty sweet bike/pedestrian path.
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Friday, August 27, 2010
Dainty Bess
Even before my rotation in the rose garden, Dainty Bess caught my eye and now I think this little gal is my favorite. She's a Hybrid Tea from 1925 and aptly named. If I could plant only one rose this would probably be it.
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
After the rain
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010
It's all about Alliums
On the way out of the garden today, Susan and I thought we spotted some alliums about to bloom. A chive perhaps? I don't know. I'll have to find out. I do know that Susan and I have both said we'd be happy with a garden filled with alliums alone. If wikipedia is right, we could fill a large garden with some 500 species of allium. From the edibles to the decorative, it seems like there's always one blooming somewhere (at least in spring) or one making your tomato sauce delicious (in summer). True, the ones I know bloom mostly in the spring, but there are some late bloomers and I even planted one in my children's box that is supposed to bloom in the fall. Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa'. I hope it blooms before we rip the plants out to plant spring bulbs because I'm looking forward to seeing its pink flowers. Right now it kind of resembles a dying grass though. Next year, I will remember to leave at least one garlic bulb in the ground just to see it flower.
A flashback at some alliums in bloom from this year:
Monocot & Perennial borders, May 7
Walking Egyptian Onion donated by Margaret for my box at BBG's children's garden, June 6
Sylvia's majestic elephant garlic flowers about to open at Floyd Bennett, June 10
Rose arc, June 23.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Plant of the day
On a gray day, the Cleome (Spider flower) really shines and today I was asked a few times about this plant while working in the rose garden's annual border. You get a big bang for your buck with this plant. It's an annual with a long bloom time and just one of the fantastic flowers planted by Sarah in the rose garden's annual border.
It's been a constant bloomer while this border has grown and changed. (Pictured below as it was blooming on June 16 and July 14.)
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Monday, August 23, 2010
Form & Function
For good or bad, who knows, I have a sweet spot for some of the plants growing in the Herb Garden and the Native Flora Garden, and the Horsemint plant above happens to be in both. I also love when plants at Brooklyn Botanic are in Peterson's Medicinal Plants of Eastern/Central North America, not necessarily because I'm about to make a tincture from them, but because I can read a little more about them and learn to ID them at home. According to Peterson's, Horsemint's (Monarda punctata) oil is high in thymol, an antiseptic. If you've ever read a medicinal book, you know that expelling worms is high on the list of positive qualities for a plant and since thymol is listed as good at expelling worms, you know Horsemint was a pretty cool plant to know back in the day.
The Levant Cotton pictured below isn't native. African, I think. But it's certainly pretty and functional. The malva family is very pretty in flower, whether its a vegetable (Okra) or decorative plant, (Hibiscus) or important agricultural fiber like cotton (Gossypium). A lot of this country's history is tied up in the fiber of a malva family plant, but not the pretty purple one below.
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Sunday, August 22, 2010
Tempted by the fruit of another
Marilyn's tomatoes look pretty tempting. This was just one bucket harvested last weekend and much of her produce never made its way into her car. By the time she left, her buckets were lighter from giving so much away. Part of the pleasure in community gardening is learning from your neighbors and admiring their skills.
This year Joe's garden gives me real envy too. He's having such a good year. I love these hyacinth beans he's growing. He got the seeds from Epi,a neighbor. This is a beautiful vine and I get to admire it growing in Amanda's box at BBG's children's garden too and in the rose garden where Sarah is growing it for its beautiful flowers. It's almost as fun to watch someone else's garden grow as your own.
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Saturday, August 21, 2010
Showstoppers & Delicate Beauties
Caleb couldn't have been more dead on than when he referred to the Hibiscus coccineus as a showstopper in his Herbaceous ID class. What a fantastic flower. It will always remind me of evening classes at BBG. The airy beauty of the Lavender Mist Meadow Rue will do the same. Two lovely plants with completely different charms. It's easy now to see why Caleb chose them for the class.
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Friday, August 20, 2010
Oyama Magnolia
Walking the grounds of Brooklyn Botanic studying for ID tests has its perks. Susan and I may not have seen these beautiful Oyama Magnolia (Magnolia sieboldii) flowers otherwise. Depending on your rotation, you might not make it to any one area of the garden for a while. This shrub is blooming now in the Osbourne garden, to the west near the Eastern Parkway Entrance. Such a beautiful white flower. The bees must think so too.
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Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Last minute study walk for Woody ID
Caryopteris x clandonensis just beginning to bloom.
Sparce needles of Pinus bungeana. This tree is all about the beautiful and functional camouflage bark.
Glossy leaves and terminal flower buds of the winter-blooming Camellia japonica.
Cryptomeria japonica, which despite its common name is not really a cedar.
Parrotia persica in the Hamamelis family.
Pieris japonica, with next years flowers already budding. Pretty.
Distinguishing fishbone pattern of Cotoneaster horizontalis branching.
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Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Woody ID Study Post
Cladrastis kentukea clipping, P.Park 5/17. Now there are dangling pea pods.
Vibernum plicatum 'tomentosum' in bloom by the rock garden (April 30th).
Our native Magnolia virginia, about to bust out some seeds.
and with berry-like seeds by Rose garden shed.
Is there any need to study this one at all? It's unforgettable, Lagerstroemia indica.
Zigzag branching and heart-shaped leaves of Cercis canadensis.
Acer griseum telltale bark.
Davidia involucrata's long petioles.
Stewartia psuedocamellia, minus the pretty bark.
Oxydenrum arboreum, dangling dead man's fingers and all, a reminder of the recently blooming urn-shaped flowers.
Posted by Sweetgum Thursday at 8:33 PM 0 comments
Last lily
The last of my lilies started blooming last Friday, the 13th. Black Beauty, an Oriental hybrid. The Regale trumpet never bloomed, which was a disappointment, but they did go in rather late. It grew but never produced a flower. If I had the chance, I would design my box in the children's garden differently next time. The leeks were planted too close together and didn't fan out in a line the way I wanted them to. I would probably mass them together next time for a better effect. It was a good lesson though. Sometimes you learn the most from your mistakes and not your successes.
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Monday, August 16, 2010
All banged up
Day One of my three week rotation in the rose garden and I'm already all banged up. I took a beating training the climber today, but this was a very satisfying task when completed. I remember admiring the roses along this fence when they were just starting to bloom in mid-May. I would look up at them over the fence against the sky. Next year someone else will do the same and I will have played the tiniest part in making that vision happen.
Posted by Sweetgum Thursday at 5:14 PM 0 comments
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Hummingbird moths take two
It's a wonder that anything grows in my garden at all when I spend my time trying to capture impossible moths on camera instead of planting seeds. But these moths sure are cool. Joe managed to capture the one below, which looks like a giant bumblebee when you see it flying by. It doesn't have the reddish markings of the one above. If not for the hovering, you'd think it's a bee. These are two different species of Hemaris as far as I can tell.
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Yulady Saluti inspires people through her strength and courage. After battling and overcoming a serious colon rectal medical condition, Yulady dove head first into a new, healthy life filled with yoga and studies in Ayurveda. It was only three years into her practice at the age of thirty two (and during her 20th surgery related to her colon illness) that her doctors discovered that she had Stage 2 breast cancer. Yulady battled cancer successfully and continued to teach and practice yoga to help heal from her medical problems. Ever graceful and full of life, Yulady continues to inspire with her indomitable will to heal herself and teach her students how to persevere through any situation.
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text:
Weiss Archive | Trotskyist Writers Index | ETOL Main Page
From International Socialist Review, Vol.23 No.1, Winter 1962, pp.10-14.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O' Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
THE events surrounding the 22nd Congress of the Soviet Communist Party last October 1961 constitute a remarkable refutation of imperialist cold-war propaganda. The central prop of the cold-war argument is that socialism and tyranny are inseparable; and that the working masses in the capitalist world should never embark on a socialist revolution since the frightful consequences inevitably will be Stalinism. If the US State Department theory made sense, then the industrial, scientific and cultural growth of the Soviet Union would lead to the strengthening of Stalinism. In actuality, however, the impressive advances of socialism in the USSR, which capitalists don't even try to deny, is resulting in de-Stalinization and tangible gains of democratization rather than the growth of bureaucratic tyranny.
For all its democratic pretensions, imperialism favored Stalinism in the Soviet Union as against the robust and thriving socialist democracy. This is why the trend towards socialist democracy and internationalism within the Soviet orbit is bad news for capitalism and good news for the socialist movement.
A Turkish diplomat, now residing in the US, wrote in a letter to the New York Times, Nov. 23, that Khrushchev "had no desire to alter Soviet policies." Nevertheless, his
"... peasant shrewdness ... led him to the best and only alternative. By denouncing Stalin's crimes – and the more violent the better – he was disassociating himself and the Soviet Union from such policies and without undertaking any housecleaning, simply by indirection was creating an image of a more liberal and humane Khrushchev and Soviet Union ... This I sense to be the underlying theme of de-Stalinization, against which we must watch carefully, for in the long run it would deprive us of the one infallible weapon that we have against communism." (emphasis, M.W.).
This super-clever imperialist diplomat imagines he is matching wits with a super-clever Khrushchev. This reasoning is based on the premise that heads of state can arbitrarily manipulate their respective nations at home in accordance with the needs of diplomatic propaganda.
The diplomat perceives a threat to world capitalism in the dethronement of the Stalin "cult" and the demolition of Stalinism. He correctly senses that a blockbusting power is aiming at the capitalist system. A resurgence of socialist democracy in the Soviet Union will indeed deprive capitalism of its "one infallible weapon" against communism. In the face of this Soviet transformation the whole cloth of the cold-war ideology will be cut to shreds. So, take note all imperialist policy makers, a guided missile of a new type is heading your way. What counter-weapon can you command in your arsenal?
But the radical movement also has by no means reacted to the 22nd Congress without apprehension. Since the 1956 Khrushchev revelations of Stalin's crimes at the 20th Congress, those in and around the American Communist Party as in all CPs throughout the world have been unable to find their bearings regarding the crucial question of Stalinism. Some radicals cherished the illusion that the nightmarish specter of Stalin and Stalinism would somehow blow over, go away and disappear.
One of the reasons why the radical movement was ill-prepared to cope with Stalinism was the way Khrushchev presented the 1956 revelations. The facts about Stalin's frame-ups and mass murders demanded a serious Marxist explanation of the social cause for the "cult of the individual." But Khrushchev couldn't or wouldn't provide an explanation. Instead he wound up the revelations as follows:
"We consider that Stalin was excessively extolled. However, in the past Stalin doubtlessly performed great services to the party, to the working class and to the international workers' movement ... We cannot say that these were the deeds of a giddy despot."
THIS soothing syrup became bitter medicine. The 22nd Congress revealed that Khrushchev could never salvage the cracked image of Stalin. It had to be completely shattered. Stalin had to be exhumed from the Lenin Tomb at Red Square. More and more revelations were required. Instead of Stalin alone bearing the blame for the crimes, mounting to a veritable chamber of horrors, it became imperatively necessary to provide the names of some of those who shared Stalin's criminal deeds. Khrushchev pointed an accusing finger at the "anti-party" group of Molotov, Kaganovich, Malenkov and Voroshilov as those, and presumably those alone, who were guilty of assisting Stalin's blood purges. But since Khrushchev is naming some, what of the others?
Dorothy Healy, executive secretary of the Communist Party in Southern California, stated to a witch-hunting committee, according to the Los Angeles Times, Oct. 7, 1961, that she was "more devastated by Khrushchev's [1956] revelations of past crimes by the Soviet regime than you." She said further that she "would like to see the Soviet Union progress democratically to the point where there would be more than one party on the ballot there."
Without the slightest aid or comfort to the capitalist propaganda, Healy has raised a key subject of the need for socialist democracy. We for our part would certainly favor the right of socialists to create an independent working class party in the Soviet Union because at present the existing CP in the USSR is completely monopolized by the Soviet bureaucracy.
But the prospect of the right to organize an independent party rivaling the bureaucracy in the Soviet Union is posed concretely at this time over the deep debate between the Khrushchev faction in power and the alleged "anti-party" group of Molotov, Kaganovich, Malenkov and Voroshilov. Why does Khrushchev refuse to grand Molotov's constitutional right to present his views at the 22nd Congress? Why this torrent of denunciations of the "anti-party" group while it is muzzled? The reason is quite apparent. If Molotov were allowed to talk at the party congress this might disclose that everything Khrushchev said about the "anti-party" group as accomplices of Stalin would be just as true about Khrushchev! And once each faction in the bureaucratic regime had listed its record of denunciation and a counter-record of equally damning denunciations the result would be – the disclosure not of one pack of scoundrels or another pack but a sociological phenomenon: a bureaucracy; not bureaucratic errors or bureaucratic crimes but a social and historical development of a parasitic bureaucratic caste. The working masses are exerting enormous pressure on the whole regime to yield concessions of socialist democratic rights. The bureaucracy in power, headed by Khrushchev, are maneuvering for time to find the line of demarcation between imperatively necessary concessions and repressions in a desperate attempt to save the entire rule of the bureaucracy.
JUST consider the statements of the Khrushchev group at the congress in the light of the record:
Doesn't this pose point blank the role of Khrushchev as an accessory of Stalin?
If the 20th Congress raised the question of the bureaucracy as the social source of the "Stalin cult," the 22nd Congress posed the question even more sharply.
Keeping in focus the problem of the nature of Soviet bureaucracy, let us discuss some of the recent reactions in Communist Party and radical circles shortly before the 22nd Congress and following it.
In the People's World October 14, 1961, "Two diverse views of Soviet discussion" were presented by William Mandel, a writer about the Soviet Union, and John Pittman, the PW's correspondent in Moscow. Mandel said,
"Many letters" in the Soviet press, "support the program's [Khrushchev's draft] undertaking to fight bureaucracy. Various amendments are offered to the proposed party rules in that respect but only one writer [in Trud] asks that the program include an explanation of why bureaucracy still exists, in view of the disappearance of the reasons for its existence stated in the program of 40 years ago."
Referring to the letter writer in the trade union paper, Trud, "who wants an explanation of bureaucracy," Mandel concludes,
"There is great approval of the condemnation of the 'cult of the individual,' but no hint that failure to permit discussion of policy (as illustrated above) instead of techniques may reflect a 'cult of individual'."
Pittman takes Mandel to task for adding "a new dimension to presumptuousness" in complaining that there is a "failure to permit discussion of policy instead of technique" in the current discussion in the USSR on the draft program. Pittman is inconsistent. In the first place he argues that there is a policy discussion in the Soviet press and cites some examples which unfortunately do not show such a discussion. In the second place he argues that since there are thousands of daily and factory papers in the Soviet Union how could Mandel assert that there is no discussion. But in the third place he argues that such a discussion is not necessarily required. Here is what Pittman said:
"It is not enough that the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Soviet people are undertaking to create a society of abundance for all, to establish the world's highest living standards, to safeguard humanity from thermonuclear extinction, to assist colonial peoples to achieve liberation and to help newly liberated peoples develop their countries, and to pioneer man's conquest of the cosmos. In addition to these undertakings, in order to win Mandel's approval they must discuss and agree with his ideas about Dr. Zhivago, final ballots with more than one name, why a magazine in Yiddish appeared in 1961 instead of 1954, and whether the theoretical resolution by Lenin and Stalin on the issue of 'cultural-national versus regional autonomy' half a century ago was really a mistake! Of course, neither Mandel nor I can be sure that these subjects have not been discussed. But I would be surprised if they were ... I doubt very much if people here would consider them pertinent to the building of a communist society."
THIS is simply not the way to conduct a discussion. It is begging the question to dismiss the need for an explanation of bureaucracy by referring to "grand" questions. This is getting up on a high hobby horse and looking down at a trouble maker who wants to quibble about trivial questions. But these are not trivial questions, neither the Jewish problem, the national problem, freedom for writers and scientists, the multiple choice of candidates on the ballot – or the problem of bureaucracy. Mandel, moreover, doesn't demand that the CP of the Soviet Union and the people must agree with him to gain his approval. He only raised the question of an explanation of bureaucracy and the source of the "cult of the individual" and regretted the absence of answers and discussion on this point.
The Communist Party leader, Wladislaw Gomulka, gave his report on the 22nd Congress to the Polish CP's Central Committee last December 1961. "Broader explanations on the part of our Soviet comrades may be required," he said, and offered his own line of explanation of Stalinism as "one dark page among the glorious pages of the Soviet Union's history." Asking how the "cult of personality" had come about he referred to "The extremely narrow economic base left over by Czarist Russia" and how it "affected the struggle of Russian revolutionists in a multinational country ... No other socialist country had comparable difficulties."
"Under such conditions," Gomulka continued, "the Soviet state of the dictatorship of the proletariat had to be merciless ... It could not tolerate opposition groups, which under pressure of existing difficulties sought ways of solving them through wrong means."
In his further explanation as to why groups had to be suppressed, Gomulka said,
"Because collectivization inevitably provoked resistance, the state of the dictatorship of the proletariat had to strike back. But it should not have done this blindly. Organs appointed to combat the enemies [of collectivization] supervised and inspired by Stalin, exceeded the measure. As a result of Stalin's theory of the inevitable aggravation of class warfare parallel to the building of socialism and of his slogan about 'enemies of the people' the NKVD [secret political police] could brand as enemies ... anyone who dared to utter a word of criticism."
Referring to 1937 in the Soviet Union, Gomulka said,
"When heads of marshals, generals, and high-ranking personalities of party and state were falling, people were caught by fear, became suspicious, and the mania of spying spread ... Even taking into account all the negative features of his character [Stalin], it cannot be imagined that he would have embarked upon the bloody purge of the high command and the officers corps without the deliberate misinformations planted by the Gestapo."
Gomulka also offered an explanation for the notorious "confessions" at the Moscow trials in the thirties, when old Bolsheviks like Zinoviev, Kameney, Radek, Bukharin, Rykov, Krestinsky, Preobrazhensky (all members of the Bolshevik Central Committee of the 1917 October Revolution) fell victim to Stalin's executions. These Bolshevik leaders, in Gomulka's phrase, suffered "their silent endurance of Stalin's violence." Gomulka said, this was "not merely caused by fear," although "of course, one's head is dear to everyone." But, he maintained,
"Communists are courageous people, men of ideals ... Stalin directed the building of socialism in the Soviet Union. A Communist therefore had to face this question: Will he not act to the disadvantage of communism, if he acts against Stalin? This question disarmed Communists and kept them from struggling with Stalin."
IT IS significant that Gomulka has opened a line of explanation on the cause of Stalin's Moscow Trial frame-ups and the mass murders. To refrain from any explanation is, of course, the first line of defense of the bureaucratic regime in the Soviet Union and the respective bureaucratic formations in the other workers states in Eastern Europe and Asia. One of the reasons why the CP of Poland is among the first to venture into this explosive realm – the social basis for bureaucratic crimes – arises from the events of the last five years.
In Poland the mass of industrial workers had vast experience in a direct collision with the bureaucratic regime in 1956. The June 1956 general-strike uprising in Poznan ignited a wave of mass demonstrations of workers and youth throughout Poland to overthrow the Kremlin-controlled Warsaw bureaucratic tops.
In October 1956 the Warsaw factory proletariat mobilized around a dissident CP wing of the leadership, Gomulka, who was framed by Stalinism in 1949 as a "Titoist fascist" and locked up in prison for four years, and this wing triumphed against the Kremlin-controlled faction. Over the weekend of Oct. 20-21 the traditionally socialist Warsaw working class, alerted at the work benches, dispatched delegation after delegation to the Political Committee to support Gomulka as against the Khrushchev appointed Polish functionaries. The Kremlin's Red Army was poised for an attack. But it was the revolutionary mass organization of the working class, deeply anti-Stalinist, that won the day and hurled back the Kremlin's direct control.
But the Polish CP bureaucratic caste was not shattered, it was reconstituted with a shift in relation of forces between the bureaucracy and the greater voice of the proletariat. Under these conditions, however, in comparison to the Soviet Union itself where the Soviet proletariat has not directly attacked the bureaucracy as yet, Gomulka is compelled to deal with an explanation of Stalinism which has been openly talked about among workers and youth for five years. Gomulka, however, as the new representative of the bureaucracy, continues to refrain from dealing with the nature of bureaucracy as such. He draws a thread of connection between broad objective, historical, economic and social forces – with the personality of Stalin. The missing link is a bureaucratic social formation transmitting objective pressure, pressures that are only personified in a Stalin or a Khrushchev. This is the sensitive, sore point – a bureaucratic caste – and the bureaucracy itself cannot bear to identify the malignant malady or how socialist democracy will conquer it.
An interpretation of the 22nd Congress was presented in the National Guardian, November 13, 1961 by David Wesley, who offered an explanation of Stalinism as follows:
"China, Vietnam and Korea, like the USSR, have had to industrialize and collectivize virtually from scratch, and are now in a stage roughly comparable to that of the Soviet Union from 1928 to 1934, when Stalin carried through the basic Soviet economic development with ruthless authoritarian control. The Far East states feel the need for similar methods, and it is the Stalin of that period (and of wartime) that they remember and respect. Moreover, they will require those harsh methods for some time to come; for these members of the camp – and for Albania – Khrushchev's call for an end to dictatorship seems decidedly premature."
If Wesley thinks he is arriving at a pat, tidy apology for Stalinism, he had better think again. Stalinism was required, you see, for one period in the Soviet Union; is required for a "roughly comparable" period for China, Vietnam, Korea and Albania thrown in for good measure; and Khrushchev's mistake is a premature call for an end to Stalinist dictatorship for the Far East. QED!
Let's consider only a few of the contradictions arrived at by this sophistry. If this is a search for the sequence of objective economic causes giving rise to the Stalinist political form, why does Wesley designate the years 1928 to 1934 as the economically motivated "ruthlessness" of Stalin and does not allude to years before and after 1928-34 in which Stalinism prevailed?
In the years from 1924 to 1928 Stalin began the destruction of workers democracy in the name of unyielding opposition to industrialization, planned economy and collectivization. Trotsky's proposal for a five-year plan was derided by Stalin as "super-industrial"; when Trotsky proposed collectivization and warned of the capitalist danger of wealthy peasants, Stalin leaned on the Kulak and the petty-capitalist forces and refused to carry out the Left Opposition's policy.
During 1928-34, Stalin deepened the process of extirpating workers democracy, the strangulation of the Soviets, the trade unions and the Bolshevik party itself – this time in the name of planned economy, industrialization and collectivization in recoil from the previous period which brought a capitalist restoration to within an inch of realization.
In the period following 1934, when Stalin, according to Wesley had already "carried through the basic Soviet economic development," the utter elimination of workers democracy was consumated in earnest under the sign of frame-ups, witch hunts, and mass murders including the repeated execution of Stalin's own henchmen, layer after layer.
WESLEY'S schema is to box in the "authoritarian" period of Stalin to these six years since that was the period the Stalin faction finally came out for industrialization after demolishing the Trotskyist Left Opposition for proposing this course. In this way, Wesley can justify a historical cause-effect relation between the need for industrialization and the Stalinist destruction of workers democracy.
Moreover, this schema implies a necessary and required relationship between carrying through socialist production and the need for a ruthless despot.
But why not stop to ask: what did the Russian workers, who carried through three revolutions against landlordism, Czarism, capitalism and imperialism, through the historical agency of workers democracy, think about the need for a Stalinst dictatorship and the elimination of socialist democracy? And ask: did the Soviet workers submissively accept Stalinism without a struggle? Were they simply a mass of unthinking sheep just waiting for Stalin to cripple their revolutionary creative capacities in order to allow the all-wise bureaucrats to carry out objective historical tasks of industrialization? If Wesley really ponders this question he might find that he has arrived at the very thesis on which both Stalinism and imperialism agree: that socialist construction in the Soviet Union was synonymous with Stalin and Stalinism, for better or for worse.
This is why it is neccessary to go beyond the reference to Stalin alone and perceive the existence of a social formation known as "bureaucracy" and its polar opposite, workers democracy.
The ever widening and more open debate within the Soviet orbit and the world Communist parties is accompanied by the sharper "debate" Khrushchev is waging against the silenced opponents in the "anti-party" group. But it is becoming clear that these debates are not restrained from fear that the imperialists will discover the "secret" of their differences. The bureaucratic hierarchies fear more than anything else that the working class and youth will enter the open arena, take sides, arrive at judgements, enunciate demands, define goals and drive to achive the restoration of workers democracy.
LEONID F. Ilyichev, a secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, indicated the tightrope which the Russian bureaucracy is walking on in its "de-Stalinization" campaign.
At a recent national conference on ideological problems the secretary warned,
"We must not allow, comrades, a blow to be dealt to the foundation of Marxist-Leninist theory under the pretext of combating the personality cult in this theory. We must not allow all kinds of anti-Leninist views and trends, long ago defeated and discarded by our party and by Lenin, to come to the surface and leak into our press."
Does this refer to Trotsky, who while Stalin was alive, became the authoritative spokesman for workers democracy against the entire bureaucratic caste? Does Ilyichev's warning disclose that the demand to examine the views of Trotsky is reappearing in the Soviet Union?
Audacious fresh approaches to basic problems are appearing in all countries of the Soviet orbit, and within the Communist parties throughout the world. The Italian Communist Party, for example, has plunged into the stream of this discussion. The party newspaper, l'Unita, November 28, 1961, hailed the 22nd Congress' denunciation of "errors and aberrations of the past." But even more to the point, the article said:
"The question cannot exhaust itself in a simple denunciation of Stalin's negative qualities and his errors. How was it possible that in the construction of a socialist society there were so many errors and deformation and what can be done to guarantee that they will not be repeated?"
This is indeed a good question.
One of the leading representatives of the Italian CP, Amandola, a proponent of one of the tendencies in the Central Committee, according to France Observateur, said,
"It is a matter of returning to Leninism by returning political discussion to the international level. This naturally implies that debate on the problems raised take place in realistic terms and not in ritualistic language. This equally requires a critical study of the political documents presented by the communist parties of other countries."
In keeping with this bold Leninist spirit, it is appropriate that the Young Communist League of Italy should take the lead in defying the Stalinist practice borrowed from the Roman Catholic Index Expurgatorius and publish in its paper a photograph of Trotsky beside Lenin. The Italian YCL official paper, Nuova Generazione, refers to Trotsky as "one of the most original personalities of the October Revolution, about whose ideas discussion is now reopened. Among other works, he is the author of one of the most interesting histories of the Revolution and some of the finest pages on Lenin." The YCL proceeds to discuss critically and thoughtfully the views of Trotsky.
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Multiple choice
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1. Other things held constant, the value of an option depends on the stock's price, the risk-free rate, and the
a.Strike price.
b.Variability of the stock price.
c.Option's time to maturity.
d.All of the above.
e.None of the above.
2. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.Put options give investors the right to buy a stock at a certain strike price before a specified date.
b.Call options give investors the right to sell a stock at a certain strike price before a specified date.
c.Options typically sell for less than their exercise value.
d.LEAPS are very short-term options that were created relatively recently and now trade in the market.
e.An option holder is not entitled to receive dividends unless he or she exercises their option before the stock goes ex dividend
3.An investor who writes standard call options against stock held in his or her portfolio is said to be selling what type of options?
4.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.An option's value is determined by its exercise value, which is the market price of the stock less its striking price. Thus, an option can't sell for more than its exercise value.
b.As the stock's price rises, the time value portion of an option on a stock increases because the difference between the price of the stock and the fixed strike price increases.
c.Issuing options provides companies with a low cost method of raising capital.
d.The market value of an option depends in part on the option's time to maturity and also on the variability of the underlying stock's price.
e.The potential loss on an option decreases as the option sells at higher and higher prices because the profit margin gets bigger.
5. Suppose you believe that Johnson Company's stock price is going to increase from its current level of $22.50 sometime during the next 5 months. For $310.25 you can buy a 5-month call option giving you the right to buy 100 shares at a price of $25 per share. If you buy this option for $310.25 and Johnson's stock price actually rises to $45, what would your pre-tax net profit be?
6. The current price of a stock is $50, the annual risk-free rate is 6%, and a 1-year call option with a strike price of $55 sells for $7.20. What is the value of a put option, assuming the same strike price and expiration date as for the call option?
6.Which of the following is NOT a capital component when calculating the weighted average cost of capital (WACC)?
a.Long-term debt.
b.Accounts payable.
c.Retained earnings.
d.Common stock.
e.Preferred stock
7.Schalheim Sisters Inc. has always paid out all of its earnings as dividends, and hence has no retained earnings. This same situation is expected to persist in the future. The company uses the CAPM to calculate its cost of equity. Its target capital structure consists of common stock, preferred stock, and debt. Which of the following events would reduce the WACC?
a.The market risk premium declines.
b.The flotation costs associated with issuing new common stock increase.
c.The company's beta increases.
d.Expected inflation increases.
e.The flotation costs associated with issuing preferred stock increase.
7.Nelson Enterprises, an all-equity firm, has a beta of 2.0. Nelson's chief financial officer is evaluating a project with an expected return of 21%, before any risk adjustment. The risk-free rate is 7%, and the market risk premium is 6%. The project being evaluated is riskier than Nelson's average project, in terms of both its beta risk and its total risk. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.The project should definitely be accepted because its expected return (before any risk adjustments) is greater than its required return.
b.The project should definitely be rejected because its expected return (before risk adjustment) is less than its required return.
c.Riskier-than-average projects should have their expected returns increased to reflect their higher risk. Clearly, this would make the project acceptable regardless of the amount of the adjustment.
d.The accept/reject decision depends on the firm's risk-adjustment policy. If Nelson's policy is to increase the required return on a riskier-than-average project to 3% over rS, then it should reject the project.
e.Capital budgeting projects should be evaluated solely on the basis of their total risk. Thus, insufficient information has been provided to make the accept/reject decision.
8. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.In the WACC calculation, we must adjust the cost of preferred stock (the market yield) to reflect the fact that 70% of the dividends received by corporate investors are excluded from their taxable income.
b.We should use historical measures of the component costs from prior financings when estimating a company's WACC for capital budgeting purposes.
c.The cost of new equity (re) could possibly be lower than the cost of retained earnings (rs) if the market risk premium, risk-free rate, and the company's beta all decline by a sufficiently large amount.
d.Its cost of retained earnings is the rate of return stockholders require on a firm's common stock.
e.The component cost of preferred stock is expressed as rp(1 ï? T), because preferred stock dividends are treated as fixed charges, similar to the treatment of interest on debt.
9. Crary Consolidated has 2 divisions of equal size: a computer division and a restaurant division. Its CFO believes that stand-alone restaurant companies typically have a WACC of 8%, while stand-alone computer companies typically have a 12% WACC. He also believes that Crary's restaurant and computer divisions have the same risk as their typical peers. Consequently, Crary estimates that its composite, or corporate, WACC is 10%. A consultant has suggested using an 8% hurdle rate for the restaurant division and a 12% hurdle rate for the computer division. However, Crary's CFO disagrees, and he has assigned a 10% WACC to all projects in both divisions. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.While Crary's decision not to use risk-adjusted WACCs will result in its accepting more projects in the computer division and fewer projects in its restaurant division than if it followed the consultant's recommendation, this should not affect the firm's intrinsic value.
b.Crary's decision not to adjust for risk means, in effect, that it is favoring the restaurant division. Therefore, that division is likely to become a larger part of the consolidated company over time.
c.Crary's decision not to adjust for risk means that the company will accept too many projects in the computer business and too few projects in the restaurant business. This will lead to a reduction in the firm's intrinsic value over time.
d.Crary's decision to not risk adjust means that the company will accept too many projects in the restaurant business and too few projects in the computer business. This will lead to a reduction in its intrinsic value over time.
e.Crary's decision not to risk adjust means that the company will accept too many projects in the computer business and too few projects in the restaurant business. This may affect the firm's capital structure but it will not affect its intrinsic value.
10. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.The cost of capital used to evaluate a project should be the cost of the specific type of financing used to fund that project, i.e., it is the after-tax cost of debt if debt is to be used to finance the project or the cost of equity if the project will be financed with equity.
b.The after-tax cost of debt that should be used as the component cost when calculating the WACC is the average after-tax cost of all the firm's outstanding debt.
c.Suppose some of a publicly-traded firm's stockholders are not diversified; they hold only the one firm's stock. In this case, the CAPM approach will result in an estimated cost of equity that is too low in the sense that if it is used in capital budgeting, projects will be accepted that will not maximize the firm's intrinsic value.
d.The cost of equity is generally harder to measure than the cost of debt because there is no stated, contractual cost number on which to base the cost of equity.
e.The bond-yield-plus-risk-premium approach is the most sophisticated and objective method for estimating a firm's cost of equity capital.
11. Hettenhouse Company's perpetual preferred stock sells for $102.50 per share, and it pays a $9.50 annual dividend. If the company were to sell a new preferred issue, it would incur a flotation cost of 4.00% of the price paid by investors. What is the company's cost of preferred stock for use in calculating the WACC?
12. To help finance a major expansion, Delano Development Company sold a noncallable bond several years ago that now has 15 years to maturity. This bond has a 10.25% annual coupon, paid semiannually, it sells at a price of $1,025, and it has a par value of $1,000. If Delano's tax rate is 40%, what component cost of debt should be used in the WACC calculation?
13.Kovach Lumber Company hired you to help estimate its cost of capital. You were provided with the following data: D1 = $1.10; P0 = $27.50; g = 6.00% (constant); and F = 5.00%. What is the cost of equity raised by selling new common stock?
14. Roxie Epoxy's balance sheet shows a total of $50 million long-term debt with a coupon rate of 8.00% and a yield to maturity of 7.00%. This debt currently has a market value of $55 million. The balance sheet also shows that that the company has 20 million shares of common stock, and the book value of the common equity (common stock plus retained earnings) is $65 million. The current stock price is $8.25 per share; stockholders' required return, rs, is 10.00%; and the firm's tax rate is 40%. Based on market value weights, and assuming the firm is currently at its target capital structure, what WACC should Roxie use to evaluate capital budgeting projects?
15. Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Assume that the project being considered has normal cash flows, with one outflow followed by a series of inflows.
a.A project's NPV is found by compounding the cash inflows at the IRR to find the terminal value (TV), then discounting the TV at the WACC.
b.The lower the WACC used to calculate it, the lower the calculated NPV will be.
c.If a project's NPV is less than zero, then its IRR must be less than the WACC.
d.If a project's NPV is greater than zero, then its IRR must be less than zero.
e. The NPV of a relatively low risk project should be found using a relatively high WACC.
Which of the following statements is CORRECT? Assume that the project being considered has normal cash flows, with one outflow followed by a series of inflows.
a. A project's regular IRR is found by compounding the cash inflows at the WACC to find the terminal value (TV), then discounting this TV at the WACC.
b. A project's regular IRR is found by discounting the cash inflows at the WACC to find the present value (PV), then compounding this PV to find the IRR.
c. If a project's IRR is greater than the WACC, then its NPV must be negative.
d. To find a project's IRR, we must solve for the discount rate that causes the PV of the inflows to equal the PV of the project's costs.
e. To find a project's IRR, we must find a discount rate that is equal to the WACC.
Assume a project has normal cash flows. All else equal, which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.The project's IRR increases as the WACC declines.
b.The project's NPV increases as the WACC declines.
c.The project's MIRR is unaffected by changes in the WACC.
d.The project's regular payback increases as the WACC declines.
e.The project's discounted payback increases as the WACC declines.© BrainMass Inc. brainmass.com April 3, 2020, 8:40 pm ad1c9bdddf
Solution Preview
1. d.All of the above.
All these factors affect the price
2. e.An option holder is not entitled to receive dividends unless he or she exercises their option before the stock goes ex dividend
Since the option holders is not the owner of the stock, there are no dividends till the stock is purchased by exercising the option
3. d.Covered
Since you own the stock also you have covered the risk
4. d.The market value of an option depends in part on the option's time to maturity and also on the variability of the underlying stock's price.
These are parameters on which the option price is based
5. Profit = (45-25) X 100 shares - 310.25 = $1,689.75
6. We are given
V= Value of call option = $7.20
P, Price = $50
X, strike price = $55
Risk free rate, rRF = 6%
Time t ...
Solution Summary
The solution explains some multiple choice questions in finance