29 April 2010
New Program from Adult FriendFinder , earn $500 per day
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28 April 2010
Fokker f27
Plane containing AFP Chief makes preventative shooting down
The Fokker F-27 plane containing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, Gen. Delfin Bangit and Philippine Air Force (PAF) commanding general, Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena Wednesday made a preventative landing in Davao City after the precautionary light at the aircraft’s cockpit started blinking.
PAF 3rd Air Division commander, Maj. Gen. Lino Horacio Lapinid, ordered aviates of the two-engine Fokker had to shut down the aircraft’s left engine after the engine’s light at the cockpit switched on as the plane was nearing the Davao Airport.
Aside from Bangit and Rabena, as well aboard the plane was AFP spokesman, Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos, Jr. Bangit and company followed by Cotabato City and were on their way to Davao City to attend the Bishops-Ulama Conference-AFP-PNP Forum.
The aircraft allowed for Cotabato past 2:00 p.m. and around 3:00 p.m., the lights switched on as the plane was about 10 miles away from the Davao Airport, allotting to Lapinid.
Lt. Col. Gerry Zamudio, PAF spokesman, on the other hand, said: "The aviate of our F-27 performed preventative measurings. These are for of strange meter reading on the engine panel, which they found 40 minutes after burlesque. As part of precautionary measures, the pilot had to make a precautionary landing to check what was causing it.”
Agreeing to Lapinid, the archetypes had to close down one of the plane’s engine to forbid additional equipment casualty. He added together one of the add-ons of the plane’s left engine appeared to have suffered loose thread.
“Palanding na rin sila kaya nag-decide na rin yun pilot (to switch off one of the engines) kasi they made a normal approach,” said Lapinid.
He added the plane slowed down a little as a result of the incident. “Nadagdagan ng 10 minutes, instead na dumating sila within 45 minutes naging 50 minutes,” he said.
NPA rebels reduced in number, says air force commander
The number of NPA rebels have maximally reduced equated to the previous number which was calculated at 25,000.
Thus said Maj. Gen. Lino Horacio E. Lapinid, air force's third Air Division Commander, during a press conference held at the Tactical Operations Group (TOG)-10.
Lapinid said, "Based on our intelligence reports, we have less than 4,500 NPA rebels nationwide [today]."
It can be remembered, that it has been President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's directive to end the insurgency problem in the country by 2010, Lapinid cited wherein it is among the current administration's thrust to beat the odds particularly, to terminate hostilities with the NPA and the MILF.
As far as modernization of aircraft is concerned, Maj. Gen. Lapinid discoursed a few continuous tense attempts to efficaciously annihilate New People's Army rebels countrywide.
"…as of now, we are building up our flying training capabilities," he stated. He also stressed that 18 SF-260 military trainer aircrafts will be delivered by June 2010.
Regarding PAF's assets, Commander Lapinid said, "We still have two (2) Nomad aircrafts which are permanently stationed in Palawan."
He further said that the PAF has 15 F-14s which were donated by Korea that are being utilized at present.
"We also have several Fokker F-27 airliners," he said.
He also indicated that recently they had an exercise on search and rescue with the Malaysian Navy.
However, he admitted that the PAF lacks gadgets when it comes to detection of disaster. But, he elucidated that the Philippine Air Force is always the first to come and respond when calamity strikes.
The 3rd Air Division of the Philippine Air Force is the in-charge for the whole Mindanao. It has five (5) tactical operation groups complemented by elements of tactical operations. (XU DevCom / PIA) [top]
Yucatan - Mexico Real Estate's Unique Cultural Gem
While selecting to purchase United Mexican States realty and come through our new house, we count the quality of the realty, the comfort and the lifestyle it offers and the location; as a part of all of this, we also keep our fascination with Mexican culture in the back of our mind, whether it be the food, the euphony, the colourful nontextual matter and orthodox costumes, or the magnificent architectural history. Within Mexico, Yucatan Real Estate is one of the places that most expert presents the compounding of a well-fixed lifestyle with a rich and distinct culture, easily accessible to American and Canadians who make this area their home.
Yucatan is among the areas of this nation which is systematically recognized even within Mexico as having an undischarged richness of culture and custom. These truth was newly reflected in the selection of Yucatan as the "Guest of honour" for the famed San Marcos Fair. This annual solemnization is held in late April / early May in the state of Aguascalientes, in the north-center of Mexico, and is one of the most famed in a land where fairs, celebrations are very frequent occurrences. It is, in fact, uncommon to have a fair anywhere in Mexico without some sort of agency of Yucatan's acculturation, whether an demonstration of the old Mayans, or the costumes, trip the light fantastic toe and nutrient customs that have sprouted up from this acculturation since then.
These culture admits a nutrient style distinct from the rest of Mexico, admitting the long-familiar "cochinita pibil," a kind of pork in a regional sauce, often eaten as a taco, and many other foods with Mayan-sounding names that can be difficult to pronounce. There is traditional dancing and artwork, architecture, language (the Mayan language is still alive and used on a day-after-day basis in many professions), and, of course, the ancient pyramid ruins.
For Americans and Canadians who choose to purchase real estate and live in the state's capital city of Merida will enjoy all of these either within the city itself, or only a short dispel. Within Merida, regional food and traditional music complement the colonial architecture and lovely city gardens (hand in hand with international dining, live jazz and modern condos, for those who want it). Very nearby there are many colonial towns with beautifully restored old cathedrals and town squares, where residents can make day trips to buy handicrafts – hand-woven hammocks to enjoy Merida's relaxing lifestyle are a favorite.
Yucatan MLS listings will display many properties types, ranging from traditional homes in Merida's historic center to new condominiums in golf course developments or on the beachfront to "haciendas" (old estates) in the countryside. Whichever your orientation, you can live in Yucatan with the soothe and lifestyle ideal for you, and enjoy the rich
26 April 2010
Bugatti veyron price
Bugatti Veyron Price - Dr Evil Would Be Proud
The Bugatti Veyron was recently showcased on National Geographic as being one of the baddest, most expensive cars you can buy. How expensive? Many people will gasp when they read what the Bugatti Veryon sticker price is...Let's just say that Dr. Evil would have been pleased if he could have one in place of destroying the world...how does One...MILLION dollars sound?
The Veyron is indeed a best, with over 1000 horsepower and a 0-60 time of under 3 seconds. What more could you ask for with such a small amount of money? Small for Bill Gates perhaps. The funny thing is that the car was engineered and built by the people who brought you the cute little Volkswagen Beetle. My friend had a 1964 Beetle, and let me tell you, we were lucky if that car would even make it up to 45 mph, let alone 60. In fact, if we hit 60, we were more than likely heading down the mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania with no brakes.
The odd thing about this car is that I think it is awesome, but looking at it more, my gosh, did somebody crash this thing into the ugly stick forest? I think those who find this car beautiful are just blinded by the beauty of its performance. I guess kinda like people who think Madonna is really hot looking, but really they are just impressed by her performance...wait, I don't think that came out right.
But, in the spirit of bad choice of words, irregardless, the car happens to be a favorite to many and will most certainly be the poster replacement of Bo Derrick, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, and the Lamborghini Countach of the 1970's.
Feast for car lovers hits the city
Car enthusiasts are in for a treat with some of the world's best and most expensive cars at the Auto China 2010 exhibition.
The show, which opened at the new China International Exhibition Center on Friday, run until May 2.
The newest vehicles from around the world are on show, giving buyers of the ever-growing elite car market an eyeful.
Some of Europe's top luxury carmakers will make their presence felt, with exhibits that will make the enthusiast's mouth water.
About the most expensive car at the show will be the 736-kilowatt Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, which has a price tag of 13.4 million yuan. The Veyron is powered by a W16 engine that can power the car to more than 400 km/h and accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds.
But there will be cheaper cars on show, including the latest Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Ferrari 458 Italia. Each will sell for about 4 million yuan. And if your budget can't quite stretch to that, there will be the Porsche 911 Turbo S, Bentley Continental Suportsport and the Maserati GranCabrio, all estimated to cost around the 3 million mark.
Sales of luxury marques such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley had a year-on-year growth of 208 percent, said Guo Yong, director of the information center of Yayuncun Auto Market.
Last month, more than 200 luxury cars were sold from the dealers - the biggest auto market in Beijing - including 52 Mercedes-Benz S-class, 40 BMW 7-series and 56 Audi Q7 and Q5 SUVs. In addition, 73 Porsches were sold.
Cars that are energy saving and emit lower levels of carbon are getting increasingly popular, he said.
"Diesel vehicles are gradually being accepted by the market, and imported diesel cars such as the Volkswagan Touareg 3.0TDI, Audi Q7 3.0TDI and Land Rover Freelander 2.2L have sold very well," he said.
Statistics from Ernst & Young Consulting show that the high-end car market in China will keep increasing by 10 percent every year.
Sales of high-end Audis in China now make up 20 percent of the company's global sales.
In the first quarter of 2010, Audi sold 51,449 cars in China, an increase of 77 percent over the same period last year.
Li Dan, auto analyst of China Galaxy Securities Research, said luxury car sales "depend more on the increasing wealth of the customers".
"Since the start of the year, many people accumulated wealth quite easily due to the expanding real estate industry and have become willing to spend more on replacing their cars," Li said.
The China Luxury Goods Consumption Report, prepared by Nankai University, show that luxury goods consumers are different from their Western counterparts.
In China, more consumers buy luxury goods to show off, and to express their social status, but in Western countries, the rich buy show their personal preference.
Ji Sensen is such the Chinese elite. Ji, 42, recently spent three million yuan on a Mercedes-Benz S600.
"I bought it because I love the brand; but more importantly, it is a symbol of my financial strength," he said. "After I bought this car, my business did better than before."
Tonight: National Geographic Airs Two Hours Of Hot, Supercar Action
Apart from a certain well-known football program, Monday isn't usually a great night for television. But tonight that may change, as the National Geographic Channel delves deep inside the secret world of luxury automobiles for two steamy hours of engineer-on-car action. Added bonus: the cars in question are the Audi R8 and the Bugatti Veyron. Not twins, but cousins at least -- if you're into that sort of thing.
The first of the two shows is technically a repeat, but it only debuted a month or so ago, so it's still fairly fresh. It features the Veyron as part of National Geographic Channel's Man Made series, in an episode unimaginatively but accurately called, "Bugatti Super Car". Nat Geo took their battery of high-end cameras to Alsace, France to show how the Veyron is made, from tip to tail. Over the course of an hour, the team does a good job of explaining the marvels behind Bugatti engineering that help push the Veyron's sticker price to $1,750,000. They also explain why ordinary stuff like fuel economy doesn't matter (in fact, can't matter) when you're talking about a car capable of 250+ mph and packing nearly 1000 bhp. If you missed this show the first time around, here's the opening segment:
The second show is a premiere, centered on the current darling of the supercar and entertainment worlds, the Audi R8. Ultimate Factories: Audi can seem a little smarmy and over-the-top at times -- but then, that's probably to be expected from the channel that's made an entire TV series about cutting things in half. (That said, this Wednesday's Cut It In Half: Airplane is already on our Tivo queue.)
Despite the razzle-dazzle, the Nat Geo team has put together an engaging episode that explains the R8 in ample detail to hold the attention of enth
The Bugatti Veyron was recently showcased on National Geographic as being one of the baddest, most expensive cars you can buy. How expensive? Many people will gasp when they read what the Bugatti Veryon sticker price is...Let's just say that Dr. Evil would have been pleased if he could have one in place of destroying the world...how does One...MILLION dollars sound?
The Veyron is indeed a best, with over 1000 horsepower and a 0-60 time of under 3 seconds. What more could you ask for with such a small amount of money? Small for Bill Gates perhaps. The funny thing is that the car was engineered and built by the people who brought you the cute little Volkswagen Beetle. My friend had a 1964 Beetle, and let me tell you, we were lucky if that car would even make it up to 45 mph, let alone 60. In fact, if we hit 60, we were more than likely heading down the mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania with no brakes.
The odd thing about this car is that I think it is awesome, but looking at it more, my gosh, did somebody crash this thing into the ugly stick forest? I think those who find this car beautiful are just blinded by the beauty of its performance. I guess kinda like people who think Madonna is really hot looking, but really they are just impressed by her performance...wait, I don't think that came out right.
But, in the spirit of bad choice of words, irregardless, the car happens to be a favorite to many and will most certainly be the poster replacement of Bo Derrick, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, and the Lamborghini Countach of the 1970's.
Feast for car lovers hits the city
Car enthusiasts are in for a treat with some of the world's best and most expensive cars at the Auto China 2010 exhibition.
The show, which opened at the new China International Exhibition Center on Friday, run until May 2.
The newest vehicles from around the world are on show, giving buyers of the ever-growing elite car market an eyeful.
Some of Europe's top luxury carmakers will make their presence felt, with exhibits that will make the enthusiast's mouth water.
About the most expensive car at the show will be the 736-kilowatt Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, which has a price tag of 13.4 million yuan. The Veyron is powered by a W16 engine that can power the car to more than 400 km/h and accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds.
But there will be cheaper cars on show, including the latest Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Ferrari 458 Italia. Each will sell for about 4 million yuan. And if your budget can't quite stretch to that, there will be the Porsche 911 Turbo S, Bentley Continental Suportsport and the Maserati GranCabrio, all estimated to cost around the 3 million mark.
Sales of luxury marques such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley had a year-on-year growth of 208 percent, said Guo Yong, director of the information center of Yayuncun Auto Market.
Last month, more than 200 luxury cars were sold from the dealers - the biggest auto market in Beijing - including 52 Mercedes-Benz S-class, 40 BMW 7-series and 56 Audi Q7 and Q5 SUVs. In addition, 73 Porsches were sold.
Cars that are energy saving and emit lower levels of carbon are getting increasingly popular, he said.
"Diesel vehicles are gradually being accepted by the market, and imported diesel cars such as the Volkswagan Touareg 3.0TDI, Audi Q7 3.0TDI and Land Rover Freelander 2.2L have sold very well," he said.
Statistics from Ernst & Young Consulting show that the high-end car market in China will keep increasing by 10 percent every year.
Sales of high-end Audis in China now make up 20 percent of the company's global sales.
In the first quarter of 2010, Audi sold 51,449 cars in China, an increase of 77 percent over the same period last year.
Li Dan, auto analyst of China Galaxy Securities Research, said luxury car sales "depend more on the increasing wealth of the customers".
"Since the start of the year, many people accumulated wealth quite easily due to the expanding real estate industry and have become willing to spend more on replacing their cars," Li said.
The China Luxury Goods Consumption Report, prepared by Nankai University, show that luxury goods consumers are different from their Western counterparts.
In China, more consumers buy luxury goods to show off, and to express their social status, but in Western countries, the rich buy show their personal preference.
Ji Sensen is such the Chinese elite. Ji, 42, recently spent three million yuan on a Mercedes-Benz S600.
"I bought it because I love the brand; but more importantly, it is a symbol of my financial strength," he said. "After I bought this car, my business did better than before."
Tonight: National Geographic Airs Two Hours Of Hot, Supercar Action
Apart from a certain well-known football program, Monday isn't usually a great night for television. But tonight that may change, as the National Geographic Channel delves deep inside the secret world of luxury automobiles for two steamy hours of engineer-on-car action. Added bonus: the cars in question are the Audi R8 and the Bugatti Veyron. Not twins, but cousins at least -- if you're into that sort of thing.
The first of the two shows is technically a repeat, but it only debuted a month or so ago, so it's still fairly fresh. It features the Veyron as part of National Geographic Channel's Man Made series, in an episode unimaginatively but accurately called, "Bugatti Super Car". Nat Geo took their battery of high-end cameras to Alsace, France to show how the Veyron is made, from tip to tail. Over the course of an hour, the team does a good job of explaining the marvels behind Bugatti engineering that help push the Veyron's sticker price to $1,750,000. They also explain why ordinary stuff like fuel economy doesn't matter (in fact, can't matter) when you're talking about a car capable of 250+ mph and packing nearly 1000 bhp. If you missed this show the first time around, here's the opening segment:
The second show is a premiere, centered on the current darling of the supercar and entertainment worlds, the Audi R8. Ultimate Factories: Audi can seem a little smarmy and over-the-top at times -- but then, that's probably to be expected from the channel that's made an entire TV series about cutting things in half. (That said, this Wednesday's Cut It In Half: Airplane is already on our Tivo queue.)
Despite the razzle-dazzle, the Nat Geo team has put together an engaging episode that explains the R8 in ample detail to hold the attention of enth
Debtorboards
What is Debtorboards?
Debtorboards, operated by Simple Machines LLC, is a web forum where users or members can share tips on how to defend against debtors.
Debtorboards claims that up to date, debtorboards members have collected $388,151.12 from creditors and have beaten back lawsuits attempting to collect $335,197 from creditors.
Debtorboards covers all topics you can possibly think of regarding debt collection including credit basics, suing your creditors, laws and resources such as telephone consumer protection act, other federal statutes, rules, regulations and FTC opinions, case law, state laws, and all government agencies and organizations involved in credit and debt business such credit reporting agencies, original creditors, collectors and agencies, and consumer attorneys, bankruptcy, and the kindrox archive among others.
Debtorboards with 5886 members covers 8407 topics and 64550 posts.
This is a very informative information forum site. However, consumers may consider using their local attorneys to defend against wrongful debt collection.
For more information on Debtorboards, please visit the website at Debtorboards.com.
Some basic information for consumers
If you fail to pay bills, or a creditor mistakenly or deliberately make it appear that you do, a debt collector may be contacting you.
As a consumer, you are protected under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) enforced by the The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency. The law prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from you.
Debt collectors can be collection agencies, lawyers and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.
The Act covers personal, family, and household debts including money you owe on a personal credit card account, an auto loan, a medical bill,and your mortgage. The FDCPA doesn’t cover debts however you incurred to run a business.
You may want to talk to debt collectors at least once and then decide whether you want them to further contact you or not. If you decide not to see them again, put your thought in writing and send it to them in certified letters telling them you don't own the debt, or you can't repay it immediately. They will send you a letter specifying their action either telling you do not own the debt anymore, or they may tell you their further action like filing a lawsuit.
If you send the debt collector a letter stating that you don’t owe any or all of the money, or asking for verification of the debt, that collector must stop contacting you. You have to send that letter within 30 days after you receive the validation notice. But a collector can begin contacting you again if it sends you written verification of the debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe.
Debtorboards And Coupon Mom Offer Help To Consumers Unlike Fraudulent Debt Settlement Companies
In these tough economic times it's very challenging to stay on top of the bills while paying down credit cards if you're an average working class citizen. For millions of Americans who are feeling the pinch of reduced hours at work, they turn to credit cards to help them through these tough times.
If you have a heavy credit card debt load and something goes wrong in your life it's easy to panic. Many turn to debt settlement companies, which are nothing more than parasites and vultures who prey upon the desperation of consumers trapped under the yoke of credit card debt.
If you are thinking about "working with" a debt settlment company prepare to be screwed...royally. They promise you that they'll get your debts settled for 30 cents on the dollar. However, there's one catch-you have to stop paying your creditors while you pay the debt settlement company each month. And, guess what? You have to "build up" the money in the account before they'll allegedly try to settle your debts.
For some people who are $20,000 in debt it may take three years or better to build up enough money in the debt settlment account before they can attempt to settle your debts. By that point you'll probably have been sued already and will have had your wages garnished. Thousands of people fall for the debt settlment scams and would be better of declaring bankruptcy especially considering there's no promise that a credit card company will negotiate. Then you're out all of that money and up the creek without a paddle.
Many of these debt settlment parasites try to associate themselves with President Obama's bailout programs, which is about as lowrent as it gets. Now that the bottom-feeding debt settlement companies are being exposed for fraud, hopefully Uncle Sam can outlaw this rotten industry. Senator Jay Rockefeller said he expressed "disdain and contempt" for practices that the Government Accountability Office found when they had investigators posing as consumers with debt problems contact twenty debt settlement companies.
For those who are under the gun from creditors there is somewhere for you to turn; Debtorboards.
Debtorboards.com is a community where they offer consumers ways to get back at the man so to speak.
Debtorboards educates troubled consumers with ways to defend themselves against the horrendous practices of debt collection agencies as well as ways to sue debt collectors. Face it, we all have a loved one or friend who has been in a tough situation and creditors use every tactic under the sun to try and get money out of them. Many of these people are buried under a mountain of debt, not by choice, but out of necessity. The cost of living in America has skyrocketed and many need to use credit cards just to put gas in their cars to get to work. Some need them to pay for medicine or even food for their families.
For those of you who aren't trapped in credit card debt hell, but looking to save a few bucks at the store, then Coupon Mom has some great tips for you. Coupon Mom's website at...well couponmom.com offers a plethora of printable grocery coupons. If you play your cards right you can save hundreds of dollars a year.
Stephanie Nelson, who is better known as Coupon Mom has a new book out called The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills In Half.
For consumers in good and bad situations, Couponmom.com is a great resource to save on your grocery bill.
Remember, if you're under a mountain of credit card debt your best options are to negotiate directly with credit card companies or to seek credit counseling. By no means, turn to a debt settlement company or your problems will multiply.
Debtorboards: Help for Debtors
What is a debtorboards? A debtor boards is a place to go online when you need help getting out of debt.
Steven Katz is a debt collector’s worst nightmare. Sound good? Than you’ve gotten a call from a debt collector. I’ve even gotten other people’s calls and let me tell you, they are the rudest of people.
According to the New York Times, a man named Steven Katz has been a bill collector and a trainer against debt collector, “For years, he has run what he calls the Steven Katz School of Bill Collector Education, otherwise known as the “’credit terrorist training camp.’”
Mr. Katz is 58 and won against the debt collector as he has experience from both ends of the spectrum. He has been a debt collector and had his credit score ruined.
Not knowing is the most dangerous thing you can do.
Mr. Katz has a website where if you need help with debt collectors, you can go and get that help.
Go to: www.debtorboards.com
Debtor boards is a website where someone can get real help and read real stories.
Mr. Katz has won $36,000 in judgments against terrorist debt collectors. Mr. Katz’s website runs a boot camp and the next one is in May in San Francisco at a cost of $2495.00 a person. It’s not cheap, but neither is debt. Go to www.debtorboards.com
for more information on how to fight back and not be bullied. If you have unsecured debt, it’s unsecured, so know what your legal rights are and good luck.
In this economic environment, many of us have suffered at the hands of unscrupulous debt collectors. Of course there are those people who have abused debt, but by far, the reverse is true. Good luck.
Debtoboards, debtoboards, debtoboards… an aid to consumers’ debts?
Debtoboards, debtoboards, debtoboards… an aid to consumers’ experiencing challenges in paying their debts?
“Debtorboards is geared to help people use the laws as they are on the books as both a shield and a sword,” stated by Mr. Katz. He won $36,000 from his own court case in opposition to collection agencies. Will the debtoboards serve as a night in the shining armor for consumers having debts?
Of course, debt collectors are barely satisfied with the court case trend.
Chief executive of ACA International, Rozanne M. Andersen, stated she was “extremely concerned” about the raise in lawsuits, which she said cost her industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year. She said much of the raise was the effect of vague language in the Fair Debt Collection Act.
Debt collectors are obligated, for instance, to recognize themselves on a voice message left for a consumer, she said. But they are also outlawed from telling a third party — counting someone who might overhear a phone message — about a consumer’s debt.
As Stated by Ms. Andersen: “We are between a rock and a hard place.”
Ms. Andersen said she had little endurance for Web sites that encouraged consumers to frustrate debt collectors. Debtoboards might be a threat to some industries due to lawsuits that may be raised against them.
“We believe those types of Web sites are encouraging people to not take responsibility for just debt,” she added.
Steven Katz is a nightmare for the financial debt collector.
This may sound good than receiving a call from Financial debt collectors. I’ve even received calls from other people and let me tell you, people who are rude.
According to the New York Times, a man named Steven Katz is a debt collector, along with trainer against debt collectors for credit cards, “For years, he has been what he called the Steven Katz School of Bill Collector Education, also known as a “terrorist training camp for a credit.”
Mr. Katz, 58 years old, earned him a debt collector credit card that has experience on both sides of the spectrum. He is a financial debt collector and had ruined his credit score.
Mr. Katz has a website where if you need help with financial debt collectors, who are able to go to get this support.
The debtor is an online community website where you can get real help and analyze the real story.
Mr. Katz has won $ 36,000 on the verdict is against terrorist debt collectors. Mr. Katz site begins training camp, and later you could be in San Francisco at a cost of $ 2,495.00 to an individual. Not cheap, but neither is the credit card debt. Go to www.debtorboards.com for more information about how you can defend and not be abused. If you have an unsecured debt that is not safe, so you know what your legal rights and good luck.
Learning How to Fight the Collector
Among debt collectors, Steven Katz is known as a “credit terrorist.” For years, he has run what he calls the Steven Katz School of Bill Collector Education, otherwise known as the “credit terrorist training camp.”
Mr. Katz, a 58-year-old accountant in suburban Tucson, spends his free time schooling debtors on the finer points of consumer protection law to help them turn the tables on debt collectors. On occasion, he thumbs his own nose at them too.
“How many times can I sue you? Let me count the ways,” he wrote under his pseudonym, Dr. Tax, in a March posting on Inside ARM, a debt collectors’ Web site.
A former bill collector himself, Mr. Katz rebelled after a debt buyer damaged his credit score with what he says was a bogus bill. Mr. Katz sued, and in 2003 he collected his first damage award, a $1,000 check that he now keeps framed behind his desk.
“The bill collectors, when they call, make you feel like the only option you have is to lay down and play dead. That’s not true,” said Mr. Katz said, who does not charge for his advice. “Nothing validates this more than getting a check.”
Call this movement revenge of the (alleged) deadbeats. Even as collectors try to recoup debts from millions of Americans struggling to pay their bills, a small but growing number of lawyers and consumers are fighting back against what they describe as harassment, unscrupulous practices — and, most important to their litigiousness, violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
In fact, 8,287 federal lawsuits were filed citing violations of the act in 2009, a 60 percent rise over the previous year, according to WebRecon, a site that tracks collection-related litigation and the most litigious consumers and lawyers on behalf of debt collectors.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court made it even easier for consumers to use the courts to fight debt collectors, ruling that collectors cannot be shielded from suits by claiming they made a mistake in interpreting the law.
When a consumer stops paying a bill, creditors often try to collect on their own for a few months. In many instances, the creditor hires another company to collect the debt. In other cases, they may dispose of the debt by selling it to a debt buyer for a steep discount.
Debt collectors and debt buyers are the targets of litigious consumers, since the debt collection law primarily applies to third-party collectors.
Peter Barry, a Minneapolis trial lawyer, is so bullish on the future of debt collection litigation that he holds several “boot camps” each year to share his secrets with other lawyers who want in on the action. If the debtor wins a court case under the act, the debt collector must pay the lawyer’s fees.
The next boot camp is being held in early May in San Francisco, at a cost of $2,495 a person for two and a half days of instruction.
“I can’t sue every illegal debt collector in America, although I’d like to try,” Mr. Barry said.
Mr. Katz can also claim some credit for the increase in lawsuits. For six years, he has run a free Web site called Debtorboards.com, where people share tips on topics like keeping a paper trail and recording calls from collectors.
He said the site received two million hits in 2009, a 60 percent increase over the previous year.
“Debtorboards is geared to help people use the laws as they are on the books as both a shield and a sword,” said Mr. Katz, who says he has won $36,000 from his own litigation against collection agencies. (Since many of the settlements are confidential, it is difficult to prove the claims of Mr. Katz and others).
Of course, debt collectors are hardly pleased with the litigation trend.
Rozanne M. Andersen, chief executive of ACA International, a trade association for the debt collection industry, said she was “extremely concerned” about the increase in lawsuits, which she said cost her industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year. She said much of the increase was the result of ambiguous language in the Fair Debt Collection Act.
Debt collectors are required, for example, to identify themselves on a voice message left for a consumer, she said. But they are also prohibited from telling a third party — including someone who might overhear a phone message — about a consumer’s debt.
“We are between a rock and a hard place,” Ms. Andersen said.
Ms. Andersen said she had little patience for Web sites that encouraged consumers to thwart debt collectors.
“We believe those types of Web sites are encouraging people to not take responsibility for just debt,” she said.
Debtorboards, operated by Simple Machines LLC, is a web forum where users or members can share tips on how to defend against debtors.
Debtorboards claims that up to date, debtorboards members have collected $388,151.12 from creditors and have beaten back lawsuits attempting to collect $335,197 from creditors.
Debtorboards covers all topics you can possibly think of regarding debt collection including credit basics, suing your creditors, laws and resources such as telephone consumer protection act, other federal statutes, rules, regulations and FTC opinions, case law, state laws, and all government agencies and organizations involved in credit and debt business such credit reporting agencies, original creditors, collectors and agencies, and consumer attorneys, bankruptcy, and the kindrox archive among others.
Debtorboards with 5886 members covers 8407 topics and 64550 posts.
This is a very informative information forum site. However, consumers may consider using their local attorneys to defend against wrongful debt collection.
For more information on Debtorboards, please visit the website at Debtorboards.com.
Some basic information for consumers
If you fail to pay bills, or a creditor mistakenly or deliberately make it appear that you do, a debt collector may be contacting you.
As a consumer, you are protected under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) enforced by the The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency. The law prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from you.
Debt collectors can be collection agencies, lawyers and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.
The Act covers personal, family, and household debts including money you owe on a personal credit card account, an auto loan, a medical bill,and your mortgage. The FDCPA doesn’t cover debts however you incurred to run a business.
You may want to talk to debt collectors at least once and then decide whether you want them to further contact you or not. If you decide not to see them again, put your thought in writing and send it to them in certified letters telling them you don't own the debt, or you can't repay it immediately. They will send you a letter specifying their action either telling you do not own the debt anymore, or they may tell you their further action like filing a lawsuit.
If you send the debt collector a letter stating that you don’t owe any or all of the money, or asking for verification of the debt, that collector must stop contacting you. You have to send that letter within 30 days after you receive the validation notice. But a collector can begin contacting you again if it sends you written verification of the debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe.
Debtorboards And Coupon Mom Offer Help To Consumers Unlike Fraudulent Debt Settlement Companies
In these tough economic times it's very challenging to stay on top of the bills while paying down credit cards if you're an average working class citizen. For millions of Americans who are feeling the pinch of reduced hours at work, they turn to credit cards to help them through these tough times.
If you have a heavy credit card debt load and something goes wrong in your life it's easy to panic. Many turn to debt settlement companies, which are nothing more than parasites and vultures who prey upon the desperation of consumers trapped under the yoke of credit card debt.
If you are thinking about "working with" a debt settlment company prepare to be screwed...royally. They promise you that they'll get your debts settled for 30 cents on the dollar. However, there's one catch-you have to stop paying your creditors while you pay the debt settlement company each month. And, guess what? You have to "build up" the money in the account before they'll allegedly try to settle your debts.
For some people who are $20,000 in debt it may take three years or better to build up enough money in the debt settlment account before they can attempt to settle your debts. By that point you'll probably have been sued already and will have had your wages garnished. Thousands of people fall for the debt settlment scams and would be better of declaring bankruptcy especially considering there's no promise that a credit card company will negotiate. Then you're out all of that money and up the creek without a paddle.
Many of these debt settlment parasites try to associate themselves with President Obama's bailout programs, which is about as lowrent as it gets. Now that the bottom-feeding debt settlement companies are being exposed for fraud, hopefully Uncle Sam can outlaw this rotten industry. Senator Jay Rockefeller said he expressed "disdain and contempt" for practices that the Government Accountability Office found when they had investigators posing as consumers with debt problems contact twenty debt settlement companies.
For those who are under the gun from creditors there is somewhere for you to turn; Debtorboards.
Debtorboards.com is a community where they offer consumers ways to get back at the man so to speak.
Debtorboards educates troubled consumers with ways to defend themselves against the horrendous practices of debt collection agencies as well as ways to sue debt collectors. Face it, we all have a loved one or friend who has been in a tough situation and creditors use every tactic under the sun to try and get money out of them. Many of these people are buried under a mountain of debt, not by choice, but out of necessity. The cost of living in America has skyrocketed and many need to use credit cards just to put gas in their cars to get to work. Some need them to pay for medicine or even food for their families.
For those of you who aren't trapped in credit card debt hell, but looking to save a few bucks at the store, then Coupon Mom has some great tips for you. Coupon Mom's website at...well couponmom.com offers a plethora of printable grocery coupons. If you play your cards right you can save hundreds of dollars a year.
Stephanie Nelson, who is better known as Coupon Mom has a new book out called The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills In Half.
For consumers in good and bad situations, Couponmom.com is a great resource to save on your grocery bill.
Remember, if you're under a mountain of credit card debt your best options are to negotiate directly with credit card companies or to seek credit counseling. By no means, turn to a debt settlement company or your problems will multiply.
Debtorboards: Help for Debtors
What is a debtorboards? A debtor boards is a place to go online when you need help getting out of debt.
Steven Katz is a debt collector’s worst nightmare. Sound good? Than you’ve gotten a call from a debt collector. I’ve even gotten other people’s calls and let me tell you, they are the rudest of people.
According to the New York Times, a man named Steven Katz has been a bill collector and a trainer against debt collector, “For years, he has run what he calls the Steven Katz School of Bill Collector Education, otherwise known as the “’credit terrorist training camp.’”
Mr. Katz is 58 and won against the debt collector as he has experience from both ends of the spectrum. He has been a debt collector and had his credit score ruined.
Not knowing is the most dangerous thing you can do.
Mr. Katz has a website where if you need help with debt collectors, you can go and get that help.
Go to: www.debtorboards.com
Debtor boards is a website where someone can get real help and read real stories.
Mr. Katz has won $36,000 in judgments against terrorist debt collectors. Mr. Katz’s website runs a boot camp and the next one is in May in San Francisco at a cost of $2495.00 a person. It’s not cheap, but neither is debt. Go to www.debtorboards.com
for more information on how to fight back and not be bullied. If you have unsecured debt, it’s unsecured, so know what your legal rights are and good luck.
In this economic environment, many of us have suffered at the hands of unscrupulous debt collectors. Of course there are those people who have abused debt, but by far, the reverse is true. Good luck.
Debtoboards, debtoboards, debtoboards… an aid to consumers’ debts?
Debtoboards, debtoboards, debtoboards… an aid to consumers’ experiencing challenges in paying their debts?
“Debtorboards is geared to help people use the laws as they are on the books as both a shield and a sword,” stated by Mr. Katz. He won $36,000 from his own court case in opposition to collection agencies. Will the debtoboards serve as a night in the shining armor for consumers having debts?
Of course, debt collectors are barely satisfied with the court case trend.
Chief executive of ACA International, Rozanne M. Andersen, stated she was “extremely concerned” about the raise in lawsuits, which she said cost her industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year. She said much of the raise was the effect of vague language in the Fair Debt Collection Act.
Debt collectors are obligated, for instance, to recognize themselves on a voice message left for a consumer, she said. But they are also outlawed from telling a third party — counting someone who might overhear a phone message — about a consumer’s debt.
As Stated by Ms. Andersen: “We are between a rock and a hard place.”
Ms. Andersen said she had little endurance for Web sites that encouraged consumers to frustrate debt collectors. Debtoboards might be a threat to some industries due to lawsuits that may be raised against them.
“We believe those types of Web sites are encouraging people to not take responsibility for just debt,” she added.
Steven Katz is a nightmare for the financial debt collector.
This may sound good than receiving a call from Financial debt collectors. I’ve even received calls from other people and let me tell you, people who are rude.
According to the New York Times, a man named Steven Katz is a debt collector, along with trainer against debt collectors for credit cards, “For years, he has been what he called the Steven Katz School of Bill Collector Education, also known as a “terrorist training camp for a credit.”
Mr. Katz, 58 years old, earned him a debt collector credit card that has experience on both sides of the spectrum. He is a financial debt collector and had ruined his credit score.
Mr. Katz has a website where if you need help with financial debt collectors, who are able to go to get this support.
The debtor is an online community website where you can get real help and analyze the real story.
Mr. Katz has won $ 36,000 on the verdict is against terrorist debt collectors. Mr. Katz site begins training camp, and later you could be in San Francisco at a cost of $ 2,495.00 to an individual. Not cheap, but neither is the credit card debt. Go to www.debtorboards.com for more information about how you can defend and not be abused. If you have an unsecured debt that is not safe, so you know what your legal rights and good luck.
Learning How to Fight the Collector
Among debt collectors, Steven Katz is known as a “credit terrorist.” For years, he has run what he calls the Steven Katz School of Bill Collector Education, otherwise known as the “credit terrorist training camp.”
Mr. Katz, a 58-year-old accountant in suburban Tucson, spends his free time schooling debtors on the finer points of consumer protection law to help them turn the tables on debt collectors. On occasion, he thumbs his own nose at them too.
“How many times can I sue you? Let me count the ways,” he wrote under his pseudonym, Dr. Tax, in a March posting on Inside ARM, a debt collectors’ Web site.
A former bill collector himself, Mr. Katz rebelled after a debt buyer damaged his credit score with what he says was a bogus bill. Mr. Katz sued, and in 2003 he collected his first damage award, a $1,000 check that he now keeps framed behind his desk.
“The bill collectors, when they call, make you feel like the only option you have is to lay down and play dead. That’s not true,” said Mr. Katz said, who does not charge for his advice. “Nothing validates this more than getting a check.”
Call this movement revenge of the (alleged) deadbeats. Even as collectors try to recoup debts from millions of Americans struggling to pay their bills, a small but growing number of lawyers and consumers are fighting back against what they describe as harassment, unscrupulous practices — and, most important to their litigiousness, violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
In fact, 8,287 federal lawsuits were filed citing violations of the act in 2009, a 60 percent rise over the previous year, according to WebRecon, a site that tracks collection-related litigation and the most litigious consumers and lawyers on behalf of debt collectors.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court made it even easier for consumers to use the courts to fight debt collectors, ruling that collectors cannot be shielded from suits by claiming they made a mistake in interpreting the law.
When a consumer stops paying a bill, creditors often try to collect on their own for a few months. In many instances, the creditor hires another company to collect the debt. In other cases, they may dispose of the debt by selling it to a debt buyer for a steep discount.
Debt collectors and debt buyers are the targets of litigious consumers, since the debt collection law primarily applies to third-party collectors.
Peter Barry, a Minneapolis trial lawyer, is so bullish on the future of debt collection litigation that he holds several “boot camps” each year to share his secrets with other lawyers who want in on the action. If the debtor wins a court case under the act, the debt collector must pay the lawyer’s fees.
The next boot camp is being held in early May in San Francisco, at a cost of $2,495 a person for two and a half days of instruction.
“I can’t sue every illegal debt collector in America, although I’d like to try,” Mr. Barry said.
Mr. Katz can also claim some credit for the increase in lawsuits. For six years, he has run a free Web site called Debtorboards.com, where people share tips on topics like keeping a paper trail and recording calls from collectors.
He said the site received two million hits in 2009, a 60 percent increase over the previous year.
“Debtorboards is geared to help people use the laws as they are on the books as both a shield and a sword,” said Mr. Katz, who says he has won $36,000 from his own litigation against collection agencies. (Since many of the settlements are confidential, it is difficult to prove the claims of Mr. Katz and others).
Of course, debt collectors are hardly pleased with the litigation trend.
Rozanne M. Andersen, chief executive of ACA International, a trade association for the debt collection industry, said she was “extremely concerned” about the increase in lawsuits, which she said cost her industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year. She said much of the increase was the result of ambiguous language in the Fair Debt Collection Act.
Debt collectors are required, for example, to identify themselves on a voice message left for a consumer, she said. But they are also prohibited from telling a third party — including someone who might overhear a phone message — about a consumer’s debt.
“We are between a rock and a hard place,” Ms. Andersen said.
Ms. Andersen said she had little patience for Web sites that encouraged consumers to thwart debt collectors.
“We believe those types of Web sites are encouraging people to not take responsibility for just debt,” she said.
Ron Burkle
Ron Burkle Donates $50,000 to Celebrity Apprentice
WASHINGTON (Politically Illustrated) – Ron Burkle donated a whopping $50,000 to Celebrity Apprentice Holly Robinson on Sunday night during a challenge to raise the most money to create a fitness class for 24 Hour Fitness.
The team Holly Robinson Peete was on raised a total of $200,000, more than any other non-finale show.
Sharon Osbourne’s team won $25,000 by developing the best gym class with a Rock N’ Roll class with VIP backstage passes allowing them to raise a total of $100,000.
Who did Donald Trump fire?
Nobody.
The money donated by Ron Buckle will go towards helping autistic children.
Three bidders vying to own Philadelphia Newspapers
Billionaire Ronald W. Burkle and a Canadian investment group emerged Friday as players in the forthcoming sale of Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C., the parent company of The Inquirer.
Stern Partners Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia, was one of three bidders to make an offer for the company by the 5 p.m. deadline. Burkle, sources said, has committed funds to help a group of local investors, who also submitted a bid.
The third bid came from a coalition of the company's senior lenders, who are seeking to recoup as much of their $318 million debt as they can.
The involvement of Burkle came after he was contacted by Gov. Rendell at the request of Brian P. Tierney, the chief executive officer of the newspaper company, according to sources.
The local investor group includes William A. Graham, chief executive officer of Graham Co., a Philadelphia regional insurance broker; the Carpenters Union pension fund; and the philanthropist David Haas. Bruce Toll, vice chairman of homebuilder Toll Bros. Inc., is also said to be part of the group, but at a lower stake than he previously promised.
The three bids are now in the hands of the media company, which also owns the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com. Company officers and their attorneys will evaluate them over the weekend to determine the "highest and best" offer at that point to serve as the floor for the auction. The auction will use the same "highest and best" standard to determine a winner Tuesday.
The company declined to provide any information about the bids other than saying there had been more than one.
Sources involved in the matter, however, confirmed the three bids and Burkle's commitment to the local investment group.
Stern Partners owns a controlling interest in the Winnipeg Free Press and the Brandon Sun, both in Manitoba, and seven community newspapers. It also owns two paper mills, a packaging firm, an apparel-maker, and a garden-products company, according to its Web site.
Ronald N. Stern, founder of the company, was among a Stern contingent that visited Philadelphia in January with an eye toward joining the bidding. Stern did not return a call for comment.
Burkle, through his Yucaipa Cos. L.L.C., a California-based holding company, was a late and an unexpected addition to the local investors who announced their intentions to try to buy the bankrupt company last summer.
A source familiar with the matter said the local investors still have an option to continue without Burkle's help if they conclude they have enough funds to purchase the company without him.
While Yucaipa had been among the firms that have reviewed Philadelphia Newspapers' finances as a prelude to bidding, it was assumed the holding company was considering its own bid - independent of the local investors.
Its decision to throw in with the local investors suggests that the group will offer a serious challenge to take control of the company.
According to sources, Burkle agreed to join the group after the intervention of Rendell, who reached out to Burkle on Thursday at the request of Tierney.
Burkle, who made a fortune buying and selling supermarket chains, has long had an interest in the company. He was one of its suitors four years ago before it was sold to a group led by Tierney. He is a former confidant of President Bill Clinton and a major donor to the Democratic Party.
Tierney and Rendell declined to discuss how Burkle came to be part of the investment group.
Frank Quintera, a principal with Yucaipa, said he could neither confirm nor deny Yucaipa's interest in the company.
On Thursday, Graham said the local group intended to submit a bid that would be similar to one that had been on the table but was withdrawn this week.
That bid offered $35 million in cash and a $17 million letter of credit for all of the company's assets except for its North Broad Street headquarters building.
The senior lenders, holders of the company's largest debt, had previously said through their attorneys that they intended to make a "robust cash bid" for the company.
Those creditors are Angelo, Gordon & Co., the CIT Syndicated Loan Group, Credit Suisse, Eaton Vance Management, General Electric Capital Corp. Inc., Halbis Distressed Opportunities Master Fund Ltd., McDonnell Investment Management L.L.C., and Venor Capital Master Fund L.L.C.
It was unclear if all of those lenders took part in the bid for the company. Fred S. Hodara, the lead attorney for the senior lenders, declined to discuss the lenders' bid in detail.
"It is a clean, all-cash bid that is significantly more valuable than the bid that was formerly known as the 'stalking horse,' " he said, referring to the local group's initial offering.
The bids were submitted to the company's financial adviser, Sonenshine Partners in New York City.
The company will review the bids in consultation with two sales monitors: retired federal Judge Arlin M. Adams and J. Scott Victor, an investment banker who specializes in distressed-debt situations.
The auction is to be held at the New York offices of Proskauer Rose, one of the company's two law firms.
The auction is central to the company's reorganization plan to emerge from bankruptcy. Money raised will go to the senior lenders to settle their debt.
The winner of the auction will still need to have the sale approved by Chief Bankruptcy Judge Stephen Raslavich at a confirmation hearing May 25.
Weinsteins, Burkle in exclusive Miramax talks: sources
Hollywood producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein and their financial backer, billionaire Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Companies, have an exclusive negotiating window to negotiate buying Disney's Miramax Films division, three sources with knowledge of the situation said on Friday.
Deals
The Walt Disney Co was seeking about $700 million for Miramax, sources said earlier this week. The Weinsteins and Yucaipa are offering $625 million, the New York Times reported on Friday, for the shuttered studio with a library of more than 600 films, including "Pulp Fiction."
The window temporarily sidelines competing bidders, one of the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were not public. A Weinstein spokeswoman declined to comment, and officials with Disney did not return calls.
Film executive David Bergstein said he is advising construction magnate Ron Tutor and other investors who had offered $650 million.
Financiers Alec and Tom Gores are behind another offer and are being advised by their brother, Sam Gores, who heads the Paradigm Talent Agency.
The Gores offered $550 million, but a source said this week that they increased that bid, although it was unclear by how much.
Revelations that Disney was floating a sale of Miramax surfaced in media reports in January.
One source familiar with the deal said that Disney could close the sale next week, while another source said it could happen within the next two weeks.
A third source said the Weinsteins have an advantage in the auction, because they still control certain rights to titles in the library that had been made under their long stewardship of Miramax.
Bob and Harvey Weinstein founded Miramax in 1979 and sold it to Disney in 1993 for $80 million. The pair continued to run the company until they left in 2005 to form The Weinstein Co.
A source said that if the sale is complete, Yucaipa would own Miramax and the Weinsteins would manage it.
Three bidders vying to own Philadelphia Newspapers
Billionaire Ronald W. Burkle and a Canadian investment group emerged Friday as players in the forthcoming sale of Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C., the parent company of The Inquirer.
Stern Partners Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia, was one of three bidders to make an offer for the company by the 5 p.m. deadline. Burkle, sources said, has committed funds to help a group of local investors, who also submitted a bid.
The third bid came from a coalition of the company's senior lenders, who are seeking to recoup as much of their $318 million debt as they can.
The involvement of Burkle came after he was contacted by Gov. Rendell at the request of Brian P. Tierney, the chief executive officer of the newspaper company, according to sources.
The local investor group includes William A. Graham, chief executive officer of Graham Co., a Philadelphia regional insurance broker; the Carpenters Union pension fund; and the philanthropist David Haas. Bruce Toll, vice chairman of homebuilder Toll Bros. Inc., is also said to be part of the group, but at a lower stake than he previously promised.
The three bids are now in the hands of the media company, which also owns the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com. Company officers and their attorneys will evaluate them over the weekend to determine the "highest and best" offer at that point to serve as the floor for the auction. The auction will use the same "highest and best" standard to determine a winner Tuesday.
The company declined to provide any information about the bids other than saying there had been more than one.
Sources involved in the matter, however, confirmed the three bids and Burkle's commitment to the local investment group.
Stern Partners owns a controlling interest in the Winnipeg Free Press and the Brandon Sun, both in Manitoba, and seven community newspapers. It also owns two paper mills, a packaging firm, an apparel-maker, and a garden-products company, according to its Web site.
Ronald N. Stern, founder of the company, was among a Stern contingent that visited Philadelphia in January with an eye toward joining the bidding. Stern did not return a call for comment.
Burkle, through his Yucaipa Cos. L.L.C., a California-based holding company, was a late and an unexpected addition to the local investors who announced their intentions to try to buy the bankrupt company last summer.
A source familiar with the matter said the local investors still have an option to continue without Burkle's help if they conclude they have enough funds to purchase the company without him.
While Yucaipa had been among the firms that have reviewed Philadelphia Newspapers' finances as a prelude to bidding, it was assumed the holding company was considering its own bid - independent of the local investors.
Its decision to throw in with the local investors suggests that the group will offer a serious challenge to take control of the company.
According to sources, Burkle agreed to join the group after the intervention of Rendell, who reached out to Burkle on Thursday at the request of Tierney.
Burkle, who made a fortune buying and selling supermarket chains, has long had an interest in the company. He was one of its suitors four years ago before it was sold to a group led by Tierney. He is a former confidant of President Bill Clinton and a major donor to the Democratic Party.
Tierney and Rendell declined to discuss how Burkle came to be part of the investment group.
Frank Quintera, a principal with Yucaipa, said he could neither confirm nor deny Yucaipa's interest in the company.
On Thursday, Graham said the local group intended to submit a bid that would be similar to one that had been on the table but was withdrawn this week.
That bid offered $35 million in cash and a $17 million letter of credit for all of the company's assets except for its North Broad Street headquarters building.
The senior lenders, holders of the company's largest debt, had previously said through their attorneys that they intended to make a "robust cash bid" for the company.
Those creditors are Angelo, Gordon & Co., the CIT Syndicated Loan Group, Credit Suisse, Eaton Vance Management, General Electric Capital Corp. Inc., Halbis Distressed Opportunities Master Fund Ltd., McDonnell Investment Management L.L.C., and Venor Capital Master Fund L.L.C.
It was unclear if all of those lenders took part in the bid for the company. Fred S. Hodara, the lead attorney for the senior lenders, declined to discuss the lenders' bid in detail.
"It is a clean, all-cash bid that is significantly more valuable than the bid that was formerly known as the 'stalking horse,' " he said, referring to the local group's initial offering.
The bids were submitted to the company's financial adviser, Sonenshine Partners in New York City.
The company will review the bids in consultation with two sales monitors: retired federal Judge Arlin M. Adams and J. Scott Victor, an investment banker who specializes in distressed-debt situations.
The auction is to be held at the New York offices of Proskauer Rose, one of the company's two law firms.
The auction is central to the company's reorganization plan to emerge from bankruptcy. Money raised will go to the senior lenders to settle their debt.
The winner of the auction will still need to have the sale approved by Chief Bankruptcy Judge Stephen Raslavich at a confirmation hearing May 25.
Billionaire Burkle Joins Local Group as Three Bidders Emerge for Philly Newspapers
CHICAGO California billionaire Ronald Burkle -- who several times has made offers for big daily newspapers that never came to fruition -- is committed to help fund the local group bidding for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News at Tuesday's auction.
The deadline for offers for the newspapers closed Friday with three bidders, according to published reports: the local group put together by Philadelphia Newspapers CEO Brian P. Tierney; the senior creditors of the company; and Stern Partners, the Vancouver, British Columbia-based group that owns a controlling stake in the Winnipeg Free Press and eight other papers.
An Inquirer report by staff writer Christopher K. Hepp said Burkle became involved after he was contacted by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell at Tierney's request. The group -- which has adopted the slogan "Go Local" -- may go forward without funding from Burkle if they can raise sufficient money without him, Hepp wrote, citing an unnamed source.
The Inquirer reported the local group is bidding $35 million in cash and a $17 million letter of credit for the newspaper assets, excluding its headquarters building.
Miramax Update: Deadline Extended, Deal by Monday?
We hate to keep the suspense dragging, but it's the lawyers' fault - really.
As expected, The Walt Disney extended by five days the exclusive negotiating window it had granted to The Weinstein Company, Ron Burkle and their partners to close the deal to buy Miramax .
According to a knowledgeable individual, the hold-up is purely about working through the legal complications of the deal, poring through every document, every film project, and the due diligence on a deal this large.
As WaxWord has already reported, they have set the price at $625 million cash, but there are many, many details to complete.
Meanwhile, Philly.com is reporting that Burkle is also busy bidding on the Philadelphia Inquirier and Daily News. (Burkle among those bidding for Philly newspapers). He apparently got involved at the request of Governor Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Newspapers CEO Brian Tierney.
Back in Hollywood, the new Miramax window was for five days, and thus expires on Monday. My understanding is there will be no deal before that time.
But you might expect it first thing Monday.
Stay tuned.
3 enter bidding for newspapers
Three bidders - one expected, one reconstituted and the third something of a surprise - plunked down $3 million each yesterday to join a competition for ownership of the Daily News and Inquirer.
The expected bid came from the hedge funds, banks and other financial institutions that hold most of the newspapers' secured debt, with a face value of more than $300 million. The group is led by Angelo, Gordon & Co. of New York City.
The reconfigured group includes several local investors recruited by the newspapers' current chief executive officer, Brian P. Tierney, with major financing from a privately held California firm, The Yucaipa Cos. Yucaipa, run by supermarket billionaire Ron Burkle, stepped into the breach this week, after businessman Bruce Toll decided to reduce his investment in the venture. Burkle is a major Democratic Party donor and a friend to former President Bill Clinton, whom he named to Yucaipa's board of directors.
The third bidder was said to be Stern Partners Inc., of Vancouver, Canada, an investment firm that owns a controlling interest in the Winnipeg Free Press, the Brandon Sun and seven community newspapers. Its other holdings include paper mills, a packaging firm and a garden-products company.
Its founder, Ronald N. Stern, led a delegation to Philadelphia in January and met a cross-section of management and union leaders.
But the Canadian firm got little attention in recent months as the newspapers and their secured lenders fought a legal battle over whether the lenders could use their IOUs to bid for the company.
The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals eventually ruled that the newspapers could prohibit the IOUs - a process known as credit-bidding - and require all-cash bids.
Tierney and others involved in the auction process, designed to bring the newspapers through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, said they were bound by a confidentiality agreement not to identify any of the potential bidders.
The financial credentials of each bidder are being evaluated this weekend by the newspapers' lawyers and financial advisers to determine their eligibility for a full-fledged auction scheduled for Tuesday in the Manhattan offices of the law firm Proskauer Rose LLP.
Two independent sale monitors - retired federal judge Arlin M. Adams and investment banker J. Scott Victor - are reviewing the process to ensure its fairness.
If all goes as scheduled and the resolution of the bankruptcy case is confirmed by Chief U. S. Bankruptcy Judge Stephen Raslavich, the ownership of the newspapers and their Web site, Philly.com, would change hands in late June or July.
Burkle had tried to buy the Philadelphia newspapers four years ago, but the Yucaipa firm was outbid by a group of local investors, organized by Tierney.
Now Yucaipa has teamed up with some of Tierney's original investors - Toll, insurance broker William A. Graham and the pension fund of the Metropolitan Carpenters Union - to go after the newspapers again. A new local investor, philanthropist David Haas is also involved.
WASHINGTON (Politically Illustrated) – Ron Burkle donated a whopping $50,000 to Celebrity Apprentice Holly Robinson on Sunday night during a challenge to raise the most money to create a fitness class for 24 Hour Fitness.
The team Holly Robinson Peete was on raised a total of $200,000, more than any other non-finale show.
Sharon Osbourne’s team won $25,000 by developing the best gym class with a Rock N’ Roll class with VIP backstage passes allowing them to raise a total of $100,000.
Who did Donald Trump fire?
Nobody.
The money donated by Ron Buckle will go towards helping autistic children.
Three bidders vying to own Philadelphia Newspapers
Billionaire Ronald W. Burkle and a Canadian investment group emerged Friday as players in the forthcoming sale of Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C., the parent company of The Inquirer.
Stern Partners Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia, was one of three bidders to make an offer for the company by the 5 p.m. deadline. Burkle, sources said, has committed funds to help a group of local investors, who also submitted a bid.
The third bid came from a coalition of the company's senior lenders, who are seeking to recoup as much of their $318 million debt as they can.
The involvement of Burkle came after he was contacted by Gov. Rendell at the request of Brian P. Tierney, the chief executive officer of the newspaper company, according to sources.
The local investor group includes William A. Graham, chief executive officer of Graham Co., a Philadelphia regional insurance broker; the Carpenters Union pension fund; and the philanthropist David Haas. Bruce Toll, vice chairman of homebuilder Toll Bros. Inc., is also said to be part of the group, but at a lower stake than he previously promised.
The three bids are now in the hands of the media company, which also owns the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com. Company officers and their attorneys will evaluate them over the weekend to determine the "highest and best" offer at that point to serve as the floor for the auction. The auction will use the same "highest and best" standard to determine a winner Tuesday.
The company declined to provide any information about the bids other than saying there had been more than one.
Sources involved in the matter, however, confirmed the three bids and Burkle's commitment to the local investment group.
Stern Partners owns a controlling interest in the Winnipeg Free Press and the Brandon Sun, both in Manitoba, and seven community newspapers. It also owns two paper mills, a packaging firm, an apparel-maker, and a garden-products company, according to its Web site.
Ronald N. Stern, founder of the company, was among a Stern contingent that visited Philadelphia in January with an eye toward joining the bidding. Stern did not return a call for comment.
Burkle, through his Yucaipa Cos. L.L.C., a California-based holding company, was a late and an unexpected addition to the local investors who announced their intentions to try to buy the bankrupt company last summer.
A source familiar with the matter said the local investors still have an option to continue without Burkle's help if they conclude they have enough funds to purchase the company without him.
While Yucaipa had been among the firms that have reviewed Philadelphia Newspapers' finances as a prelude to bidding, it was assumed the holding company was considering its own bid - independent of the local investors.
Its decision to throw in with the local investors suggests that the group will offer a serious challenge to take control of the company.
According to sources, Burkle agreed to join the group after the intervention of Rendell, who reached out to Burkle on Thursday at the request of Tierney.
Burkle, who made a fortune buying and selling supermarket chains, has long had an interest in the company. He was one of its suitors four years ago before it was sold to a group led by Tierney. He is a former confidant of President Bill Clinton and a major donor to the Democratic Party.
Tierney and Rendell declined to discuss how Burkle came to be part of the investment group.
Frank Quintera, a principal with Yucaipa, said he could neither confirm nor deny Yucaipa's interest in the company.
On Thursday, Graham said the local group intended to submit a bid that would be similar to one that had been on the table but was withdrawn this week.
That bid offered $35 million in cash and a $17 million letter of credit for all of the company's assets except for its North Broad Street headquarters building.
The senior lenders, holders of the company's largest debt, had previously said through their attorneys that they intended to make a "robust cash bid" for the company.
Those creditors are Angelo, Gordon & Co., the CIT Syndicated Loan Group, Credit Suisse, Eaton Vance Management, General Electric Capital Corp. Inc., Halbis Distressed Opportunities Master Fund Ltd., McDonnell Investment Management L.L.C., and Venor Capital Master Fund L.L.C.
It was unclear if all of those lenders took part in the bid for the company. Fred S. Hodara, the lead attorney for the senior lenders, declined to discuss the lenders' bid in detail.
"It is a clean, all-cash bid that is significantly more valuable than the bid that was formerly known as the 'stalking horse,' " he said, referring to the local group's initial offering.
The bids were submitted to the company's financial adviser, Sonenshine Partners in New York City.
The company will review the bids in consultation with two sales monitors: retired federal Judge Arlin M. Adams and J. Scott Victor, an investment banker who specializes in distressed-debt situations.
The auction is to be held at the New York offices of Proskauer Rose, one of the company's two law firms.
The auction is central to the company's reorganization plan to emerge from bankruptcy. Money raised will go to the senior lenders to settle their debt.
The winner of the auction will still need to have the sale approved by Chief Bankruptcy Judge Stephen Raslavich at a confirmation hearing May 25.
Weinsteins, Burkle in exclusive Miramax talks: sources
Hollywood producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein and their financial backer, billionaire Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Companies, have an exclusive negotiating window to negotiate buying Disney's Miramax Films division, three sources with knowledge of the situation said on Friday.
Deals
The Walt Disney Co was seeking about $700 million for Miramax, sources said earlier this week. The Weinsteins and Yucaipa are offering $625 million, the New York Times reported on Friday, for the shuttered studio with a library of more than 600 films, including "Pulp Fiction."
The window temporarily sidelines competing bidders, one of the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were not public. A Weinstein spokeswoman declined to comment, and officials with Disney did not return calls.
Film executive David Bergstein said he is advising construction magnate Ron Tutor and other investors who had offered $650 million.
Financiers Alec and Tom Gores are behind another offer and are being advised by their brother, Sam Gores, who heads the Paradigm Talent Agency.
The Gores offered $550 million, but a source said this week that they increased that bid, although it was unclear by how much.
Revelations that Disney was floating a sale of Miramax surfaced in media reports in January.
One source familiar with the deal said that Disney could close the sale next week, while another source said it could happen within the next two weeks.
A third source said the Weinsteins have an advantage in the auction, because they still control certain rights to titles in the library that had been made under their long stewardship of Miramax.
Bob and Harvey Weinstein founded Miramax in 1979 and sold it to Disney in 1993 for $80 million. The pair continued to run the company until they left in 2005 to form The Weinstein Co.
A source said that if the sale is complete, Yucaipa would own Miramax and the Weinsteins would manage it.
Three bidders vying to own Philadelphia Newspapers
Billionaire Ronald W. Burkle and a Canadian investment group emerged Friday as players in the forthcoming sale of Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C., the parent company of The Inquirer.
Stern Partners Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia, was one of three bidders to make an offer for the company by the 5 p.m. deadline. Burkle, sources said, has committed funds to help a group of local investors, who also submitted a bid.
The third bid came from a coalition of the company's senior lenders, who are seeking to recoup as much of their $318 million debt as they can.
The involvement of Burkle came after he was contacted by Gov. Rendell at the request of Brian P. Tierney, the chief executive officer of the newspaper company, according to sources.
The local investor group includes William A. Graham, chief executive officer of Graham Co., a Philadelphia regional insurance broker; the Carpenters Union pension fund; and the philanthropist David Haas. Bruce Toll, vice chairman of homebuilder Toll Bros. Inc., is also said to be part of the group, but at a lower stake than he previously promised.
The three bids are now in the hands of the media company, which also owns the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com. Company officers and their attorneys will evaluate them over the weekend to determine the "highest and best" offer at that point to serve as the floor for the auction. The auction will use the same "highest and best" standard to determine a winner Tuesday.
The company declined to provide any information about the bids other than saying there had been more than one.
Sources involved in the matter, however, confirmed the three bids and Burkle's commitment to the local investment group.
Stern Partners owns a controlling interest in the Winnipeg Free Press and the Brandon Sun, both in Manitoba, and seven community newspapers. It also owns two paper mills, a packaging firm, an apparel-maker, and a garden-products company, according to its Web site.
Ronald N. Stern, founder of the company, was among a Stern contingent that visited Philadelphia in January with an eye toward joining the bidding. Stern did not return a call for comment.
Burkle, through his Yucaipa Cos. L.L.C., a California-based holding company, was a late and an unexpected addition to the local investors who announced their intentions to try to buy the bankrupt company last summer.
A source familiar with the matter said the local investors still have an option to continue without Burkle's help if they conclude they have enough funds to purchase the company without him.
While Yucaipa had been among the firms that have reviewed Philadelphia Newspapers' finances as a prelude to bidding, it was assumed the holding company was considering its own bid - independent of the local investors.
Its decision to throw in with the local investors suggests that the group will offer a serious challenge to take control of the company.
According to sources, Burkle agreed to join the group after the intervention of Rendell, who reached out to Burkle on Thursday at the request of Tierney.
Burkle, who made a fortune buying and selling supermarket chains, has long had an interest in the company. He was one of its suitors four years ago before it was sold to a group led by Tierney. He is a former confidant of President Bill Clinton and a major donor to the Democratic Party.
Tierney and Rendell declined to discuss how Burkle came to be part of the investment group.
Frank Quintera, a principal with Yucaipa, said he could neither confirm nor deny Yucaipa's interest in the company.
On Thursday, Graham said the local group intended to submit a bid that would be similar to one that had been on the table but was withdrawn this week.
That bid offered $35 million in cash and a $17 million letter of credit for all of the company's assets except for its North Broad Street headquarters building.
The senior lenders, holders of the company's largest debt, had previously said through their attorneys that they intended to make a "robust cash bid" for the company.
Those creditors are Angelo, Gordon & Co., the CIT Syndicated Loan Group, Credit Suisse, Eaton Vance Management, General Electric Capital Corp. Inc., Halbis Distressed Opportunities Master Fund Ltd., McDonnell Investment Management L.L.C., and Venor Capital Master Fund L.L.C.
It was unclear if all of those lenders took part in the bid for the company. Fred S. Hodara, the lead attorney for the senior lenders, declined to discuss the lenders' bid in detail.
"It is a clean, all-cash bid that is significantly more valuable than the bid that was formerly known as the 'stalking horse,' " he said, referring to the local group's initial offering.
The bids were submitted to the company's financial adviser, Sonenshine Partners in New York City.
The company will review the bids in consultation with two sales monitors: retired federal Judge Arlin M. Adams and J. Scott Victor, an investment banker who specializes in distressed-debt situations.
The auction is to be held at the New York offices of Proskauer Rose, one of the company's two law firms.
The auction is central to the company's reorganization plan to emerge from bankruptcy. Money raised will go to the senior lenders to settle their debt.
The winner of the auction will still need to have the sale approved by Chief Bankruptcy Judge Stephen Raslavich at a confirmation hearing May 25.
Billionaire Burkle Joins Local Group as Three Bidders Emerge for Philly Newspapers
CHICAGO California billionaire Ronald Burkle -- who several times has made offers for big daily newspapers that never came to fruition -- is committed to help fund the local group bidding for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News at Tuesday's auction.
The deadline for offers for the newspapers closed Friday with three bidders, according to published reports: the local group put together by Philadelphia Newspapers CEO Brian P. Tierney; the senior creditors of the company; and Stern Partners, the Vancouver, British Columbia-based group that owns a controlling stake in the Winnipeg Free Press and eight other papers.
An Inquirer report by staff writer Christopher K. Hepp said Burkle became involved after he was contacted by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell at Tierney's request. The group -- which has adopted the slogan "Go Local" -- may go forward without funding from Burkle if they can raise sufficient money without him, Hepp wrote, citing an unnamed source.
The Inquirer reported the local group is bidding $35 million in cash and a $17 million letter of credit for the newspaper assets, excluding its headquarters building.
Miramax Update: Deadline Extended, Deal by Monday?
We hate to keep the suspense dragging, but it's the lawyers' fault - really.
As expected, The Walt Disney extended by five days the exclusive negotiating window it had granted to The Weinstein Company, Ron Burkle and their partners to close the deal to buy Miramax .
According to a knowledgeable individual, the hold-up is purely about working through the legal complications of the deal, poring through every document, every film project, and the due diligence on a deal this large.
As WaxWord has already reported, they have set the price at $625 million cash, but there are many, many details to complete.
Meanwhile, Philly.com is reporting that Burkle is also busy bidding on the Philadelphia Inquirier and Daily News. (Burkle among those bidding for Philly newspapers). He apparently got involved at the request of Governor Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Newspapers CEO Brian Tierney.
Back in Hollywood, the new Miramax window was for five days, and thus expires on Monday. My understanding is there will be no deal before that time.
But you might expect it first thing Monday.
Stay tuned.
3 enter bidding for newspapers
Three bidders - one expected, one reconstituted and the third something of a surprise - plunked down $3 million each yesterday to join a competition for ownership of the Daily News and Inquirer.
The expected bid came from the hedge funds, banks and other financial institutions that hold most of the newspapers' secured debt, with a face value of more than $300 million. The group is led by Angelo, Gordon & Co. of New York City.
The reconfigured group includes several local investors recruited by the newspapers' current chief executive officer, Brian P. Tierney, with major financing from a privately held California firm, The Yucaipa Cos. Yucaipa, run by supermarket billionaire Ron Burkle, stepped into the breach this week, after businessman Bruce Toll decided to reduce his investment in the venture. Burkle is a major Democratic Party donor and a friend to former President Bill Clinton, whom he named to Yucaipa's board of directors.
The third bidder was said to be Stern Partners Inc., of Vancouver, Canada, an investment firm that owns a controlling interest in the Winnipeg Free Press, the Brandon Sun and seven community newspapers. Its other holdings include paper mills, a packaging firm and a garden-products company.
Its founder, Ronald N. Stern, led a delegation to Philadelphia in January and met a cross-section of management and union leaders.
But the Canadian firm got little attention in recent months as the newspapers and their secured lenders fought a legal battle over whether the lenders could use their IOUs to bid for the company.
The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals eventually ruled that the newspapers could prohibit the IOUs - a process known as credit-bidding - and require all-cash bids.
Tierney and others involved in the auction process, designed to bring the newspapers through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, said they were bound by a confidentiality agreement not to identify any of the potential bidders.
The financial credentials of each bidder are being evaluated this weekend by the newspapers' lawyers and financial advisers to determine their eligibility for a full-fledged auction scheduled for Tuesday in the Manhattan offices of the law firm Proskauer Rose LLP.
Two independent sale monitors - retired federal judge Arlin M. Adams and investment banker J. Scott Victor - are reviewing the process to ensure its fairness.
If all goes as scheduled and the resolution of the bankruptcy case is confirmed by Chief U. S. Bankruptcy Judge Stephen Raslavich, the ownership of the newspapers and their Web site, Philly.com, would change hands in late June or July.
Burkle had tried to buy the Philadelphia newspapers four years ago, but the Yucaipa firm was outbid by a group of local investors, organized by Tierney.
Now Yucaipa has teamed up with some of Tierney's original investors - Toll, insurance broker William A. Graham and the pension fund of the Metropolitan Carpenters Union - to go after the newspapers again. A new local investor, philanthropist David Haas is also involved.
25 April 2010
Tim toone
Three days after Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh held up a No. 1 Lions jersey as the second overall pick in the NFL draft, someone held up another Lions jersey on stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
On this one, duct tape covered the No. 1 in the shape of an “I,” honoring Mr. Irrelevant, the 255th and final pick in the NFL draft, Weber State wide receiver Tim Toone.
Paul Salata made the announcement as he traditionally does. He is the founder of Irrelevant Week, an annual five-day bash in Newport Beach, Calif., for the last man drafted. Why? To do something nice for no reason at all.
“I think it’ll be fun,” Toone said. “Just having fun with the whole situation will be a great opportunity.”
But just because Toone is Mr. Irrelevant doesn’t mean he will be irrelevant. The Lions made Alabama cornerback Ramzee Robinson the last pick (255th overall) in 2007, and after the parade and banquet and other events in Newport, he played 19 games for them. He has gone on to play for the Eagles and Browns.
Coach Jim Schwartz thinks Toone could be as popular as the colorful, intense linebacker the Lions picked in the seventh round (235th overall) last year.
“Zack Follett’s going to have some competition for new favorite player, new cult hero in Detroit,” Schwartz said, pointing out Toone not only had a lot of big numbers and honors from college, but was a “white guy with dreadlocks.”
“I hope the fans will see the same thing that we saw in him,” Schwartz said.
Toone, 5-feet-10, 175 185 pounds, is 25 years old, having served a two-year Mormon mission in West Africa. He’s speedy. He had 95- and 90-yard punt returns for touchdowns in college.
“A lot of people tell me I’m like Wes Welker,” Toone said. “Having him in the league has helped me out a lot because he’s not the biggest guy, but he’s a hard worker, he runs great routes, he’s quick. That’s why people compare me to him, because I work hard. I try to find open holes and do everything I can to help the team win.”
http://www.freep.com/article/20100424/SPORTS01/100424026/1356/SPORTS/Lions-last-pick-Toone-just-might-be-relevant
Lions rebuilding in unusual way
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions knew they had to use the draft to help rebuild a franchise that has only won two games in the last two years.
They just didn't do it in the traditional way.
Detroit traded five of their seven draft picks, helping them pick up several veterans and an extra first-rounder, but leaving them with just two picks between the second and sixth rounds.
Before the draft, the Lions made five trades, giving up 2010 picks and linebacker Ernie Sims for draft choices and veterans including defensive tackle Corey Williams, cornerback Chris Houston, guard Rob Sims and tight end Tony Scheffler.
"When we were sitting there watching the clock with no picks in the fourth and fifth rounds, we kept reminding ourselves that we had added starting players with those picks," Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said after the draft ended Saturday evening. "We picked up veteran players with experience for lower-round picks, which is something you can't get through the draft."
Lions coach Jim Schwartz felt that the Lions are clearly improved because of the addition of those veterans — along with free-agent signing Nate Burleson and first-round picks Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best.
"We're a better team than we were at the end of last season — that's for sure," he said. "We've been very aggressive about adding to our talent base in the two offseasons that we've been here, and I think we've done a nice job of it."
The Lions started the draft's final day by taking Miami offensive tackle Jason Fox with the 30th pick of the fourth round.
"We're excited about getting Jason — this is a kid who was a four-year starter at Miami," Lions offensive line coach George Yarno said. "He can play either tackle and, even though he's tall at 6-foot-7, we think he can play guard as well. Right now, we're looking at him as our third tackle."
Fox missed Miami's appearance in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl after having minor knee surgery, then pulled a hamstring during his pro-day workout.
"My knee probably affected my draft status a bit, but I went in the fourth round, so it could have been a lot worse," he said. "I think I'm very close to 100 percent right now, and I'll be ready for whatever they need."
Fox also missed one game last season with an irregular heartbeat, but insists it isn't an issue going forward.
"I'd really prefer not to get into that," he said. "It was a fluke one-day thing that will never happen again. I've had several stress tests and they've all come back clear."
Detroit, which didn't pick in the fifth or sixth rounds, started the day with three seventh-round selections, but dealt one to Philadelphia for a sixth-round choice next season. With the 214th overall pick, they took North Carolina State defensive end Willie Young, and with the day's last choice — No. 255, this year's alleged Mr. Irrelevant — they selected Weber State receiver Tim Toone.
"We didn't anticipate taking a defensive end today, but we had Willie Young so high on our board that it was just a great value when he was still available," Schwartz said. "Then to finish off the day, we got a guy who I think is going to be a cult hero in this town in Tim Toone. He's a little white guy with dreadlocks who can really run and is an exciting returner."
Toone led the Big Sky Conference in punt returns at 19.9 yards, including a pair of touchdowns.
"I had a 90-yarder for a touchdown and a 95-yarder for a touchdown, so I guess that really helped my average," said Toone, who also served two years in West Africa on a Mormon mission. "After that, teams pretty much stopped kicking the ball to me."
After getting Suh and Best in the first day of the new three-day draft, Detroit's only second-day pick was third-rounder Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey.
"This was a long process," Mayhew said. "But I know we are a better team right now than we were Wednesday, and that's the important thing."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5icvmeL8p26M2gTnCeyd2NyEOWeWwD9F9NJQ00
Cavs vs. Bulls Free Spread Pick
Tim Toone may be Mr. Irrelevant, but From ScoresOddsPicks, here is the Sunday free pick that bookmakers wish were ignored.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls – Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET
The Bulls apparently aren’t going to go down without a fight after beating Cleveland 108-106 on Thursday. Chicago covered as a 4.5-point underdog and, although it doesn’t have much of a chance to win this series, the team is building momentum at the sportsbook. The Bulls are 5-1 in their last six games against the spread. They’re been solid if unspectacular at home, going 6-4 ATS in their last 10 home games. Derrick Rose led the way in Game 3, racking up 31 points and seven assists.
Cleveland is struggling at the sportsbook. The Cavaliers have covered just three times in their last 10 games on NBA betting lines. Playing another game in Chicago certainly won’t help matters, as Cleveland is 3-7 against the spread in its last 10 games away from home. LeBron James was excellent in defeat, scoring 39 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Game 3 upset was fun for Bulls fans, but it means the Cavaliers will come out angry in Game 4. LeBron and Co. should make this an ugly one for Chicago—and a win for NBA betting fans taking the Cavs.
http://www.offshoreinsiders.com/index.php?Page=Articles&ArticleID=8445
On this one, duct tape covered the No. 1 in the shape of an “I,” honoring Mr. Irrelevant, the 255th and final pick in the NFL draft, Weber State wide receiver Tim Toone.
Paul Salata made the announcement as he traditionally does. He is the founder of Irrelevant Week, an annual five-day bash in Newport Beach, Calif., for the last man drafted. Why? To do something nice for no reason at all.
“I think it’ll be fun,” Toone said. “Just having fun with the whole situation will be a great opportunity.”
But just because Toone is Mr. Irrelevant doesn’t mean he will be irrelevant. The Lions made Alabama cornerback Ramzee Robinson the last pick (255th overall) in 2007, and after the parade and banquet and other events in Newport, he played 19 games for them. He has gone on to play for the Eagles and Browns.
Coach Jim Schwartz thinks Toone could be as popular as the colorful, intense linebacker the Lions picked in the seventh round (235th overall) last year.
“Zack Follett’s going to have some competition for new favorite player, new cult hero in Detroit,” Schwartz said, pointing out Toone not only had a lot of big numbers and honors from college, but was a “white guy with dreadlocks.”
“I hope the fans will see the same thing that we saw in him,” Schwartz said.
Toone, 5-feet-10, 175 185 pounds, is 25 years old, having served a two-year Mormon mission in West Africa. He’s speedy. He had 95- and 90-yard punt returns for touchdowns in college.
“A lot of people tell me I’m like Wes Welker,” Toone said. “Having him in the league has helped me out a lot because he’s not the biggest guy, but he’s a hard worker, he runs great routes, he’s quick. That’s why people compare me to him, because I work hard. I try to find open holes and do everything I can to help the team win.”
http://www.freep.com/article/20100424/SPORTS01/100424026/1356/SPORTS/Lions-last-pick-Toone-just-might-be-relevant
Lions rebuilding in unusual way
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions knew they had to use the draft to help rebuild a franchise that has only won two games in the last two years.
They just didn't do it in the traditional way.
Detroit traded five of their seven draft picks, helping them pick up several veterans and an extra first-rounder, but leaving them with just two picks between the second and sixth rounds.
Before the draft, the Lions made five trades, giving up 2010 picks and linebacker Ernie Sims for draft choices and veterans including defensive tackle Corey Williams, cornerback Chris Houston, guard Rob Sims and tight end Tony Scheffler.
"When we were sitting there watching the clock with no picks in the fourth and fifth rounds, we kept reminding ourselves that we had added starting players with those picks," Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said after the draft ended Saturday evening. "We picked up veteran players with experience for lower-round picks, which is something you can't get through the draft."
Lions coach Jim Schwartz felt that the Lions are clearly improved because of the addition of those veterans — along with free-agent signing Nate Burleson and first-round picks Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best.
"We're a better team than we were at the end of last season — that's for sure," he said. "We've been very aggressive about adding to our talent base in the two offseasons that we've been here, and I think we've done a nice job of it."
The Lions started the draft's final day by taking Miami offensive tackle Jason Fox with the 30th pick of the fourth round.
"We're excited about getting Jason — this is a kid who was a four-year starter at Miami," Lions offensive line coach George Yarno said. "He can play either tackle and, even though he's tall at 6-foot-7, we think he can play guard as well. Right now, we're looking at him as our third tackle."
Fox missed Miami's appearance in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl after having minor knee surgery, then pulled a hamstring during his pro-day workout.
"My knee probably affected my draft status a bit, but I went in the fourth round, so it could have been a lot worse," he said. "I think I'm very close to 100 percent right now, and I'll be ready for whatever they need."
Fox also missed one game last season with an irregular heartbeat, but insists it isn't an issue going forward.
"I'd really prefer not to get into that," he said. "It was a fluke one-day thing that will never happen again. I've had several stress tests and they've all come back clear."
Detroit, which didn't pick in the fifth or sixth rounds, started the day with three seventh-round selections, but dealt one to Philadelphia for a sixth-round choice next season. With the 214th overall pick, they took North Carolina State defensive end Willie Young, and with the day's last choice — No. 255, this year's alleged Mr. Irrelevant — they selected Weber State receiver Tim Toone.
"We didn't anticipate taking a defensive end today, but we had Willie Young so high on our board that it was just a great value when he was still available," Schwartz said. "Then to finish off the day, we got a guy who I think is going to be a cult hero in this town in Tim Toone. He's a little white guy with dreadlocks who can really run and is an exciting returner."
Toone led the Big Sky Conference in punt returns at 19.9 yards, including a pair of touchdowns.
"I had a 90-yarder for a touchdown and a 95-yarder for a touchdown, so I guess that really helped my average," said Toone, who also served two years in West Africa on a Mormon mission. "After that, teams pretty much stopped kicking the ball to me."
After getting Suh and Best in the first day of the new three-day draft, Detroit's only second-day pick was third-rounder Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey.
"This was a long process," Mayhew said. "But I know we are a better team right now than we were Wednesday, and that's the important thing."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5icvmeL8p26M2gTnCeyd2NyEOWeWwD9F9NJQ00
Cavs vs. Bulls Free Spread Pick
Tim Toone may be Mr. Irrelevant, but From ScoresOddsPicks, here is the Sunday free pick that bookmakers wish were ignored.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls – Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET
The Bulls apparently aren’t going to go down without a fight after beating Cleveland 108-106 on Thursday. Chicago covered as a 4.5-point underdog and, although it doesn’t have much of a chance to win this series, the team is building momentum at the sportsbook. The Bulls are 5-1 in their last six games against the spread. They’re been solid if unspectacular at home, going 6-4 ATS in their last 10 home games. Derrick Rose led the way in Game 3, racking up 31 points and seven assists.
Cleveland is struggling at the sportsbook. The Cavaliers have covered just three times in their last 10 games on NBA betting lines. Playing another game in Chicago certainly won’t help matters, as Cleveland is 3-7 against the spread in its last 10 games away from home. LeBron James was excellent in defeat, scoring 39 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Game 3 upset was fun for Bulls fans, but it means the Cavaliers will come out angry in Game 4. LeBron and Co. should make this an ugly one for Chicago—and a win for NBA betting fans taking the Cavs.
http://www.offshoreinsiders.com/index.php?Page=Articles&ArticleID=8445
22 April 2010
Earth day activities
From organic wine tasting to a fair-trade Carnaval costume show, Bay Area residents will put their own twist on Earth Day celebrations today to mark the occasion's 40th anniversary.
At San Francisco State, cowgirls will promote composting. At the Academy of Sciences, they'll be dancing to a hip-hop DJ. And in the Mission, they'll be belly dancing and eating organic empanadas.
"It's San Francisco - people like things more theatrical here. They want to have fun, they don't want to think 'Earth Day, oh my God, the sky is falling,' " said Sunshine Swinford, outreach coordinator for the San Francisco Department of the Environment. "They want to know there's things they can do that will actually make a difference."
Swinford's agency will staff six Earth Day events across San Francisco today in hopes of encouraging people to recycle, compost, use fluorescent lights, turn off the tap while brushing their teeth, and take other small steps toward saving the planet.
But to make the message more fun, and less dogmatic, the staff will sponsor a recycling game in which visitors have to sort chicken bones, plastic bags, TVs and other items into recycling bins. Winners get a canvas bag made of scrap fabric.
At the Blue Macaw nightclub on Mission Street, Carnaval organizers are hosting a fundraiser to bring more recycling, biodiesel floats and fair-trade tacos to make the annual bacchanalian parade more green through the Mission District.
"Carnaval is a celebration of indigenous people, and no one on the planet is more green than indigenous people," said organizer Douglas Kolberg. "We're not preaching to the choir here, focusing on, say, people from Mill Valley. We're trying to reach people who might not already know about Earth Day."
A more high-brow Earth Day celebration will be held at the Mandarin Hotel near Union Square, where visitors can sample organic wines and appetizers, with proceeds going to Friends of the Urban Forest.
But some of the most important Earth Day activities won't be at parties or festivals. At parks throughout the Bay Area, thousands of volunteers will be pulling weeds and picking up trash, thankless jobs that are crucial to maintaining the region's multitude of open spaces.
"We couldn't do what we do without volunteers," said David Shaw, spokesman for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. "They're critical in helping in the care and maintenance of our parks."
Volunteers can drop in at Crissy Field anytime today to help out. Those who stop by Battery East in the Presidio can see Moo Moo Evans of the Harlem Globetrotters, who will be giving out basketball tickets and talking to youth about habitat restoration.
"Earth Day is our biggest holiday of the year," Shaw said. "And the fact we get so many people out, not just on Earth Day but every day, really speaks to the commitment of people in the Bay Area."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/21/BAHT1D2AQI.DTL
At San Francisco State, cowgirls will promote composting. At the Academy of Sciences, they'll be dancing to a hip-hop DJ. And in the Mission, they'll be belly dancing and eating organic empanadas.
"It's San Francisco - people like things more theatrical here. They want to have fun, they don't want to think 'Earth Day, oh my God, the sky is falling,' " said Sunshine Swinford, outreach coordinator for the San Francisco Department of the Environment. "They want to know there's things they can do that will actually make a difference."
Swinford's agency will staff six Earth Day events across San Francisco today in hopes of encouraging people to recycle, compost, use fluorescent lights, turn off the tap while brushing their teeth, and take other small steps toward saving the planet.
But to make the message more fun, and less dogmatic, the staff will sponsor a recycling game in which visitors have to sort chicken bones, plastic bags, TVs and other items into recycling bins. Winners get a canvas bag made of scrap fabric.
At the Blue Macaw nightclub on Mission Street, Carnaval organizers are hosting a fundraiser to bring more recycling, biodiesel floats and fair-trade tacos to make the annual bacchanalian parade more green through the Mission District.
"Carnaval is a celebration of indigenous people, and no one on the planet is more green than indigenous people," said organizer Douglas Kolberg. "We're not preaching to the choir here, focusing on, say, people from Mill Valley. We're trying to reach people who might not already know about Earth Day."
A more high-brow Earth Day celebration will be held at the Mandarin Hotel near Union Square, where visitors can sample organic wines and appetizers, with proceeds going to Friends of the Urban Forest.
But some of the most important Earth Day activities won't be at parties or festivals. At parks throughout the Bay Area, thousands of volunteers will be pulling weeds and picking up trash, thankless jobs that are crucial to maintaining the region's multitude of open spaces.
"We couldn't do what we do without volunteers," said David Shaw, spokesman for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. "They're critical in helping in the care and maintenance of our parks."
Volunteers can drop in at Crissy Field anytime today to help out. Those who stop by Battery East in the Presidio can see Moo Moo Evans of the Harlem Globetrotters, who will be giving out basketball tickets and talking to youth about habitat restoration.
"Earth Day is our biggest holiday of the year," Shaw said. "And the fact we get so many people out, not just on Earth Day but every day, really speaks to the commitment of people in the Bay Area."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/21/BAHT1D2AQI.DTL
21 April 2010
Megyn kelly howard stern
Howard Stern swapped out his standard SI swimsuit pinup model guests for FOX News' co-anchor of "America Live," Megyn Kelly, on his Tuesday (April 20) show.Megyn Kelly has been on a media blitz this week, appearing in Variety and sitting down for interviews with Howard Stern and the ladies of "The View."
Of course Kelly, part of the FOX News brigade of blonde bombshells, isn't too hard on the eyes. And Stern didn't seem all that interested in testing her brain power.
The Sirius XM radio host had Kelly play the game "Marry, F, Kill," using Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly as her choices. She went with having relations with O'Reilly (ick!), marrying Hannity and killing Beck (and with that, James Cameron just became a Kelly fan).Megyn Kelly’s order was in the same presented above. It was a strange arrangement of names she was given – they should have at least thrown an Owen Wilson or Brad Pitt into the mix…on the other hand those three are the three biggest names on her network so in essence it does make sense.
Though she might have been jittery at first the game seemed to loosen her up a bit and she performed like the star she is.
look , ..... Nice girl.
Of course Kelly, part of the FOX News brigade of blonde bombshells, isn't too hard on the eyes. And Stern didn't seem all that interested in testing her brain power.
The Sirius XM radio host had Kelly play the game "Marry, F, Kill," using Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly as her choices. She went with having relations with O'Reilly (ick!), marrying Hannity and killing Beck (and with that, James Cameron just became a Kelly fan).Megyn Kelly’s order was in the same presented above. It was a strange arrangement of names she was given – they should have at least thrown an Owen Wilson or Brad Pitt into the mix…on the other hand those three are the three biggest names on her network so in essence it does make sense.
Though she might have been jittery at first the game seemed to loosen her up a bit and she performed like the star she is.
look , ..... Nice girl.
Gloucester county times
The Gloucester County Times (GCT) is a daily newspaper in Woodbury, New Jersey, United States. Its main competitors are The Philadelphia Inquirer across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, and the Courier-Post in South Jersey.
Christina Paciolla gives today’s top stories in the Gloucester County Times. 911 notes is a roundup of news and notes by Times police reporter Lucas Murray about police, fire and emergency medical services people in Gloucester County. Have something newsworthy that doesn’t make the crime blotter?
It is a sister newspaper to both the The News of Cumberland County (in Cumberland County) and Today’s Sunbeam (in Salem County), as all are owned by Advance Publications.
I saw an eagle flying over my house in Woodbury a few days ago.
Twenty-five years ago this would have been a remarkable sighting. In 1983, there was only one active bald eagle nest in New Jersey.
But things are different today. In fact, I suspect that if I spent a lot of time looking up into the sky on clear days, and scanning with binoculars the tops of tall trees and structures, I could probably see an eagle at least once a week without going far from home.
In 2009, there were 84 eagle nests in New Jersey, and 99 young birds fledged. Forty percent of the nests were along Delaware Bay and tributary rivers from Gloucester to Cape May Counties. A survey in January 2009 counted 282 eagles in New Jersey.
What happened? Why the change?
Probably the biggest factor was the banning of DDT and other allied pesticides in 1972. These chemicals induced production of very thin-shelled eggs that could not be successfully incubated.
In addition, the state of New Jersey, from 1983 to 1991, reared 60 eagle chicks, mostly from Canada, on artificial nesting platforms so that the birds, when mature, would return here to nest. Similar programs took place in other states.
In New Jersey, eagles typically lay two eggs between mid-February and early March. The incubation period is about 35 days. The young birds won’t leave the nest until May or early June, but they will hang around the nest tree for a while after that.
Juvenile eagles wander widely for their first four or five years, but established pairs tend to stay close to home.
In winter, our local populations are augmented by birds that have migrated in from points farther north, so there are more eagles in New Jersey in winter than in summer.
Where can you see an eagle? Well, you could drive around in suitable habitat, looking for big birds and very large nests in trees.
Or, just keep looking up (not while driving, please.)
An adult eagle, with white head and tail, is easy to recognize. Immatures, up to the age of three or so, are more or less uniformly dark, and could be mistaken for a turkey vulture.
But vultures have wings that are dark on the leading edge and pale on the trailing edge when viewed from below, and they soar with the wing tips above the body, making a shallow vee.
Eagles soar on flat wings.
Since bald eagles eat a lot of fish, you are most likely to see one near water. The marshes along Raccoon Creek and Oldman’s Creek are likely places in Gloucester County. Farther south, success is even more likely along or the Mannington Marshes in Salem County, or the marshes around Fortescue in Cumberland County.
Christina Paciolla gives today’s top stories in the Gloucester County Times. 911 notes is a roundup of news and notes by Times police reporter Lucas Murray about police, fire and emergency medical services people in Gloucester County. Have something newsworthy that doesn’t make the crime blotter?
It is a sister newspaper to both the The News of Cumberland County (in Cumberland County) and Today’s Sunbeam (in Salem County), as all are owned by Advance Publications.
I saw an eagle flying over my house in Woodbury a few days ago.
Twenty-five years ago this would have been a remarkable sighting. In 1983, there was only one active bald eagle nest in New Jersey.
But things are different today. In fact, I suspect that if I spent a lot of time looking up into the sky on clear days, and scanning with binoculars the tops of tall trees and structures, I could probably see an eagle at least once a week without going far from home.
In 2009, there were 84 eagle nests in New Jersey, and 99 young birds fledged. Forty percent of the nests were along Delaware Bay and tributary rivers from Gloucester to Cape May Counties. A survey in January 2009 counted 282 eagles in New Jersey.
What happened? Why the change?
Probably the biggest factor was the banning of DDT and other allied pesticides in 1972. These chemicals induced production of very thin-shelled eggs that could not be successfully incubated.
In addition, the state of New Jersey, from 1983 to 1991, reared 60 eagle chicks, mostly from Canada, on artificial nesting platforms so that the birds, when mature, would return here to nest. Similar programs took place in other states.
In New Jersey, eagles typically lay two eggs between mid-February and early March. The incubation period is about 35 days. The young birds won’t leave the nest until May or early June, but they will hang around the nest tree for a while after that.
Juvenile eagles wander widely for their first four or five years, but established pairs tend to stay close to home.
In winter, our local populations are augmented by birds that have migrated in from points farther north, so there are more eagles in New Jersey in winter than in summer.
Where can you see an eagle? Well, you could drive around in suitable habitat, looking for big birds and very large nests in trees.
Or, just keep looking up (not while driving, please.)
An adult eagle, with white head and tail, is easy to recognize. Immatures, up to the age of three or so, are more or less uniformly dark, and could be mistaken for a turkey vulture.
But vultures have wings that are dark on the leading edge and pale on the trailing edge when viewed from below, and they soar with the wing tips above the body, making a shallow vee.
Eagles soar on flat wings.
Since bald eagles eat a lot of fish, you are most likely to see one near water. The marshes along Raccoon Creek and Oldman’s Creek are likely places in Gloucester County. Farther south, success is even more likely along or the Mannington Marshes in Salem County, or the marshes around Fortescue in Cumberland County.
deepwater horizon
Seven workers were reported critically injured, Coast Guard Lt. Sue Kerver said. Two were taken to a trauma center in Mobile, Ala., where there is a burn unit, but the nature of their injuries was unclear, she said. At least two were taken to a suburban New Orleans hospital.
The Deepwater Horizon is on fire and the flames are 200' tall. All personnel have abandon ship.
Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser confirms that an explosion has occurred at a Trans-Ocean Atlantic Oil Rig off the coast of Venice. The rig named "Deep Water Horizon" is still on fire and the U.S. Coast Guard is on the scene pulling workers off the platform and out of the water surrounding the rig. 8 workers have been critically injured in the blast and are now being airlifted to a local hospital. 120 people were on board at the time of the explosion.
We are 10 miles away, but we are stuck on an anchor and ccan not assist. This happened @ 2145. Ten minutes after the mayday, they abandoned ship and the flames were at least 200' tall. It's still raging and it's 0130 in the morning now. I called Transocean when it happened and they were not aware, but the Coast Guard just called them, I updated them. So, I gave them my assessment. Several vessels are conducting search patterns at this time. The head count on the rig was reported to be 129, but there has not been a hard count on the radio. We are going to the location within the hour.
I work for local EMS agency in New Orleans metro area. They have ambulances staged at various locations awaiting possible patients being tranported from Plaqumines Parish. I know that there were supposedly 8 critically injured....if they are being flown in they will probably be brought to West Jeff, Ochsner Main Campus on Jefferson Hwy and East Jefferson General because they all have heliports. And I think there may be one downtown near University Hospital....If I find out anything else I'll post again.
The Deepwater Horizon is on fire and the flames are 200' tall. All personnel have abandon ship.
Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser confirms that an explosion has occurred at a Trans-Ocean Atlantic Oil Rig off the coast of Venice. The rig named "Deep Water Horizon" is still on fire and the U.S. Coast Guard is on the scene pulling workers off the platform and out of the water surrounding the rig. 8 workers have been critically injured in the blast and are now being airlifted to a local hospital. 120 people were on board at the time of the explosion.
We are 10 miles away, but we are stuck on an anchor and ccan not assist. This happened @ 2145. Ten minutes after the mayday, they abandoned ship and the flames were at least 200' tall. It's still raging and it's 0130 in the morning now. I called Transocean when it happened and they were not aware, but the Coast Guard just called them, I updated them. So, I gave them my assessment. Several vessels are conducting search patterns at this time. The head count on the rig was reported to be 129, but there has not been a hard count on the radio. We are going to the location within the hour.
I work for local EMS agency in New Orleans metro area. They have ambulances staged at various locations awaiting possible patients being tranported from Plaqumines Parish. I know that there were supposedly 8 critically injured....if they are being flown in they will probably be brought to West Jeff, Ochsner Main Campus on Jefferson Hwy and East Jefferson General because they all have heliports. And I think there may be one downtown near University Hospital....If I find out anything else I'll post again.
20 April 2010
gray powell
Its really realy happen in this world, I ask u, question , "What happens when someone ( gray Powell) leaves ( forget or not ) a prototype of the new iPhone sitting on a bar? ' He gets an unofficial fan site, Facebook pages,A Number that could be important, and his name plastered on merchandise...all in the matter of a few hours.
Gizmodo was able to identify the man who lost a prototype of the next-generation iPhone at a bar in California, based on information found on the device. The blog reports that the man's name is Gray Powell and he works (worked?) at Apple's offices in central California.
here is a litlle story bout a lost iPhone
The 27-year-old Powell—a North Carolina State University 2006 graduate and talented amateur photographer—is an Apple Software Engineer working on the iPhone Baseband Software, the little program that enables the iPhone to make calls.
On the night of March 18, he was enjoying the fine imported ales at Gourmet Haus Staudt, a nice German beer garden in Redwood City, California. He was happy. The place was great. The beer was excellent. “I underestimated how good German beer is,” he typed into the next-generation iPhone he was testing on the field, cleverly disguised as an iPhone 3GS. It was his last Facebook update from the secret iPhone. It was the last time he ever saw the iPhone, right before he abandoned it on bar stool, leaving to go home.
Not to be confused with the guy who played Chad in the 2006 movie Hollywoodland, Gray Powell has already earned his name in the annals of tech history. And it has already begun.
The domain GrayPowell.com has already been registered and it is selling t-shirts and other clothes with a printed phrase that reads, "LOST: Next-gen iPhone."
In the first hour of the day, around midnight on April 20, Gray Powell was already the 5th most popular Google search.
No one knows for sure what has happened to Powell since the incident, but there's a good chance that Apple may have let him go. This is one of the biggest blunders in the company's history, unless we're being played for some huge PR stunt.
19 April 2010
The rising STAR has born, Luke Bryan
D you Know Luke Bryan?? the man was one of the winners in the Academy of Music Awards in the ceremony that was held on Sunday in Gambling Town "Las Vegas" . He won the award for his debut album which has just been released. The album, title “Doin’ My Thing,” climbed to the top of the billboard charts right after it was released. The album has received ample critical acclaim, and has also become one of the most popular tracks in recent times.
In order to win the award, Luke Bryan had to fight off stiff competition from other singers, also debutantes, but definitely better known names. He was named as one of the nominees in the category of the Top New Artist along with Gloriana and Joey and Rory, who, it was being speculated by the critics, would be most likely to win the award. Special hopes were definitely being pinned on Joey and Rory. Therefore, it definitely came as a major surprise when it turned out that Luke Bryan had won the trophy. However, although many were surprised, many did feel that it not very unexpected, considering that his album has become highly successful.
Luke Bryan himself was, however, not very assured of the fact that he would be winning in the category of the Top New Artist. In fact, he was pretty certain that he would not manage it, which accounted for the amount of nervousness that he admitted to feeling when he went up on the stage t0 receive the award. However, after he had thanked his parents, it was pretty obvious that he was elated at having won one of the most prestigious awards in the country music circuit.
13 April 2010
The Three Factors In Effective Communications
When you communicate, you must do so effectively. How do you gauge if someone is communicating effectively? First, the sender must be able to convey the message in very unambiguous or very clear terms. Second, the receiver must be able to understand what was being conveyed. Such is the dynamics in effective communications – both the sender and the receiver of the message must be able to do their parts otherwise, there is a breakdown in the loop.
This is also true when you communicate through your marketing collaterals like brochures, flyers, direct mail, or posters. The message in these marketing collaterals must be very clear to make sure that the receiver understands. Often, your message together with visuals is what makes marketing strategies like mailing services effective and generate greater response.
So how do you effectively communicate through your marketing collaterals? Packaging the message is more art than science. It's not that easy because you have to be precise so that your target readers will know exactly what you want to say. And more than anything else, your message should be a creative process that determines three factors: your general message, your message structure, the feedback.
The general message is the overall idea. It is what you need to consider when packaging your message. Who is it for? What kind of platform would you use for this message? Are there any advantages if I prefer use mailing services more than brochures? What's your product? What's your purpose in coming up with your message?
The message structure on the other hand, allows you to be different and stand out amongst the many types of platform that saturate the market. Your target clients will definitely compare you with the other collaterals in the market. But what you say in your message will definitely give you the edge over the others. So make sure that your message appeal to your audience. Whether it's emotional or humorous, your impact depends on the structure of your message.
Last but in no way least important is the feedback process. You do this before you even send out your message. The purpose of this exercise is to make sure that you get the right message to the right audience. The most common way to do it is to create a focus group were you can present your message in several forms. The one that gets the most impact should be selected to be used when you finally decide to distribute your collaterals to the public.
Ultimately, what you want to achieve is to get your message across. There are many platforms but you have to decide which you think is the most appropriate for your business. The communication process is one important factor to ensure that your business becomes sustainable but making your target clients or customers act on this message is another thing.
This is also true when you communicate through your marketing collaterals like brochures, flyers, direct mail, or posters. The message in these marketing collaterals must be very clear to make sure that the receiver understands. Often, your message together with visuals is what makes marketing strategies like mailing services effective and generate greater response.
So how do you effectively communicate through your marketing collaterals? Packaging the message is more art than science. It's not that easy because you have to be precise so that your target readers will know exactly what you want to say. And more than anything else, your message should be a creative process that determines three factors: your general message, your message structure, the feedback.
The general message is the overall idea. It is what you need to consider when packaging your message. Who is it for? What kind of platform would you use for this message? Are there any advantages if I prefer use mailing services more than brochures? What's your product? What's your purpose in coming up with your message?
The message structure on the other hand, allows you to be different and stand out amongst the many types of platform that saturate the market. Your target clients will definitely compare you with the other collaterals in the market. But what you say in your message will definitely give you the edge over the others. So make sure that your message appeal to your audience. Whether it's emotional or humorous, your impact depends on the structure of your message.
Last but in no way least important is the feedback process. You do this before you even send out your message. The purpose of this exercise is to make sure that you get the right message to the right audience. The most common way to do it is to create a focus group were you can present your message in several forms. The one that gets the most impact should be selected to be used when you finally decide to distribute your collaterals to the public.
Ultimately, what you want to achieve is to get your message across. There are many platforms but you have to decide which you think is the most appropriate for your business. The communication process is one important factor to ensure that your business becomes sustainable but making your target clients or customers act on this message is another thing.
The Best Production Base For Medicare Gloves in the world
You Know the Place??? dont know?? want u to know? well , i tell u now, Is located in Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province southeast of the town of West Changgggggg, with the largest production and export base of health-care glove - Ssangyong Village. this is reporter during an interview in the town that the current listed first in the world of latex gloves manufacturer in jiran country with the Ssangyong TOP gloves will work together to build the world's largest village, Medicare glove production base.
It is understood that the production health insurance Shoutao Ssangyong village more than ten years of history, aloe vera skin gloves. Because the United States, "911" incident of "anthraxxxxx" that made the village health-care glove product exports doubled.
"911" incident, the world economy has slowed down. But Chang the port city of Ssangyong villagers identified the "anthraxxxxxxx," will inevitably bring disposaaaaaable gloves are enjoying decisively invested 50 million yuan launched latex gloves, two works, and developed a vitamin E skin care glove, wet hands can wear gloves to the market . Now the village every day, five 20 feet container shipment.
Toooooown.........., Zhangjiagang City, West Chang Kuo-Shyang Jeng, chairman of agribusiness corporation, said the village last year, health insurance Ssangyong gloves export income for 17.5 million United .Stated. dollars this year, is expected to grow more than doubled.
Recently, Jiran Country , admiring TOP GLOVES Company will work with the village Ssangyong powerful combination of investment 10 million United.Stated dollarssssss launched 40 PVC gloves production line. By then, Ssangyong Village will become the best production base for medicare gloves in the world.
It is understood that the production health insurance Shoutao Ssangyong village more than ten years of history, aloe vera skin gloves. Because the United States, "911" incident of "anthraxxxxx" that made the village health-care glove product exports doubled.
"911" incident, the world economy has slowed down. But Chang the port city of Ssangyong villagers identified the "anthraxxxxxxx," will inevitably bring disposaaaaaable gloves are enjoying decisively invested 50 million yuan launched latex gloves, two works, and developed a vitamin E skin care glove, wet hands can wear gloves to the market . Now the village every day, five 20 feet container shipment.
Toooooown.........., Zhangjiagang City, West Chang Kuo-Shyang Jeng, chairman of agribusiness corporation, said the village last year, health insurance Ssangyong gloves export income for 17.5 million United .Stated. dollars this year, is expected to grow more than doubled.
Recently, Jiran Country , admiring TOP GLOVES Company will work with the village Ssangyong powerful combination of investment 10 million United.Stated dollarssssss launched 40 PVC gloves production line. By then, Ssangyong Village will become the best production base for medicare gloves in the world.
Article Writing Play An Important Role For Business
Article writing is not at all an easy task. It is not something, which anyone and everyone can do. There are some people who do not have that skill and language necessary to write a good article. Thus many people need to use the free articles given in the free article directory sites in order to add some good content to their own website.
In case you do not have any product, but wish to make some profit from the Google Ad sense program, you should do the entire article writing process all by yourself. But this is not always possible and the fund needed for doing such a thing may not be there in order to pay the money to write enough articles needed for the website.
Article writing, therefore, needs a lot of time and also some aptitude towards proper writing. If you possess all of these, then you will be able to contribute a lot of content for your site and it will be of great help in the long run.
If you are your own article writer, then you should admit and also understand that article writing for websites and paper and magazines are two different things. The styles are completely different, because the style of the readers also differs a lot when they read articles online than when they read a newspaper. The time of the attention given by any average surfer of the web is quite less because the online pages contain a lot of information. Thus while doing article writing for a website, it is important to keep in mind that the article should be precise, to the point, smart and attractive. It should also be easy to read, with no difficult language.
In case you do not have any product, but wish to make some profit from the Google Ad sense program, you should do the entire article writing process all by yourself. But this is not always possible and the fund needed for doing such a thing may not be there in order to pay the money to write enough articles needed for the website.
Article writing, therefore, needs a lot of time and also some aptitude towards proper writing. If you possess all of these, then you will be able to contribute a lot of content for your site and it will be of great help in the long run.
If you are your own article writer, then you should admit and also understand that article writing for websites and paper and magazines are two different things. The styles are completely different, because the style of the readers also differs a lot when they read articles online than when they read a newspaper. The time of the attention given by any average surfer of the web is quite less because the online pages contain a lot of information. Thus while doing article writing for a website, it is important to keep in mind that the article should be precise, to the point, smart and attractive. It should also be easy to read, with no difficult language.
How To Choose Mining Equipment ?
There is a vast range of mining equipment available, dependent on the application for which it is to be used. Underground mining, surface mining and open pit mining all require the initial movement of large quantities of earth. This equipment is similar to that used in large building projects, in the form of dump or haul trucks, diggers or shovels, back hoes and cranes. The extraction of ore requires a different collection of mining apparatus. Ore crushers, explosives, separators and other devices complete the full complement of necessary mining equipment. It is vital to remember that personnel are the fundamental aspect of any mining operation and their safety is paramount. Essential mining equipment must also include safety supplies, such as hard hats, ear defenders and respirators, to prevent employees form injuring themselves (or each other) whilst working in hazardous conditions.
Many criteria need to be considered in selecting the appropriate equipment for a particular mining operation. The most important factors to consider are safety, strength and durability, though cost can be a major aspect.
Heavy duty earth moving equipment can be bought direct from specialist manufacturers who focus on loaders, trucks, drills and scrapers. Other companies offer leased rebuilt / used mining equipment by major manufacturers. Many mining equipment manufacturers make ore extraction equipment. Some specialise in air compressors concentrators and tunnel boring machines, whist others produce conveyors, crushing plants and hoppers. Specialist underground mining equipment manufacturers offer an extensive range of pallet handles, tow tractors, belt drives, radial stackers and power packs. Several manufacturers produce a range of health and safety products. Some specialise in respirators, hearing protection, gas detectors, fall protection devices, hard hats and goggles, while others offer an assortment of specialised flags and lights for use inside mines, along with rescue equipment for both underground and surface mines.
A mining undertaking can often be large and complex. In order to ensure a project progresses efficiently, safely and is completed in a timely fashion, sufficient supplies and equipment must be made constantly available. For speedy service and extensive choice of products, the Internet is an excellent choice for the purchase of mining equipment. Many mining equipment manufacturers and distributors have detailed specifications and photos of their inventory on their websites and there should be few problems in locating the appropriate tools and equipment for any mining project. New equipment can be bought directly from its manufacturer, though it can be a good money saving exercise to peruse the used and / or refurbished equipment offered by many manufacturers. Other firms specialise in the hire of mining equipment and dependent on the available capital, this may be a preferable option to outright purchase.
Many criteria need to be considered in selecting the appropriate equipment for a particular mining operation. The most important factors to consider are safety, strength and durability, though cost can be a major aspect.
Heavy duty earth moving equipment can be bought direct from specialist manufacturers who focus on loaders, trucks, drills and scrapers. Other companies offer leased rebuilt / used mining equipment by major manufacturers. Many mining equipment manufacturers make ore extraction equipment. Some specialise in air compressors concentrators and tunnel boring machines, whist others produce conveyors, crushing plants and hoppers. Specialist underground mining equipment manufacturers offer an extensive range of pallet handles, tow tractors, belt drives, radial stackers and power packs. Several manufacturers produce a range of health and safety products. Some specialise in respirators, hearing protection, gas detectors, fall protection devices, hard hats and goggles, while others offer an assortment of specialised flags and lights for use inside mines, along with rescue equipment for both underground and surface mines.
A mining undertaking can often be large and complex. In order to ensure a project progresses efficiently, safely and is completed in a timely fashion, sufficient supplies and equipment must be made constantly available. For speedy service and extensive choice of products, the Internet is an excellent choice for the purchase of mining equipment. Many mining equipment manufacturers and distributors have detailed specifications and photos of their inventory on their websites and there should be few problems in locating the appropriate tools and equipment for any mining project. New equipment can be bought directly from its manufacturer, though it can be a good money saving exercise to peruse the used and / or refurbished equipment offered by many manufacturers. Other firms specialise in the hire of mining equipment and dependent on the available capital, this may be a preferable option to outright purchase.
Wholesale Security And Surveillance For Reliable Protection
Locking down your company is simpler using wholesale security and surveillance. It can be recommended for just about any wholesale business to offer security to every one of the goods they've so that every one of their initiatives will not be misused. Businesses expend bigger costs only to make sure their enterprise is totally attached.
These charges contain installation and maintenance for the security things. Entrepreneurs do not thoughts the cash they've to expend for protection reasons, following all, it can be nothing in contrast for the benefits the components can provide. Providers from the equipment will be the exact same folks that fee costs of the program installation, in home education workers whose job is to run the method and for the upkeep.
But given that technologies appears to change every moment in time from the evening getting together more sophisticated and large in common enhancements, firms obtain updates with the system. And because it carries on to enhance more than time, the more restrictive the safety it may allow. Robbers as well as other useful people have a smaller amount possibility of seeking their black intentions in case your firm can safe a express from the art wholesale security and surveillance.
Even though companies have to expend significantly for this sort of protection, they are positive that every one of the income will be theirs to have got and that no outsider or opportunists can steal those from them. Every one of the much more, these firms is going to be capable to create better revenue simply because every centavo that they make investments to their enterprise usually do not go in to an individual else's pants pocket. Rather, it was totally used for that development in the china wholesale organization. Because the marketplace for wholesale security and surveillance is very competing, it is possible to get this application at sensible rates. There are also a number of the things supplied at reduced expenses.
This makes customers save substantial worth of funds because they could purchase the system immediately offered at wholesale costs. Acquiring the defense of the company and even at your personal residence may be the principal intent and purpose of the security method. It's going to allow you to know who would be the individuals on its way in and out of the doors since they're administered by the video tutorials from the camera of the set up components. With its capacity to safeguard your enterprise twenty four several hours a day, there is no doubt why these are continuously in requirement inside the industry at wholesale access. Actually if robbers help make surprise appointments to your residence or firm, you are rest assured how the components will function its purpose greatest.
These charges contain installation and maintenance for the security things. Entrepreneurs do not thoughts the cash they've to expend for protection reasons, following all, it can be nothing in contrast for the benefits the components can provide. Providers from the equipment will be the exact same folks that fee costs of the program installation, in home education workers whose job is to run the method and for the upkeep.
But given that technologies appears to change every moment in time from the evening getting together more sophisticated and large in common enhancements, firms obtain updates with the system. And because it carries on to enhance more than time, the more restrictive the safety it may allow. Robbers as well as other useful people have a smaller amount possibility of seeking their black intentions in case your firm can safe a express from the art wholesale security and surveillance.
Even though companies have to expend significantly for this sort of protection, they are positive that every one of the income will be theirs to have got and that no outsider or opportunists can steal those from them. Every one of the much more, these firms is going to be capable to create better revenue simply because every centavo that they make investments to their enterprise usually do not go in to an individual else's pants pocket. Rather, it was totally used for that development in the china wholesale organization. Because the marketplace for wholesale security and surveillance is very competing, it is possible to get this application at sensible rates. There are also a number of the things supplied at reduced expenses.
This makes customers save substantial worth of funds because they could purchase the system immediately offered at wholesale costs. Acquiring the defense of the company and even at your personal residence may be the principal intent and purpose of the security method. It's going to allow you to know who would be the individuals on its way in and out of the doors since they're administered by the video tutorials from the camera of the set up components. With its capacity to safeguard your enterprise twenty four several hours a day, there is no doubt why these are continuously in requirement inside the industry at wholesale access. Actually if robbers help make surprise appointments to your residence or firm, you are rest assured how the components will function its purpose greatest.
How To Use Twitter For Your Business
With the popularity soaring with Twitter everyone has come onto the band wagon and created 100's of different applications to help you get the most out of Twitter. Below are my favourite ones which I use and best of all they are all free!
The biggest problem with the standard Twitter web application is that you have to keep an eagle eye on your replies and Direct Messages as you only see the main Tweetstream on the screen. It is also limited in that it only displays about the last 20 tweets, so if you want to see older ones, you have to keep going back pages. So how can you make it more user friendly?
I recommend you download Tweetdeck (which I use and is a godsend, especially if you have a large following!).
Tweetdeck is brilliant in that it displays the Tweetstream, your replies and your direct messages all on the one screen. The message columns allow for 500 tweets as a default, so scrolling down allows you to go back a fair way or search for tweets you may want to refer back to. You can also automatically send your tweets on Facebook and Myspace if choose too.
The screen has a continuous right hand scroll, so you can set up different groups and their tweets will appear in that column. You might have a group called best friends and another for gardeners for instance. That way you don't miss important tweets from people who are more important to you than others. At the time of writing, Tweetdeck is probably the most widely used application for Twitter and I would highly recommend it to you.
Twellow is another great way of finding people to interact with. People here are categorized into all different areas and you can search for those with similar interests to your own.
The main page shows you all the categories, which then have sub categories as well. You just click on a category and the list of people in that area are displayed. You don't have to be registered with Twellow to be displayed, but at the time of writing there were nearly two million people showing on the site, so you will have plenty to choose from. By all means though, register yourself and set up a profile so others can find you.
When you click on a category, Twellow displays a list of people in that category and they are ordered by the number of followers they have. If you are already logged into Twitter via the web, (not Tweetdeck) you will be able to follow people directly from the screens where the profiles are displayed.
I would also recommend taking the time to set up your Twitter background so that it doesn't just look like the default Twitter page. You need to distinguish yourself from the crowd and that attracts more followers, or at the very least impresses people with your professionalism.
If you're a bit of a Photoshop whiz, then you can do your own background, full of bells and whistles and load it up to your Twitter profile. But if you're not, or you just want to save time, then there are some sites out there that will do them for you automatically. My personal favourite is Twitbacs where you can get some great backgrounds.
However, that said, if you want to do your own fiddling in Photoshop, you can get some great layouts in PSD format from Twitterbacks.
I hope the above tips helps you; Twitter really is a great application that should be used as part of your marketing strategy and best of luck to you
The biggest problem with the standard Twitter web application is that you have to keep an eagle eye on your replies and Direct Messages as you only see the main Tweetstream on the screen. It is also limited in that it only displays about the last 20 tweets, so if you want to see older ones, you have to keep going back pages. So how can you make it more user friendly?
I recommend you download Tweetdeck (which I use and is a godsend, especially if you have a large following!).
Tweetdeck is brilliant in that it displays the Tweetstream, your replies and your direct messages all on the one screen. The message columns allow for 500 tweets as a default, so scrolling down allows you to go back a fair way or search for tweets you may want to refer back to. You can also automatically send your tweets on Facebook and Myspace if choose too.
The screen has a continuous right hand scroll, so you can set up different groups and their tweets will appear in that column. You might have a group called best friends and another for gardeners for instance. That way you don't miss important tweets from people who are more important to you than others. At the time of writing, Tweetdeck is probably the most widely used application for Twitter and I would highly recommend it to you.
Twellow is another great way of finding people to interact with. People here are categorized into all different areas and you can search for those with similar interests to your own.
The main page shows you all the categories, which then have sub categories as well. You just click on a category and the list of people in that area are displayed. You don't have to be registered with Twellow to be displayed, but at the time of writing there were nearly two million people showing on the site, so you will have plenty to choose from. By all means though, register yourself and set up a profile so others can find you.
When you click on a category, Twellow displays a list of people in that category and they are ordered by the number of followers they have. If you are already logged into Twitter via the web, (not Tweetdeck) you will be able to follow people directly from the screens where the profiles are displayed.
I would also recommend taking the time to set up your Twitter background so that it doesn't just look like the default Twitter page. You need to distinguish yourself from the crowd and that attracts more followers, or at the very least impresses people with your professionalism.
If you're a bit of a Photoshop whiz, then you can do your own background, full of bells and whistles and load it up to your Twitter profile. But if you're not, or you just want to save time, then there are some sites out there that will do them for you automatically. My personal favourite is Twitbacs where you can get some great backgrounds.
However, that said, if you want to do your own fiddling in Photoshop, you can get some great layouts in PSD format from Twitterbacks.
I hope the above tips helps you; Twitter really is a great application that should be used as part of your marketing strategy and best of luck to you
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