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Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke admitted two weeks ago the natives were restless in Ann Arbor. That's what happens during a four-loss season, and close-call wins against Akron and UConn and a struggling win against Northwestern.
Michigan's football program
Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke admitted two weeks ago the natives were restless in Ann Arbor. That's what happens during a four-loss season, and close-call wins against Akron and UConn and a struggling win against Northwestern. Hoke's job isn't likely in jeopardy, however a couple of his assistants' jobs may be, starting with offensive coordinator Al Borges and his $700,000 salary. Now, a lot of that talk subsides if Michigan finishes with a win against the third-ranked team in the country. It will take the Wolverines' best offensive effort of the season and a stellar day defensively to shut down Ohio State's offense. What Hoke needs to happen is to slow down the Buckeyes early in the game, and if it's a close game or a Michigan lead at halftime, Ohio State could be in trouble. The flip side of all this is a lopsided loss could bring lots of heat on Hoke.
Michigan QB Devin Gardner vs. Ohio State LB Ryan Shazier
Gardner has struggled this season. He has completed less than 60 percent of his passes for 2,509 yards with 11 interceptions and 17 TDs. He is capable of making plays with his feet, but he's capable of losing chunks of yards, too. Gardner has gained 794 yards this season, but he lost 321 for a net of 473. Shazier is coming off his best game of the season and he needs to keep close pace to his 20 tackles he had last week — with 16 of those solos — in order to stay in the conversation on some of the national awards.
Ohio State DTs Adolphus Washington and Michael Bennett vs. Michigan RB Fitz Toussaint
The Buckeyes moved Washington inside with the emergence of Joey Bosa and Noah Spence. With Washington inside next to Bennett, that is OSU's most disruptive line. One of the reasons Michigan's offense has struggled is Toussaint's 3.4 yards per-carry average this season. That's more than a full yards off his career average of 4.5. Toussaint needs to get to the second level but for that to happen, he has to make the front-line miss.
Ohio State QB Braxton Miller vs. Michigan CB Blake Countess
Miller has not thrown the ball particularly well, at least not consistently, the last two games. Still, Miller connected with Devin Smith on a post route for a touchdown against Indiana. Miller has fallen off his 70 percent completion rate, slightly off to 68 percent. Still pretty good. However, Countess leads the Big Ten and is tied for eighth in the country with five picks. Raymon Taylor has four for Michigan. They lead a defense that has 16 picks, and for Michigan to pull off an upset, it is going to have to win the turnover battle. If Miller is on throwing the football, and gets his confidence, it could be a long day for the Wolverines. If Miller struggles in the air, he usually runs too early and gives up on passes.
Ohio State 37, Michigan 20
• James Earl Jones was the voice of Darth Vader and had a memorable role in "Field of Dreams" after his 1955 graduation.
• Jim Buckmaster is the CEO of Craigslist before earning his master's in 1990.
• New York real estate developer Stephen Ross (1962) gave $100 million to the business school in 2004 and $200 million athletics and the business school this year.
• Ann Coulter, surprising given the liberal leanings of Ann Arbor, is a conservative commentator and a 1988 grad.
• Rich Eisen of the NFL Network graduated in 1990.
• Dan Dierdorf graduated in 1970.
• Roger Bettis, who set passing records at Minerva High School, graduated in 1977 and runs Green Line Transportation in Malvern.


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Huge Growth in Store for In-App Mobile Messaging
Jan 16, 2014 5:00 AM PT
In-app mobile advertising is expected to jump significantly between now and 2018, according to new figures from Juniper Research. Ad spend in this category will reach US$16.9 billion by 2018, up from $3.5 billion last year, the consulting group found.
Smartphones currently account for approximately 70 percent of in-app ad spend, Juniper said, but that ratio is expected to change over time as tablet use claims a bigger portion of the mobile ecosystem.
By 2018, the tablet/smartphone adspend split will be almost 50/50, Juniper predicted.
Growth of in-app advertising will be driven by several factors, including improved targeting capabilities and the development of more effective interactive rich media ads, the report found.
There is another reason for the growth, Doug Rozen, senior vice present and general manager of MXM, told CRM Buyer.
In-app ad spending will increase over the next few years for the simple reason that consumers are spending more time accessing content in-app compared to other digital channels.
"More time spent in-app means more opportunity for advertising," Rozen said.
Changing Definition of 'App'
The very definition of an "app" is rapidly changing to include software developed for wearables like smartwatches and Google Glass, as well as cars outfitted with Android and iOS and smart home appliances from retailers like Sony and Samsung.
"This means more useful content for consumers to engage with -- the necessary element of any good ad placement -- and ultimately more opportunity for marketers," Rozen said.
Many Choices
In the near term, though, marketers will be focusing on formats for in-app ads running on smartphones and tablets.
Still, the range of choices and decisions already is wide, said John Milinovich, CEO of URX.
For example, there is a lot of interest in new native ad formats, he said, which boast higher conversion rates and competitive prices, although reach is still relatively small.
"Standard in-app banner ads, on the other hand, are still popular because they have the most reach, costs are relatively low, and conversion rates can be substantial if used correctly," said Milinovich.
There are also the offerings from Facebook to consider. These perform "incredibly well on mobile for both cost-per-install and cost-per-engagement, and remain popular with mobile marketers," he pointed out.
A New Thought Process
Advertisers are approaching in-app advertising in new and more thoughtful ways, Milinovich observed.
"Developing mobile marketing campaigns requires a sensitivity to the form factor that is often missed by brands who've just taken their desktop strategy and applied it to mobile," he explained.
Companies are beginning to understand that mobile apps are incredibly effective points of sale, said Milinovich. They provide a direct way for consumers to make purchases at the point of need.
"Mobile deeplinking creates the opportunity to drive users into the middle of apps to specific points of purchase," he noted, "cutting out several steps from the process."
A Caveat
All of this comes with a caveat, said MXM's Rozen. Five years is a very long time for a rapidly evolving industry.
"Just think, this time five years ago, we had just been introduced to the 3G iPhone, and iPads wouldn't debut until later in the year," he recalled. "We cannot predict a future that has not been fully invented."

subset: commoncrawl


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Jessie J Sued by Singer Will Loomis Over 'Domino'
One of the biggest songs from the past year, Jessie J's 'Domino,' is easily one of the catchiest songs around. But it looks like her hit single may have been borrowed from another singer's line of work — a huge no-no in any type of industry. The singer is now being sued for copyright infringement.
Singer Will Loomis of Newport, Calif. filed suit against the singer and names Jessie J, Universal Music Group, Lava Records, and Universal Republic Records as defendants in the case. He claims that large amounts of his song 'Bright Red Chords,' which was released in 2008, were used in her song 'Domino.'
"Mr. Loomis never consented to the use of his song," wrote Loomis' lawyer Chris Arledge in a statement, "and we look forward to obtaining an appropriate remedy from the court for this clear infringement." Loomis even uploaded a video to YouTube comparing his song and her song side-by-side.
Do you think they sound alike? Let us know!
Listen to 'Bright Red Chords' vs. 'Domino'
Listen to 'Domino' by Jessie J
Listen to 'Bright Red Chords' by Will Loomis


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These days, when cruise lines say they want to baby their passengers, they're not necessarily talking spa treatments and butler service.
They mean rental strollers and onboard nurseries.
Yes, it's cruising for the diapered set. And by many accounts, these tiny passengers are becoming a bigger part of the $37 billion cruise industry, one that gives new meaning to the term, "Baby on board."
Just this week, MSC Cruises, an Italian-based cruise line and Chicco (pronounced kee-ko), an Italian-based baby care brand, announced a partnership in which Chicco will design "innovative" infant and toddler-oriented areas aboard MSC ships. Additionally, Chicco will provide moms and dads with all the requisite baby gear, from bottle warmers to baby backpacks, while on board. "It allows parents not to have to pack as much," says Ken Muskat, an MSC executive vice president.
Other cruise lines are also hopping aboard the baby bandwagon. This summer, Norwegian Cruise Line NCLH, -0.92% is running a "Kids Sail Free" promotion though Aug. 2. And in the past few years, Royal Caribbean International RCL, -0.84% has been expanding its Royal Babies and Tots Nursery program across many of the ships in its fleet. (Royal Caribbean also boasts a "Babies 2 Go" program where parents can order diapers and organic baby food, among other items, for delivery to their stateroom upon arrival.)
And that's not to mention the cruise line that's largely responsible for jump-starting the trend—namely Disney DIS, +0.81% , which launched its kid-friendly cruise line nearly two decades ago. Interestingly, Disney just announced that it's changing the minimum age on its cruises—from 12 weeks to six months--on most of its itineraries. "These minimum age restrictions are consistent with cruise industry standards," said a Disney spokesperson of the change. (Sure enough, most other cruise lines have a six-month minimum.)
But given the fact the Disney Cruise Line isn't quite a new kid on the block, why the cruise industry's newfound emphasis on infant travelers? Most industry observers say it's not about infants per se. Rather, it's about cruise lines trying to woo multigenerational groups. Apparently, the way of late to get grandpa and grandma to travel is to let them bring their grandkids on the trip. Indeed, one-third of grandparents vacationed in this very manner over the past year, according to a recent marketing study.
Also see: Pitching cruising as a multigenerational vacation.
But until relatively recently, if an infant had to be accommodated as part of a multigenerational group, it often meant the trip was a no-go, simply because cruise lines didn't have the requisite services and amenities. That is, until the cruise lines got wise, say industry observers. With so much to be gained financially by welcoming large families, cruise lines "didn't want bringing a baby to be seen as a deterrent," says Colleen McDaniel, managing editor of the Cruise Critic website.
Still, just because a cruise line makes it easy for a child under three to be accommodated doesn't mean every parent—or grandparent—may want to go this route. McDaniel says costs can be an issue, since some cruise lines charge standard prices for infants, despite the fact they won't exactly be eating their fair share at the midnight buffet. And given the potential for virus outbreaks on cruises, some health experts warn that infants and toddlers, who have naturally weaker immune systems, might not be as well-protected.
At the very least, says Dr. Dennis Murray, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, if you bring your little ones with you on your next cruise, "make sure they're getting their hands washed."
Also on MarketWatch:
Cruise industry woos solo travelers
Cruise lines with the best--and worst--tipping policies
Carnival beats profit, revenue estimates


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Twenty students and 12 adults from the West-Side Scholars Academy in Tuscaloosa's West End traveled more than 1,500 miles last month for four days of nature study in the cloud forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica.
Twenty students and 12 adults from the West-Side Scholars Academy in Tuscaloosa's West End traveled more than 1,500 miles last month for four days of nature study in the cloud forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica.
For many, the trip was their first time flying or traveling to a foreign country.
"It was a different culture and it was hard to get used to it, but the people were very nice and open," said Nykia Wallace, 12, a seventh-grader at Westlawn Middle School and second-year student at the academy. "They let us into their homes and fed us. In Alabama, we have more stuff handed to us. But there, they have to work harder. I'm more appreciative of what I have now. I want to travel outside the country more now. I never thought about that before."
The scholars academy, which is located at Plum Grove Baptist Church's development and outreach center, is a fifth- through eighth-grade academic enrichment program that meets from 8 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. It focuses on helping students master math, reading, science, Latin, public speaking, drama, character development and business etiquette.
Academy director Art Dunning said the Costa Rica trip was important because it expanded students' minds and kindled a fire for learning that couldn't be fostered in a typical classroom setting.
"We were trying to stimulate their intellectual curiosity," Dunning said. "We wanted them to see themselves as citizens of the world, not just the U.S. The world is bigger than Tuscaloosa. There's no question that this will help them in their school work.
"One of the things we saw in the classrooms was that these (University of Georgia) graduate students and naturalist who facilitated the classes were so good at teaching that we saw hands just shooting up with questions."
The Rev. Tyshawn Gardner, pastor of Plum Grove and dean of the academy, said he thinks the trip has changed the students view of the world.
"This will not only help them in the classrooms, but it will help them become more conscientious citizens of their communities and stewards of their environment," Gardner said.
The group stayed at the University of Georgia campus in Costa Rica, which is located 3,600 feet above sea level in the Monteverde forest.
Students arose at 5 a.m. and at 6 they began their day by milking cows, followed by an hour of bird-watching in which they learned the migratory patterns and habitats of Costa Rica's more than 230 species of birds.
At 8 a.m., they ate a breakfast of eggs, a variety of local fruit and cooked plantains.
Then it was more study — biodiversity and conservation followed by visits to a coffee farm or an insect lab where they would catch and identify local insects.
Following a lunch of fruit, black beans, rice and sometimes grilled chicken, they visited native Costa Ricans where they learned how they harvested and cooked their food, their customs, culture, history and language, which is Spanish.
"It was interesting seeing how coffee was made and being above sea level," said Kymaya Walker, 12, a seventh-grader at Echol's Middle School. "The food was different. It was organic. They're poorer than us here and have to prepare their own food."
In the afternoon, the group took a class on how ecotourism can be used as a tool for conservation and economic development.
"They're taking their environment and turning it into something people want to see and are willing to pay money to see," Dunning said.
Dinner was served from 4 to 5 p.m. The food was usually the same as what they ate for lunch except it included more vegetables and sometimes pork instead of chicken.
Each day ended with a night hike into the forest after dinner where they would study nocturnal animals.
"The Capuchin monkey was the most interesting thing to me because they're not here and they were everywhere," Walker said.
In addition to their scheduled activities, students visited a volcano, planted two trees each to offset their carbon footprint — the amount of greenhouse gas that each person emits — and on the last day, they zip-lined through the clouds.
"This is the one recreation experience we had," Gardner said. They thought it was an exhilarating experience."
Gardner said the West-Side Scholars Academy plans to take more international field trips for educational purposes in the future.
For more information about the West-Side Scholars Academy, visit www.wsscholarsacademy.org or email email@example.com.
Reach Jamon Smith at firstname.lastname@example.com or 205-722-0204.


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Lee Stempniak
Lee Stempniak #22 is congratulated by Mathieu Schneider #23, Zbynek Michalek #4, and Matthew Lombardi #15 of the Phoenix Coyotes after scoring against the Florida Panthers on March 18, 2010 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. The Coyotes defeated the Panthers 4-3. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
Copyright © 2018, Hartford Courant


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NH College Roundup: Franklin Pierce hockey edges Southern New Hhampshire University
February 12. 2013 11:32PM
Second period goals from Doug Usseglio and Anthony Chighisola lifted Franklin Pierce past Southern New Hampshire University 3-2 in a Northeast-10 men's ice hockey contest Tuesday in Winchendon, Mass.
The Ravens improved to 8-12-2 overall and 6-3-1 in the NE-10. The Penmen fall to 6-10-3 overall and 4-5-1 in the conference.
Women's basketball
Daniel Webster College 60, Bay Path 46: In Holyoke, Mass., freshman guard Ashley Giampetruzzi of Manchester topped all players with 17 points. Giampetruzzi added five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
Women's ice hockey
Plymouth State 1, Castleton State 1: In Plymouth, junior goaltender Ali Ponte had 44 saves and classmate Katie Landry scored a power play goal with less than three minutes remaining for the Panthers.
Track and Field
UNH: In Boston on Tuesday, Kevin Greene and John Prizzi captured individual titles to lead the men's team to a fifth-place finish at the America East Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center.
Greene won the mile in an IC4A-qualifying time of 4 minutes, 13.93 seconds. Prizzi claimed first-place in the 3,000 meters in 8:23.74 to qualify for the IC4A Championships.
In the women's meet for UNH which finished fifth, Keely Maguire placed runner-up in the 3,000 meters with an ECAC-qualifying time of 9:29.49. Elise Beattie claimed second place in the 5,000 meters in an ECAC-qualifying time of 17:15.62.
Women's soccer
UNH: Sam Lopes has been hired as the women's soccer head coach. Lopes has over 11 years of women's soccer coaching experience. Most recently Lopes served as the top assistant at Providence College.
SNHU: The Penmen will host Franklin Pierce today in a women's (5:30 p.m. start) and men's (7:30 p.m.) basketball doubleheader.


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Loss to Spurs just the tip of the iceberg
Loss to Spurs just the tip of the iceberg
By Billy Witz
LOS ANGELES -- Pau Gasol was left with a black-and-blue welt under his right eye, courtesy of an inadvertent punch from Antonio McDyess that staggered Gasol early in the game.
But what really hurt, both for Gasol and the Lakers, was another blow that McDyess delivered.
His tip-in at the buzzer of Tim Duncan's bank shot lifted San Antonio to an 89-88 victory at Staples Center, a defeat that stings on several levels -- the most visceral being that three times in the final 22.7 seconds, the Lakers were unable to secure a game-sealing rebound.
The final time they were beaten to the ball by a 36-year-old backup power forward whose tip with 0.1 seconds left sent the Spurs giddily off the court.
"I got caught watching and didn't keep my body on him," said Lamar Odom, who was responsible for McDyess.
The defeat also hurt in a practical sense. The Lakers' hopes -- faint as they are -- of catching San Antonio for the best record in the Western Conference took another hit. They now trail San Antonio by eight games in the loss column and can do no better than split the season series with the Spurs.
Also taking another hit was the notion that the two-time defending champs are still the team to beat in the NBA.
They dropped to 34-16 and are now third in the Western Conference and sixth overall. That placement is no fluke, either. They are 1-6 against the five teams ahead of them -- Boston, Miami, Chicago, Dallas and San Antonio, and the lone victory was at home against the Carlos Boozer-less Bulls.
Such is the state of the Lakers, who have lost three of their last four -- the only victory in overtime against Houston -- and five of their last nine, that a last-second defeat is considered a sign of progress.
Their defense was solid, particularly that of Ron Artest, who bounced back after a report that suggested he would welcome a trade with a strong game against Manu Ginobli, who made just 5 of 17 shots.
The Lakers held San Antonio to just 41.2 percent shooting, crawled back from an 8-point, fourth-quarter deficit and out-rebounded San Antonio, 44-38.
But the sometimes-inspired defense disappeared altogether when it mattered.
After Gasol made two free throws with 22.7 seconds to give the Lakers the lead, the Spurs got three excellent shots.
The first, a wide-open 3-pointer by Ginobili, missed with about 14 seconds left, but McDyess fought his way to the rebound and sent the ball back out. This time, it was left to Tony Parker to free himself from Steve Blake and launch one of his bread-and-butter shots -- a floater in the lane.
The ball rattled around the rim and bounced out, but McDyess beat Artest to the ball and all the Lakers forward could do was knock it out of bounds with 4.6 seconds left.
The Spurs called timeout, then inbounded the ball to Duncan, who was isolated against Gasol on the right block. Duncan turned and launched a high-arching shot that banked off the glass, then the rim and bounced just to the left of the basket where McDyess was waiting. He leaped and tipped it in at the buzzer.
"It was like slow-motion," said McDyess of the last of his six offensive rebounds. "There was a lot of moving, a lot of switching. I knew after I fouled Pau that I had to get to the boards. I got my hand on all three balls."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that with all the switching the Lakers were doing to help on the final possession, Odom got pinned on the wrong side of McDyess.
"The defense has to react and we couldn't get a rebound," Jackson said. "We should have boxed him out. There were too many opportunities at the end of the game. They had four attempts and it cost us."
Gasol, who himself picked up two key offensive rebounds down the stretch, said that the Lakers should have been more aggressive pursuing the ball.
"You've got to find a body," Gasol said. "They got on our backs and it was questionable, but the referees are not going to call it. You have to put him on his ass if you need to."
Right now, it is those little things that separate the Spurs from the Lakers and Thursday they were separated by the thinnest of margins. So it was not surprising that the Spurs, of all teams, expect to hear from the Lakers again.
"I think we're a good team, but I don't have any problem saying that the Lakers are the best team in the West," said Spurs coach Greg Popovich, whose team is 41-8. "I think the struggles are overblown by you guys and gals. They are who they are. They've been doing this a long time. There's no doubt that there's going to be some nights where it's not all there -- emotionally. I think they're the best. I really do."
When this was relayed to Jackson, he smiled.
"I'd like to agree with him," Jackson said. "But our record doesn't show it."
Nevertheless, there was some growth from the Lakers in their performance, which they will need to build upon when they embark Friday on a two-week road trip that will carry them into the All-Star break.
"We should focus on how hard we played," Gasol said. "We need to build our confidence."
Right now, it does not look any better than Gasol's eye -- black and blue, as if it had seen better days.
Video - Fox Sports West
Video - Fox Sports West
With 26 points on 4 of 4 shots from distance in only 20 minutes of PT. Efficient eviceration.
Wolves' fan: ginobili vs. the wolves is like he's just kind of laughing to himself all game...kind of like he thinks it's cute that they're trying to play basketball.
[email protected]
The Cap'n says "Go Spurs Go!"
Now mind your manners, each your spinach and never ever listen to David Hasselhoff records. They're for wussies...Ba ding ding.
the problem with that though is Fisher is not good in an uptempo system (he failed when he was in Golden State for 2 years or so) nor does he have the legs to play a whole game in a set offense where he's the jump shooter and best defender, can you imagine him in an offense that tries to score in 7-10 seconds or less? you also have to have shooting to run effectively (this year everyone but Blair can shoot which gives him space in the paint). the Lakers are not willing to trust Artest to be a quick trigger jump shooter in that style (since he already has a quick trigger in a set offense). Fisher isn't a quick trigger shooter, he needs to be in his spot, feet set, squared up. if those 2 can't make shots and you have Bynum who can't shoot, then you pack the paint because Kobe isn't a high volume jump shooter either (neither Odom). also remember to run you need an effective outlet passing big, which they don't have. if they run and can't score, they'd get blown out in a series in my opinion.
I think this year's version of the Spurs runs better than past versions. A couple of those ran the Suns out of the gym on their way to championships, so i would be wary of trying to run away from these Spurs. Upping the tempo, in my little ole brain box, is playing right into the Spurs' strength. They can go small and put all their greyhounds out there and get up and down with the best of them while resting the the bigs. this time I have to disagree with the Jet.
Charles is right to a degree, but if these guys continue with the good health, since there are no back to backs and it appears Pop will be able to rest them, these guys may just have enough. A few more games where Pop feels confident working in Splitter like tonight may provide them with the extra length and size the seem to lack.
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Minneapolis - Police arrested seven people today outside the
foreclosed home of Rosemary Williams, a Minneapolis woman who has
publicly refused to leave the property for months.
About a dozen Minneapolis police officers arrived at the south
Minneapolis home this afternoon, at the request of GMAC Mortgage, the
legal owner of the property. A private company boarded up the house
with bright metal sheeting, after officers allowed Williams and several
supporters to remove personal belongings.
The arrests occurred after protesters broke through plastic police tape
roping off the property and sat down on the sidewalk. Police sprayed
the group with pepper spray as they broke through the tape.
The protesters will likely be charged with misdemeanors for obstructing
the legal process, police officials said.
Williams' lengthy fight to remain in her house has inspired several
local homeowners to remain in their homes despite eviction orders.
Three women facing foreclosure arrived at the property today to show
their support.
"What good is this?" said Linda Nurenberg, a Robbinsdale woman who has
refused to leave the foreclosed home her father built in 1944.
"Another vacant house, and of course I'm scared I could be next."
Nurenberg has a motion pending to fight eviction from her home. She
said she attended a prayer vigil with Williams last night, and
characterized Williams' mood as upbeat, and grateful for community
About 50 supporters stayed at the property throughout the early
evening, chanting, "Foreclose the banks, not people's homes. Let
Rosemary stay."
Minneapolis police spokesperson Sgt. Jesse Garcia, who spent his
morning at the funeral of slain North St. Paul police officer Richard
Crittenden, said that the heavy metal materials used to board up the
house were unusual. A vacant home across the street has been boarded up
with simple wood slabs for months.
"They secured my house with military armament," Williams said.
Activists outside the house speculated that breaking through the metal
barriers would be difficult, if not impossible. They declined to
comment on whether more civil disobedience is planned.
Police officers plan to remain at the property at least overnight to prevent trespassing.
Williams has been fighting eviction for months. GMAC said in a
statement that it has attempted to negotiate several arrangements that
would have allowed Williams to remain in her home, but they all fell
Williams was ordered to leave her property on Aug. 7, when Hennepin
County sheriff's deputies served the eviction notice and changed the
locks on her house. But a group of her supporters broke the locks and
have been occupying the home ever since, vowing to stay despite the
"We intend to protest this," said activist Mick Kelly this afternoon.
"Our goal is to get justice for Rosemary, to allow Rosemary to stay in
her home."
Williams accepted a $5,000 check from GMAC this afternoon, but has not
yet decided whether to cash it. A GMAC spokesperson said the company
provided the money to help Williams relocate to a new residence.
"Today's actions were very difficult, and a regrettable end to 18
months of seeking a solution with Ms. Williams, with local non-profits
and with the mortgage investor to keep her in the home on Clinton
Avenue," said GMAC officials in a statement. "Unfortunately, Ms.
Williams was chronically unable to meet her payment commitments under
the adjustable rate mortgage she originated with BNC Mortgage."
Williams, who recently started working as a home health care assistant,
vowed to continue her fight to purchase the property. She also plans to
hand out flyers protesting foreclosure at President Obama's rally in
Minneapolis tomorrow.
But Friday night, Williams' concerns are more immediate. While she was
trying to decide where to spend the night, she realized she left her
antique sewing machine in the boarded up garage.
"Oh well, it happens," Williams said. "With everything that's been
going on these last few months, you never know what to expect."


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I hope this letter will help keep someone else from making the same mistake I did. I never thought this would happen to me. I even looked in the mirror to see if I had "Stupid" splashed across my forehead.
I let a young man cheat me out of a lot of money. He came to my house and talked me into letting him pave my driveway with recycled asphalt.
I know that this can be a good thing if it is done right, but this was not done right.
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City of Hopewell Junction, New York. Not even a city...a town? Closer. Maybe a village, a hamlet, a one horse town. Maybe two horses in a stretch.
Not as cool as Po-town.
Not as cool as Po-town.
"Hey, what's that dot on the map?"
"Oh, that's Hopey J."
"Oh, that's Hopey J."
by Martin December 30, 2004
buy the domain for your recipe vlog


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Another definition of science ...
"... a body of knowledge collected an nurtured by experts according to neutral, objective, and universal standards."That's from an entertaining article with the staggeringly unoriginal title "The Management Myth" in the June issue of The Atlantic (which was kindly passed on to me by Brother Hrab).
Hmmm, doesn't strike me as a great definition. Who are these "experts"? And what are these "neutral, objective, and universal standards"? But most of all, I still think that science is fundamentally observational. To give some context, the author of the piece, Matthew Stewart, was discussing the historical development of "scientific management". (Full disclosure: I co-authored a paper in the journal Management Science a few years ago.) To my mind, unless there's an attempt to take careful observations, it's not science.
As an aside, I'd like to comment on an ambiguity in the word observational. Sometimes people distinguish experimental from "observational" methods. But of course observation is a component in experimentation; the real distinction is that in experimentation there is planned manipulation of conditions. Sometimes, to evade this distinction, people refer to "natural" experiments, namely observations with coincident variation in potential explanatory factors. But you can't get around the fact that these are not real experiments, and may well suffer from the usual shortcomings of non-experimental studies. And that would be my preference for terminology: experimental versus non-experimental studies. Sometimes people will insist that it's not science if it's not experimental, but this is going too far: it would rule out—among many other sciences—astrophysics and evolutionary biology. Of course there are many challenging issues in analysis of data from non-experimental studies. Consider, for example, the analysis of data from a case-control study. While this epidemiological design is indispensable for investigating rare outcomes and in cases where randomization is not ethical, the problem of confounding can bedevil analysis. Hey, science isn't always easy (certainly not as easy as the textbooks sometimes portray it).
Returning to Stewart's piece in The Atlantic, I think he's at his best skewering management fads and the associated vapid management-speak:
"On the whole ... management has been less than a boon for those who value free and meaningful speech. M.B.A.s have taken obfuscatory jargon—otherwise known as bullshit—to a level that would have made even the Scholastics blanch. As students of philosophy know, Descartes dismantled the edifice of medieval thought by writing clearly and showing that knowledge, by its nature, is intelligible, not obscure."I end with a cartoon that, by its nature, is intelligible, not obscure:


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Egyptian police must act more quickly against Muslim rioters, a Catholic bishop said after 12 people were killed and two churches burned in Cairo during a night of violence on May 7. Bishop Antonios Aziz Mina of Giza said Egypt would descend into anarchy if such outbreaks were allowed to go unpunished. "Without action from the police and the army, it will be chaos, complete anarchy," the bishop said. The bishop added: "We cannot make peace and reconciliation without first bringing people to justice. Otherwise, the reconciliation is just theater, and the problems will remain." Bishop Mina's remarks followed violence triggered by rumors that a Christian woman who wanted to convert to Islam was being held against her will in the Orthodox Church of St. Mina in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba. A mob formed, encouraged by Salafis, an ultraconservative Islamic sect. In the ensuing violence, seven Christians and five Muslims were killed, and more than 200 others—the vast majority of them Christians—were injured.
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Theme Park Tickets
Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida features 4 unique theme parks for you to explore. Consider how many days - Opens a dialog you'll need to enjoy it all. Be sure your visit includes Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom park and our all-new Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios!
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Florida Residents
All adults will need to show proof of Florida residency when picking up their tickets at the park entrance.
Theme Park Tickets*
Theme park tickets provide admission to one theme park per day for each day of your ticket. Take advantage of our Park Hopper Option for same-day admission on each day of your ticket to all 4 theme parks—which includes the exciting lands of Pandora – The World of Avatar, and our all-new Toy Story Land.
- Magic Kingdom Park
- Epcot
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Park
- Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Disney FASTPASS+ Service
- Park Hopper Option
- About 1-Day Tickets
- How Long Should I Stay?
- Park Hopper Plus Option
Magic Kingdom Park
Enjoy classic attractions and entertainment, meet beloved Disney Characters and watch spectacular parades in a place that captures the enchantment of fairy tales across 6 whimsical lands—Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Main Street, U.S.A.. Zoom through space, become a swashbuckling pirate and see fireworks light up the sky over Cinderella Castle!
Ignite your imagination in a land filled with innovation and discovery. At Frozen Ever After, set sail on a musical boat ride through Arendelle. Aboard Soarin' Around the World, fly to far-flung destinations. Discover festivals with landscaped gardens, musical performances, culinary delights and artful displays. See dazzling fireworks light up the sky. And enjoy the culture and cuisine of 11 nations: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Park
Discover one of the largest animal-themed parks in the world—home to more than 1,700 animals across 250 species and featuring exciting expeditions, wild adventures and elaborate parades and performances. Explore enthralling lands. Discover a distant world with a mystical bioluminescent river and floating mountains, Pandora—The World of Avatar. By day, dive into Finding Nemo - The Musical with Broadway-style puppetry. By night, embrace the magic of nature during the Rivers of Light show.
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Catch behind-the-scenes glimpses of Hollywood-style TV and movie magic in a theme park with the vibrancy of a bustling film set. Watch live performances, experience thrilling attractions, take a backstage tour and explore Toy Story Land to take off on the Slinky Dog Dash coaster and spin through space aboard Alien Swirling Saucers. Be part of the action and entertainment that puts you center stage!
Disney FASTPASS+ Service
Reserve access to select Walt Disney World experiences before you even leave home. Using the My Disney Experience planning page or mobile app, you can select attractions, Character Greetings, shows, and parade viewing areas to skip the long queues for. Plus, there is no extra charge to use FastPass+ service.
Park Hopper Option
With so much to see and do, why not take advantage of the Park Hopper Option? Then you can enjoy same-day admission to all 4 of our theme parks—Magic Kingdom park, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom park and Disney's Hollywood Studios—on each day of your ticket.
About 1-Day Tickets
Choose a ticket either (1) valid for one admission to Magic Kingdom park only, or (2) valid for one admission to one of the following only: Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios or Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. Tickets are priced by Peak, Regular and Value seasons. Peak, Regular and Value validity dates continue to be added to the calendar from time to time, so please check back often. The dates assigned to each of these seasons and the number of days in each of these seasons may change from year to year.
Peak Ticket
A Peak Ticket is valid for admission on any Peak, Regular or Value season date.
Regular Ticket
A Regular Ticket is valid for admission on any Regular or Value season date.
Value Ticket
A Value Ticket is valid for admission on any Value season date.
Our 1-Day Peak, Regular and Value Tickets must be used by December 31, 2019, but the amount paid for an unused, expired ticket may be applied towards the purchase of a new ticket at the current price, so long as the new ticket purchase price is equal to or greater than the amount paid for the original ticket.
Not valid for separately priced activities/events. No credit or refund will be given if a higher season ticket is used on a lower season date. Admission is subject to capacity closures and to other restrictions.
About Multi-Day Tickets
Multi-day theme park tickets have different admission entitlements and validity dates. Details are available to view once you select a multi-day ticket.
How Long Should I Stay?
There's so much to see and do at each of our 4 parks! Consider staying 4 days, so you can:
- Journey to Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom park
- Experience new intergalactic Star Wars adventures at Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Design a virtual vehicle and take it for a spin at Test Track in Epcot
- Race through a diamond mine on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train family coaster in Magic Kingdom park
Park Hopper Plus Option
With this option, you enjoy same-day admission to all 4 of our theme parks—Magic Kingdom park, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom park and Disney's Hollywood Studios—on each day of your ticket.
Plus, you get a certain number of visits to other Walt Disney World fun based on the length of your ticket. For example, a 4-day ticket allows 4 visits and a 5-day ticket allows 5 visits. (The only exception to this is that a 1-day ticket allows 2 visits). For each visit, you can choose one of the following:
- Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
This thrilling water park features one of the world's tallest and fastest free-falling waterslides, as well as slides and rides for the whole family.
- Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
From fast waterslides to a children's area with pint-sized raft rides, this water park has attractions for everyone. Catch 6-foot waves or float on an inner tube down a lazy river.
- ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Play at the next level of sports excitement with state-of-the-art video monitoring and sporting events year round.
- Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course
Enjoy a 2,913 yard, par 36, 9-hole walking course with fun for everyone, from developing golfers to experienced players. Greens fees only.
- Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
Play one round of miniature golf (prior to 4:00 PM) at a fun course inspired by the Disney classic film Fantasia, OR
- Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
Treat yourself to one round of miniature golf (prior to 4:00 PM) at either of 2 Santa Claus-themed courses.
Tickets and any options purchased must be used within 14 days of first use, except for Florida Resident 3-Day and 4-Day Tickets. Florida Resident 3-Day and 4-Day Tickets expire 180 days after first use. For all tickets, first use must occur on or before December 31, 2019.
All tickets and options are nontransferable and nonrefundable and exclude activities/events separately priced. Water Parks subject to rehabilitation, seasonal and weather closures.


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GOSHEN — Village shopkeepers point to empty sidewalks outside their businesses when asked about the impact of the year-long Government Center closure.
Nice days often drew parades of folks from the center of Orange County government for a bite to eat or some quick shopping. That's been just a memory, though, since County Executive Ed Diana ordered the building closed amidst health concerns about mold that grew in the wake of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.
Losing the county Clerk's Office and the branch office of the state Department of Motor Vehicles have been particularly damaging, said Lynn Cione, executive director of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce.
"The biggest negative impact has been the loss of traffic," Cione said in her Main Street office. "The people coming to the DMV would stop to grab a sandwich while they were here. They'd go to the hardware store, or to Linda's (office supplies/gifts). The loss of foot traffic has been the biggest negative."
While Dan Saretto's business, Not Just Bagels, still makes deliveries to hungry county workers, they're more spread out these days, as far off as Black Dirt country on Quarry Road.
"It's a lot harder getting to Quarry Road than it was just going down the street," Saretto said. "And there aren't as many people in town as there once were."
A common conversation when merchants get together focuses on the loss of foot traffic and the revenue it generated, said Larry Sienko, manager of Foley's Goshen Hardware.
"All the shop owners on Main Street feel the difference," Sienko said. "The Government Center brought people into town. Now they just drive on through because they're (government offices) so spread out."
Some merchants felt caught in the middle of the debate about whether to build a new center or renovate the existing one. They gave no estimates of their lost revenue, but one said he was using loans to supplement cash flow.
Mayor Kyle Roddy told about 50 chamber members at a recent breakfast meeting he shared the group's concerns regarding the closed center.
"We don't care what they do: tear it down, renovate, but do it yesterday," Roddy said.
About 52 percent of property in the village is tax exempt, largely because of governmental buildings. Losing foot traffic from the shuttered Government Center is like a double whammy, Roddy said, because now the village gets absolutely no benefit from it.
Steve Spindler, proprietor of Steve's Deli and a village merchant for about 30 years, points toward an empty sidewalk.
"It's like every day is Columbus Day here in town," he said of a holiday that would close the center. "It just seems that there's a lot of politics going on, and that just has to run its course."
Village of Goshen's merchants lament Government Center closing
GOSHEN — Village shopkeepers point to empty sidewalks outside their businesses when asked about the impact of the year-long Government Center closure.


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Your article about the sad situation at Pomonok ("90-year-old war vet fights NYCHA downsizing" - 05/08/14) spotlights how the NYCHA is targeting seniors.
A World War II veteran who served his country with honor is being dishonored by the NYCHA's brain-dead decision makers. Their order forcing Ralph Calindo to leave the Pomonok apartment he's occupied for 60 years is a death sentence. He'll lose friends, neighbors and support systems he needs.
He's among many seniors in public housing projects who are targeted for eviction and relocation to make room for young tenants with children. NYCHA calls this policy "right sizing." Wrong sizing and elder abuse are more accurate labels.
Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz introduced a bill banning NYCHA from evicting tenants who are 61 or older, or who have lived in their apartments for at least 20 years. Albany's lawmakers must pass it.
Richard Reif


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Amarillo, TX – Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, today said that a bill introduced in Arkansas, requiring abortion facilities to post a sign stating that it is against the law to coerce someone to have the procedure, is a measure that no one should oppose.
"I have spoken to many women whose 'choice' of abortion was actually someone else's choice," Fr. Pavone stated. "It's time for those who claim the label 'pro-choice' to support this bill vigorously."
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.


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The site is located in the east of Hokkaido. And this architecture is planned for husband and wife in flagpole site form. Surroundings this site, next house is in east side, and next house's garage is in north side. It has no need to view surroundings with work place of iron factory in south side. And the garden of next house in the west, but it is difficult to predict how changing with this place would finally feel. This house was designed while considering climate environment and surrounding context.
- Architect: Jun Igarashi Architects
- Location: Hokkaido, Japan
- Article source: Jun Igarashi Architects (with minor corrections by the editor)


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The school system needs to replace 7,000 computers before the summer of 2014, leaders of a panel told the School Committee tonight.
Microsoft will stop supporting Windows XP in 2014. That means the school system's computers, which carry everything from school work to medical records, will become vulnerable to hackers and viruses. The city replaced all of its non-school computers this year because of the same reason, according to the report. If the schools go the same route as the city and lease computers, the five-year lease would cost $1.074 million a year.
"The challenge to our budget is real," Superintendent Melinda J. Boone said, adding that she is already speaking with the Worcester Educational Development Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the schools, to see what outside funding help might be available. "We cannot continue to nickel and dime our technology to the detriment of our students and staff."
The Worcester Technology Blue Ribbon Panel, which was led by Ted Coghlin of Coghlin Electrical and Worcester schools' Information Technology Officer Bob Walton, included representatives from The Hanover Insurance Group, Unum, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Coghlin Electrical Contractors and the school district itself.
"The business community is very supportive of this, and there are a lot of business members who I think want to get in and help," Mr. Coghlin said.
The report also urges the district to invest in many more technology integration staff to help teachers use technology in their lessons. While many districts have one or more such staff people per building, Worcester, which has 50 buildings, has one integration person for the entire district. The report urges adding at least 11 integration staff members for the next for the next four years. In the meantime, however, college interns will help.
The report also recommends new professional development and infrastructure. The grand total for the first year would be at least $2.6 million, and that much or more in the following three years. Leased computers would still cost $1.074 million in the fifth year.
"The proposal may be a bit rich for my taste and my colleague's taste," committee member Jack L. Foley said. But, he added, " I think it's a no-brtainer that we have to replace the computes that are there."
The technology report noted that many of the school district's 50 building are more than 100 years old: "Electricity was a retrofit in these buildings," it states. While they're all wired for Internet, 16 still do not have wireless networks.
In addition to the hardware and staffing recommendations, the report also urges the School Committee to change policies, such as considering a bring-your-own-technology policy and lifting the ban on cell phones. An immediate change could overwhelm networks, but Mr. Walton said it might be possible to try it at a small number of schools, like the new North High School and Worcester Technical High School. A subcommittee will review the cell phone policy.
Earlier in the night, the School Committee voted 5-2 to give new Manager of Special Education and Intervention Services Kay C. Seale a three-year contract with a $137,000 salary the first year, $14,000 the second year and $143,000 the third year. This was more than the $133,000 Marco C. Rodrigues earned before he was promoted to chief academic officer.
Committee member Dianna L. Biancheria was vehemently opposed. "We need to recognize that the taxpayers count in our city," she said, and Donna M. Colorio joined her on the nay side.
Mayor Joseph M. Petty argued for the supporters, "She's worth every single penny," she said, noting that special education missteps can be extremely costly. Ms. Seale, who is special education director for the Brockton public schools, is due to start in January.


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Avril Lavigne: 'What the Hell' Song Preview!
Check out this 30 second preview of Avril Lavigne's upcoming single "What the Hell!"
Avril has some exciting news for her fans who have been wanting to order her Abbey Dawn clothes online.
In the past, Abbey Dawn was sold exclusively in Kohl's stores, but Avril just announced that an online shop will launch to sell the clothes internationally!
Go to AbbeyDawn.com for more information!
Listen to the clip below…


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I am an accidental youth minister. After many years as an editor, two stints as a director of religious education and a relocation to Wisconsin, I am three years into my current position. These days I stay up late on mission trips and confirmation retreats instead of burning the midnight oil to write articles on Catholic social teaching. Now I use Facebook more than Photoshop and refer to the Urban Dictionary more than Merriam-Webster.
I have worked for the church my entire professional life—25 years—and thought I had seen just about everything possible in parish life. What I did not glean from interviews with national church leaders and veteran "people in the pews," I figured I knew firsthand as an overcommitted church volunteer myself.
In 2006, however, I accepted a job as a parish director of religious education and got the education of my life. Jesus may have said, "The harvest is plentiful, laborers are few." But Dwight Eisenhower put it more precisely for parish workers when he said, "Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the cornfield." As one who now toils in the fields of parish ministry, I see two bracing challenges.
First, most people have no clue about the myriad maddening details or the continuous drain on energy and attention that go into running a local parish. I have gained new respect for parish priests, seeing the hours they keep, the expectations people have of them and the way they are pulled 10 different directions each day. Expectations of pastors are passed on to the parish staff.
The local parish is not a typical workplace; the detailed work you are paid to do is constantly interrupted by people seeking many different things. Nor are parishioners the kind of clientele you encounter in other lines of work. I once heard a speaker say: "Nobody goes to the drive-up window at the bank and tells the manager, in fine detail, how to run her business. But parishioners do that to trained church staffpeople all the time."
Second, the distressing disintegration of family life shows up in living color at the parish: Many families are in financial trouble; many face the ripple effects of divorce and rocky remarriages. The needs strain a social-services safety net that includes parishes and schools. Few seem to understand the insidious way competition and consumerism erode the foundation of family life. Ironically, in a quest to give their children the best of everything, busy families rarely sit down together any more to eat a meal or go to Mass. Time together means driving a minivan to sporting events and music practices, everyone too occupied with iPods, cellphones and Disney DVDs to converse. As a parish minister, I see a generation of distracted children and harried parents who need repeated reminders to sign up for programs, hesitate to commit themselves to participate and expect endless flexibility. It is as if the parish has become a commodity instead of a community.
Despite those challenges, I truly enjoy being a youth minister, particularly when I can interact directly with teens. I love hunting for new ways to touch their tender hearts and slightly cynical minds, opportunities to showcase the everyday wisdom of the Catholic faith and the reality of God's unrelenting love. Somehow I am able to earn their honesty, respect and trust. I would like to think it is because I try to approach them from the start with honesty, respect and trust, instead of phoniness or agendas. Listening has turned me into their emissary and advocate among the other adults who populate their world—not in a doting, hovering-helicopter parent way but in a manner that challenges teens to rethink their assumptions.
Teenagers challenge my assumptions, too, and keep me on my toes. We remind each other to laugh out loud and sing along to songs on the radio. Becoming a youth minister has taught me to value a good road trip. Happiness is a carload of teens in lively conversation, as we make our way to a conference or work site. Sometimes the talk turns serious; they ask tough questions or admit to common conflicts with parents, teachers, siblings, peers and significant others. These young people are some of the best traveling companions I have ever had: always entertaining, unusually honest, sometimes vulnerable, typically hopeful.
When the hardest parts of parish work get me down, I find my comfort in the prayer I teach for confirmation (St. Augustine's "Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit") and in the breath of fresh air I find in the company of these parish teenagers.


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Bringing the private sector into federal innovation
White House looks to issuing bonds that return a profit on successful initiatives.
Taking an innovative approach to social programs isn't merely a matter of adopting new ideas, Jonathan Greenblatt said Thursday; it's also about finding new funders.
Greenblatt is director of the White House Social Innovation and Civic Participation Office, which is exploring ways to drive more financial support to social programs through private sector investment.
One possibility the office is investigating is pay-for-success bonds, an investment the private sector can make in a government social program that pays off if the program succeeds in reducing costs long term.
That kind of investment works only if the government has metrics and research that pass private sector muster and prove the investment is likely to pay off, Greenblatt said. He was speaking at Government Executive Media Group's Excellence in Government conference. Nextgov is a division of Government Executive.
The president's fiscal 2012 federal budget allocated up to $100 million for pay for success initiatives in the Justice and Labor departments and other agencies. The White House also is monitoring pay for success programs at the state and local levels, Greenblatt said.
Among the most prominent so far is a New York City initiative to reduce recidivism among first-time criminals. The city convinced Goldman Sachs to invest nearly $10 million to fund the program with an agreement the finance giant will get more than 20 percent in return if the program proves successful. That payback will be funded by savings the city accrues from not incarcerating repeat offenders, Greenblatt said.
"Let's admit what we can't do here, which is to top-down create new programs that solve our most pressing problems," he said. "Instead, let's try to cultivate the conditions so that bottom-up innovation can happen all over the country . . . When you think that way, it changes the paradigm from block grants or doling out money on the basis of census tracts and you start thinking in a more almost venture capital-type way of targeting investments where you see success."


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The American Express Company (NYSE: AXP), is a global financial services institution whose main offerings are charge and credit cards. American Express earns about half of its revenue from merchants, charging them a discount rate for each transaction processed. The other major source of revenue is cardholders themselves, who pay annual fees and interest charges on balances. During 2010, American Express posted a net income of $4.1 billion from its total revenues of $27.8 billion.[1]
American Express announced that it would revive its share repurchase plan.[2] The announcement came after obtaining approval from the Federal Reserve after American Express passed stress tests. American Express did not announce how many shares or how quickly it would repurchase shares. However, despite the positive news for investors, American Express also announced that its legal liabilities would exceed the amount it had set aside already, with up to $500 million in additional legal costs.[3]
Headquartered in New York City, American Express is a global payment and travel service company. Because American Express is one of the leading issuers of corporate credit cards, its customers on average spend up to 2-4 times as much as customers using competing cards; the average American Express cardholder spent $11,213 per year, excluding cards issued by affiliates.[4] This allows American Express to charge a discount rate over twice as high as either of its main competitors (an average of 2.54%).[4] This combination of higher discount rates and big-spending cardholders means that American Express earns much more per swipe than either Visa (V) or Mastercard (MA).
As a credit card issuer, American Express's performance is highly dependent on the overall state of the economy. During economic downturns, consumer spending drops, while booms can stimulate spending and borrowing. With the falling U.S. home prices, tightening credit markets, and the general economic uncertainty caused by the subprime lending fiasco, credit card issuers like American Express are facing declining consumer spending as well as the increased likelihood that some customers will be unable to repay their balances. Additionally, interest rate cuts could pressure lenders like American Express to lower the rates they charge on balances, further hurting earnings.
During 2010, American Express posted a net income of $4.1 billion from its total revenues of $27.8 billion.[1] This was an increase from its 2009 net income of $2.1 billion and revenues of $24.5 billion/[1]
American Express offers a number of products and services to its customers. They include U.S. Card Services, Prepaid Product, International Card & Global Commercial Services, and Global Network & Merchant Services.
This division's products include their branded cards as well as several niche charge and credit cards (e.g., student, travel rewards).
The GCS branch of American Express provides expense management services to firms worldwide. Products offerings include corporate cards provided to a company's employees and corporate purchasing solutions for items such as office supplies. American Express also focuses on business travel planning and expense management.
The GNS business operates a business that signs merchants to accept American Express cards and processes card transactions for those merchants. American Express successfully sued Visa and MasterCard on anti-trust grounds to allow U.S. banks to issue American Express cards. This business segments oversees the charge and credit card network that includes both proprietary cards and those licensed under partnership agreements.
In order to secure partnerships with merchants, GNS also provides partner financial institutions and merchants with services such as back-office products and marketing programs.
American Express generates revenue from six sources: i) Discount Revenue, ii) Travel, Commission, and other Fees, iii) Net Card Fees, and iv) Net Securitization Income, and v) Net Interest Income, and vi) Other Income.
The company receives a portion of every transaction charged to its credit and charge cards, and this fee is assessed to merchants' respective businesses. Historically over half of all American Express revenues come from discount revenues.
With the recessionary period, fewer people traveled, which led to the decline in lower fees.
Card Fees come from annual memberships, foreign exchange conversion fees, and service fees.
Net interest income is defined as total interest earned minus total interest expense.
Revenue from this segment includes various fees such as commissions from partners.
On March 30 of 2011, American Express received news that the Federal Reserve missed a deadline for issuing final rules that would put restrictions on debit interchange fees that banks and debit card companies are able charge to merchants.[5] Industry analysts generally see this as a positive for companies such as Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA), but may have less of an impact on American Express since it does not make extensive use of debit cards.
American Express also came to an agreement with Facebook in July 2011. AMEX will offer discount offers to Facebook members who link their card to their account based on their activity on Facebook. This represents a movement of American Express to the social and web technology industry.[6]
The Federal Reserve, under orders from Congress released a set of proposed rules that would limit debit card interchange fees at just 12 cents per transaction, significantly lower than the average 44 cents the card companies are currently charging.[7] At 12 cents per transactions, it is expected that the banks and issues will not be able to cover their costs of operations, which could significantly hurt their profitability. American Express, Visa (V), and Mastercard (MA) are all expected to be significantly hurt by this regulation if passed, as they would not only lose control over their ability to set their price for interchange fees, but would also have their fee revenue capped at 12 cents per dollar of transaction. Whether these proposed rules ultimately get passed into law or are amended remains to be seen.
Visa announced that it has teamed up with Wells Fargo to pilot test a mobile payments system using smartphones such as the iPhone and Blackberry. This announcement came shortly after three of the largest telecom carriers (AT&T (T), Verizon Communications (VZ), and T-Mobile announced a joint venture for mobile payments technology as they try to shift the future of mobile payments away from credit card companies and towards mobile phone companies. The upcoming struggle for mobile payments dominance between credit card companies and telecom companies may have huge implications for future earnings for the dominant players as this market begins to develop. However, American Express seems to be left out as currently only Visa and Wells Fargo have teamed up to explore this potential market.
President Obama signed into law the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, a wide ranging credit card reform bill set to fully take effect.[8] Included in this bill are restrictions on interest rate increases, a 45 day notice before changing interest rates, restrictions on fees that can be charged, requirements for more disclosure, and limits on ability of those under the age of 21 to obtain cards, among others.[9] Banks have warned that the new legislation will increase rates, decrease credit extended, and increase the use of annual fees for cards.[10] Less credit likely means less transactions, transaction amounts, and thus a negative impact on earnings.
U.S. consumers have increasingly used credit cards to pay for more purchases than cash or checks, a trend that continued since then. In addition to credit cards, debit cards and electronic payments (like PayPal) have taken market share away from more traditional means of payment. It should be noted that debit cards have doubled in usage over the past six years, but American Express does not provide debit card products.
One particular technology driving increased usage of credit cards is contact-less payments which do not require a swiping through a machine. American Express entered the contact-less market through its ExpressPay service. The company estimates that ExpressPay not only shortens the length of time for a transaction but also increases average transaction size by 20-30% compared to cash spending--both attractive for merchants using this system. One of the primary participants within the contact-less payment sector is MasterCard's PayPass, which is currently accepted in major businesses such as McDonald's (MCD) and CVS (CVS).
A charge and credit card company is only as good as the merchant network that accepts its cards--after all, a customer cannot make a charge unless the card is accepted. One of American Express' primary competitive advantages is its closed loop network, meaning that it acquires both cardholders as well as merchants into its network. This allows the company to have a deep understanding of how its cardholders charge purchases. Merchants are attracted to the American Express network because of the company's wealthier demographic.
The net effect of this closed loop network is an average cardmember spending 2-4 times higher than competitors, as well as a merchant discount rate twice as high as its competitors. All in, American Express makes 4-8 times as much discount revenue from a typical cardholder compared to either Visa or MasterCard. Its limitation is its ability to grow and scale this network and the American Express' dependency on the merchant discount rate as primary revenue stream.
The company estimates that its network accommodates approximately 80-90% of the general transactions its customers make in a given year. As such, American Express has shifted away from its legacy of travel and entertainment--which used to drive two-thirds of all transactions--to general retail and other sections, which currently generates the majority of all charges from its cardholders.
American Express competes against companies in the general purpose payment card industry, as well as against all other forms of payment. Its top competitors within the general purpose payment card industry include Visa (V), Mastercard (MA), and Discover Financial Services (DFS). American Express's advantages include its low exposure to subprime cardholders (based on credit score), thus reducing risks of write-offs when cardholders do not pay their bills. American Express also owns nearly half of all transaction volume in the U.S. Small Business niche, which is estimated to charge nearly $200 billion on cards a year.


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I am a new member. Just joined just now but look forward to being part of the forums.
I got a Nikon D50 in Nov 06 and discovered after 2 months that the "Cha" message appeared and no photos could be taken. I took the camera back to the retailer who swapped over the memory card with another Jessops one.
This week - 2 months later again - the same thing has happened. I thought it meant the battery was not charged and charged it up fully.
This did not help. I took it back to the shop today and this time I have a Sandusk card and the minute I put it into the camera it worked.
Has anyone else experienced this problem? Is there anything else it could be?
I am mystified by this and because I am still getting to know the camera and really enjoy using it so I was reluctant to let it be sent away for repair as I honestly don't think it is the camera. Otherwise it would not have worked instantly when the new
card was inserted.
Your thoughts on this would be appreciated.
The forums look very interesting and I guess there's a lot of different levels of experience out there.
Thanks for any help.


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It's a shame that Anglicans don't have a Lourdes.
Let me explain.
This Pyrenean town in south-west France, built around a nineteenth-century vision of our Lady in the form of the Immaculate Conception, is the most visited religious place in the world after Mecca and Rome. Since 1989, there have been 5 million visitors a year, many of whom come with their dioceses or in groups, staying in the town's 240 hotels. In 2004 – when Pope John Paul II visited – it was 6 million. This year, the 150th anniversary of the apparitions, so the Sanctuary's extraordinarily helpful Press Office tells me, they are expecting a 20 per cent rise on that figure, bolstered by Pope Benedict's visit in September.
These numbers are important, because here in Lourdes what you have -- in vast numbers -- are "ordinary" European Catholics: the kind of people who appeared suddenly in Rome for Pope John Paul II's funeral, when cardinals asked each other, astonished, who these people were and where they came from. They are the kind of people whom media commentators – concerned as we are with figures of authority, or personalities, or people representing this or that wing or tendency – tend to overlook: the majority who make up the Catholic Church. They work, bring up their families, suffer, and believe.
They are the "people of no account" mentioned by St Paul as those to whom God chooses first to reveal Himself. They do not discuss doctrine, or ecclesiology, or theology. They don't divide into liberals and conservatives. They pray the Rosary, sing Ave Marias, do the Stations of the Cross, attend Mass. They are eerily joyful. They are appreciative. They go to meet Our Lady. They care for one another. They tend to each other. They are patient; they are mischievous and generous and warm.
In Lourdes, they feel at home. This is their town. And Bernadette's is their story.
The best way of describing Lourdes is "earthy". The story at its heart is an immediately recognisable Gospel account of Our Lady in 1858 choosing to appear to a poverty-stricken asthmatic 14-year-old girl, and teaching her to pray. From this gracious eruption by an intercessor of the divine is unleashed a tide of prayer and hope and faith and healing which continues to defy the logic of secularization, just as in the nineteenth century it earned the scorn of the modernisers and the rationalists and the clergy who were embarrassed by the lack of sophistication of those who flocked here.
The Lourdes effect is that of communion: the dropping of barriers, the joy that comes with recognising our dependence on God and the cold insufficiency of our own means. Lourdes dissolves boundaries, and lowers the guard. It happens to me, usually, two or three days into my stay. The music, the long liturgies, the joyful crowds, the endless chanting of Ave Marias, the humiliation of the baths, and above all the presence everywhere of disability and illness in wheelchairs – they all work on the ego, melting it.
Here's the thing: Lourdes unites people around the ordinary, the poor, and the vulnerable. In that focus, divisions dissolve; a sense of oneness supervenes. Our God-dependent humanity is what comes first. What matters is faith: even a poor faith, weakened by doubt and suspicion, is enough – as long as there's the thirst in the hope.
And the basics of the faith are everywhere, in earthy symbols which tell the Gospel story through signs: the poverty of Bernadette, which forces her to go in search of firewood – the same poverty which causes humans to look for God; the stone of the Grotto -- God as a rock and fortress; the cave, where in the Bible God is to be found – by Moses or Elijah, or as the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem; water – the healing sign of the Holy Spirit; light – the candle which Bernadette takes to the Grotto, reminding us of Jesus as light of the world; and the sign of the Cross -- the first gesture of Bernadette when she sees Our Lady -- which speaks of the suffering redeemed and made meaningful by Christ.
That's why there's no tinkering, in Lourdes, with the basic stuff – the devotions, the Eucharist, Confession. Because these are time-honoured ways of allowing God to come close.
Too much cogitation, too much dwelling on intellectual complexities and absolute principles, can get in the way of all this. What Our Lady said to Bernadette was communicated in remarkably few words accompanied by a series of gracious gestures. She laughed when Bernadette produced a notepad to write down what she might say. You can't tie down this stuff.
You can only choose to experience it, and let it transform you. And what results is that which the Anglican Church is desperately seeking: the unity which is a gift of the Spirit.
I don't mean that by having no Lourdes they can't receive that gift. But it helps to have a place like this, where communion happens by refocusing the mind and heart on the raw, divine-dependent, thirsty human condition – a unity which puts the malades in the center. That's why Lourdes is especially good – and especially painful - for intellectuals, and theologians, and commentators and analysts, because the categories into which they (I mean, of course, we) like to divide up the world just don't work here. Our Lady laughs at our notepads.
Memo to the Archbishop of Canterbury: bring your bishops here for a week. It's the fastest route to the communion you seek.


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4 Boxes, 4 Ways
The editors present some of their favorite designs.
By Matthew Teague, Robert W. Lang, Megan Fitzpatrick & Steve Shanesy
Page 31-35
Whether we spend most of our time building 18th-century highboys, production cabinetry or toys for our kids and grandchildren, we all build small boxes from time to time. Because we produce so many small offcuts of beautifully grained and highly figured woods, to do otherwise would be a shame. Building small boxes can be the mainstay of our shops – or simply a nice diversion from our usual work.
Often, a simple box can be made in just a few hours, either to break up the work on a more involved project, or simply to test our skills with a miniature masterpiece. Boxes can be customized for display, built to house jewelry, cigars or various keepsakes and collections. Plus, small boxes are lightweight, which makes them a nice respite if we've logged hours muscling larger timbers around the shop.
Most every woodworker has at least one go-to box design that he or she builds from time to time. And we could all use a few more to throw into the mix. What follows are four of our favorite small box designs – one from each of the Popular Woodworking Magazine editors. You'll find links to SketchUp models of each of these boxes on our web site, but feel free to mix and match our methods, and adapt the designs to suit. Building boxes of any shape, style and size presents a great opportunity for skill-building and experimentation.
Blog: View a series of step photos that show how to assemble a solid box then cut the top off using the table saw.
In our store: "Box Builder's Handbook," by A.J. Hamler.
From the August 2012 issue #198
Buy the issue now.


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♥♥ With Fall officially on the horizon, we enter a new phase of the music year's release cycle. Stereogum's 40 Best New Bands Of 2010 takes a look back at some of the bands that have introduced themselves as new-comers and up-and-comers during this year. Did your favorite band make the cut? Check it out to see!
♥♥ Electro/Hip-hop crew Das Racist recently released an OG Nintendo-inspired video for their track, "Who's that? Brooown!" Watch the video to see if they complete the task of finding their hypeman, and play the game yourself!
♥♥ Cali native Dana La Rock is working on an upcoming project entitled, LVRFLY, featuring some heard and unheard beats from the magnificent Flying Lotus. "good.good" is her new electro-inspired, feel-good track this upcoming project which should be dropping at the end of the month or early October. Take a listen to get a better feel of what's to come from this inspiring young woman!
♥♥ Speaking of Flying Lotus, he recently hooked up with the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble for a performance in Los Angeles that featured some of today's brightest talents. Alongside an all-star cast of musicians, Flying Lotus was able to participate in the ensemble's beautiful rendition of "Drips" from his album, Cosmogramma and "Take Notice" from J. Dilla's Ruff Draft EP. "Drips/Take Notice" is also available for a free download via the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Esemble Bandcamp page.
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble "Drips/Take Notice" feat Flying Lotus from Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on Vimeo.
♥♥ Are rappers the world's newest superheros? Kenny Keil seems to think so. Check out his Flickr photostream featuring Classic Hip-Hop Covers Remixed By Superheroes. I think "Straight Outta Asgard" is my favorite!
♥♥ Cali singer Andy Allo teams up with Blu for a trip to "DreamLand." The track can be found on her album "Unfresh" dropping on September 22nd!
♥♥ The Foreign Exchange's upcoming third album, Authenticity is dropping on Oct. 12! If the newly released single "Maybe She'll Dream Of Me" is any indication of what's to come, I predict clouds of musical bliss headed our way! Download for your ultimate listening pleasure!
♥♥ Keeping true to his word, Kanye West released another track from his G.O.O.D. Friday series. "Devil In A New Dress" is the latest installment in what seems to be Kanye West's return to lyrically claim his title as one of the best rappers alive. Reminiscent of his "College Dropout" days, the track finds Kanye rhyming over a soulful sample about a relationship between himself and his female counterpart. Download and take a listen!
♥♥ Electro, 8-bit-wonder-boy Copy does what he's rightfully known for in dropping a remix EP that pays respect to the pied Piper of R&B, Mr. Robert "R" Kelly. Download and take a listen to his "Ignition (Remix 2 The Remix) courtesy of Yours Truly.
♥♥ On Ra Ra Riot's "Boy (RAC Mix)", the DJ/DJ collectives enhanced the track with effervescent beats and an unstoppable dance vibe!
Images by: Phaymiss
Similar Posts:
- The Music Link List – 1.12.2010
- The Music Link List – 9.30.2010
- The Music Link List – 11.17.2010
- The Music Link List: 12.22.2010
- The Music Link List – 5.11.2011


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Leighton Meester: Front Row at Chanel Fashion Show!
Leighton Meester sits front at Chanel's show during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France on Tuesday (July 6).
The 24-year-old actress got an up close look at Chanel's Fall/Winter 2010-11 collection with fellow actress Milla Jovovich!
Leighton, who rocked a tight leather Chanel dress and Christian Louboutin heels, kept close to her fellow Gossip Girl co-star Clemence Poesy, who's filming a guest stint on the show this week.
Later that night, Milla and Leighton were also seen at fashion writer Derek Blasberg's book launch.
10+ pictures inside of Milla Jovovich, Leighton Meester and Clemence Poesy showing their love for Chanel…


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|1 in.
|Blade Construction:
|Carbon Steel
|Blade Type:
|Handle Length:
|6 in.
DEWALT offers a 30-day money back guarantee on all DEWALT accessories, except for pressure washer accessories. DEWALT accessories are fully guaranteed against defects in material and workmanship. The warranty does not cover misuse of product or normal wear and tear.


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NHL lockout deadline passes
At 11:59 p.m. EDT on Saturday night, the game we so love so much died – or least went into the beginnings of a deep coma – for the third time in the past 18 years.
The National Hockey League owners, for reasons that can only be defined as selfish and self-serving, locked out their most important commodity: the players.
Meanwhile, the NHL players, for virtually the same reasons, could not see themselves giving in to the black-hat owners and have officially become part of the problem, rather than the solution.
To some fans, this will be the death blow as they have promised never to watch the game again if the rich and richer cannot play nice in the ice-covered sandboxes known as the NHL arenas across our country.
They will move on to other sports or insist major junior or house leagues will be the only brands of hockey competition they will spend their time – or more importantly, their money – watching.
But for the masses, we are about to join the beginning of the artificially-induced hockey sleep period.
And you know what?
We don't like it. Not one bit. We are mad as hell and we not going to take it. Let the cliches roll.
Laying blame at this point will solve little, but does make for great water cooler fodder.
It's all Gary Bettman's fault. How on earth did we let a New York lawyer come in from the warm – that would be the NBA offices – and virtually ruin our day-to-day lives when he became NHL commissioner. What does he know about the slippery-surface sport we adore so much?
It matters little to the paying fans that Bettman has brought the league from near ruins to an organization with $3 billion in revenues. He works for the owners, is paid handsomely to do so and is, frankly, one smart dude. Okay, one smart-ass dude on many occasions.
Or it's all Donald Fehr's fault. How could we possibly take the arch-enemy of baseball into the position once occupied by Alan Eagleson? All right, maybe that's a bad comparison.
Fehr also is paid huge money to make the post-season disappear for yet another major-league sport, wiping out the Stanley Cup playoffs just to bookend his "success" of bypassing the World Series in 1994. Again, a very smart cat, but also not one of us.
And when I say that, I mean a Canadian. Bettman is not a Canadian; neither is Fehr. About 50% of all NHL players are Canadian.
But 100% of hockey fans want the same thing – they want this silliness to be put aside immediately. They want the two sides to be locked into a downtown hotel in New York or Calgary or Montreal or Tillsonburg (on a Saturday night) or Red Deer and not be let out until this is solved.
This is a not a contract that cries for major change such as in 2004. The game does not need to be altered in any wholesale manner like last time. Heck, the word trapezoid need not be mentioned ever again.
And the faith of the hockey fans does not require further testing. The millions of dollars lost by NHL arena staff – or nearby parking lot and restaurant employees – does not need to go missing forever one more time.
We want our Saturday nights to mean something again.
So owners and players alike, do us one big favour.
Give us back our game. Is that too much to ask?
David Langford
Sun Media National sports editor


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Hey! I was able to get a ticket very easily off Stubhub for face value and later on even saw them drop below that. Tickets for tonight's show at the Regency are about 20 bucks right now on there as well. The show was amazing and even Dave Chappelle popped out and crowd surfed! It makes me want to hit up all the shows this week but realistically that was my last one. Work has been rough today as you could imagine. Have fun at the shows you are going to!
Happy Birthday!
Come on by anytime! Anyone who enjoys beer and Iron Maiden deserves a free beer. I work a lot, so let me know when you head to Reno and I'll make sure to buy you a couple pints.
Hey! Who is this?
Can u help me out?do u know anyone that would drive from Fresno ? I've spent so much $ already I don't wanna get stuck home!
I don't know if that last one sent but text me at 916-8353696
Happy Feet
Coachella Junkie
old school


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Megachurch Pastor's Niece, Disney Star Fight US Hunger in Schools
Pastor Joel Osteen's niece, Olivia Osteen, and Jake Short, star of the Disney comedy hit show "A.N.T. Farm," are promoting a nationwide charity aimed at fighting hunger in schools through a public service announcement filmed at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.
The PSA spot is to promote "Blessings in a Backpack," an initiative through which volunteers donate their time each Friday putting food in backpacks of underprivileged children heading home for the weekend – in many cases their homes are without food, and some of the children have no home at all.
Produced by Gregory James Blount from a Delray Beach, Fla.-based entertainment company, Sound Tree Entertainment, the spot shows Jake and Olivia's efforts packing backpacks and detailing how others can help.
"Jake and Olivia actually support their own schools," Blount, who has wide-ranging experience in the entertainment industry, says in a statement. "Jake supports the Village Academy with me in Delray Beach, Florida, where he visited the school last year."
Olivia supports the Janowski Elementary School in Houston. "Because I've had the opportunity to travel to Africa many times, I've met a lot of people who are hungry, even malnourished," she is quoted as saying. "And through 'Blessings in a Backpack,' I've met kids who for different reasons need help with weekend meals. It's easy to think hunger only affects certain countries, but the truth is, there are hungry people living in America and your own city."
"The entertainment industry is a tough business and I think it's wonderful when you have young talent who understand the importance of giving back while they're climbing the ladder of success," says Blount. "Jake and Olivia understand this and are making a difference."
Meanwhile, Pastor Osteen will host "Night of Hope" at Marlins Stadium in Miami, Fla., on Saturday.
"We pray not only will attendees find uplifting hope and unity in the message they hear that evening and throughout the week with the Generation Hope Project, but that visitors will enjoy the many cultural tastes and sounds of Miami," Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado said of the event.
Osteen reaches millions of viewers around the world through his television ministry, and has held more than 100 "Night of Hope" events across the United States since 2004.


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