Monday, January 30, 2012

Kaneshiro Raised $1125 for Re-Election - Honolulu Civil Beat (blog)

eragywaqer.wordpress.com


Kaneshiro Raised $1125 for Re-Election

Honolulu Civil Beat (blog)


Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro raised $1125 for his re-election campaign in the second half of 2011, according to a filing. He spent $1725 in the period and repaid a $9000 loan from himself, leaving him with about $5500 cash on hand for the race.



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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Defense minister proposes revised Tal Law - Jerusalem Post

artemchuksykitas.blogspot.com


Defense minister proposes revised Tal Law

Jerusalem Post


Barak said that the government should extend the Tal Law should only by one year, as opposed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's proposition to extend it five years, in order to allot a period of time in which to revise the law.



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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Memorial service to cap 3-day mourning for Paterno - Albany Times Union

ejyceh.wordpress.com


Globe and Mail


Memorial service to cap 3-day mourning for Paterno

Albany Times Union


The second day of a three-day period of public mourning for Paterno will culminate with the funeral and burial for the H »

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Some questions for Tran Anh Hung, writer-director of Norwegian Wood - Chicago Reader

bakakinkorypon.blogspot.com


Chicago Reader


Some questions for Tran Anh Hung, writer-director of Norwegian Wood

Chicago Reader


The movie represents a great risk for writer-director Tran Anh Hung. Condensing a 300-page novel to feature length is challenging enough, but when the novel in question is one of the most beloved in recent literature, a filmmaker has to worry about ...



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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Two companies pull out of FutureGen - St. Louis Business Journal:

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billion coal-fueled experimental power plantin Mattoon, Ill. Columbus-basex Inc. and Atlanta-based , two of the nation’ws largest emitters of carboh dioxide, told the Reuters news service that they were pullin out ofthe alliance. Both companiesd pointed to concernsabout cost. St. Louis-based , said it is still involved withthe project. "Peabody remainas a strong advocate of FutureGen asa much-needed, high-profile projecy to commercialize near-zero emissions technologies," said Vic Peabody's senior vice president of investor relations and communications, in a "Peabody is proud to be a foundinv member of the Alliance and will continude to collaborate with partners and the federao government to advance this project to the finish The FutureGen Alliance was once comprised 13 a number that has changed severalp times, according to U.
S. Sen. Dick D-Ill., a major proponent of the “The alliance has lost and added new partneras several times since it was first formed and as the projecg evolves over the next six I believe the alliancee will continue to growin membership, in strengthj and in their partnership with the ( he said in a statement. The proposed plany with the preliminary backing of the DOE and the allocationof $1 billiobn in stimulus money.
The alliance and President Baracjk Obama’s Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, this monthb to restart plans for preliminarydesighn activities, final cost estimate analysis and funding for the plant, whichb stalled under the Bush Durbin successfully pushed to in the federal stimulus packags that could help pay for the plant. He said he also securedf another $100 million in appropriationds funding. The rest of the project’s pricre tag is expected to come from private fundin g fromthe alliance’s member companies.
"The DOE's recent announcementr to offer funding support is generating renewed interesft and enthusiasm inthe project, and we are continuing discussionsw with new potential partners," Svec said. Supporterd say FutureGen would and 150permanent jobs.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Is it stimulating Tennessee? - Memphis Business Journal:

efiosyt.blogspot.com
“We’re not sure that we can measure the effects yet in employmengt or in any otherdirect effects,” says John former Tennessee comptroller and now deputy to Gov. Phil Bredesem and the ARRA point man for the But Morgan quickly points tothe state’w education system as a prime stimulusa target, where yet untold numbers of teachinh positions are expected to be saved through ARRA funds. He also pointse to businesses like that brought backseverall laid-off workers when the company won ARRA-supported bridgwe construction contracts. Morgan callsx education system funding an exampleof “Tennessee dollars.
” Those are more flexible ARRA dollaras given directly to the state to fund federak programs at a higher level. These funds free up statd budget dollars to save or enhancde programs at risk of heavy cuts from reduced tax revenues and the budger shortfallsthey create. TennCare is another example. The federal government used topay 63% of every dollaer spent on the Medicaid program in the Now, with ARRA funds, it pays 74% of each Over two years, this increase will free up $1.1 billiobn in state funds to spend elsewhere. Every “Tennessee from the ARRA this year has been proposedin Bredesen’s which can be fully reviewed at and is now in the hands of the .
When the budgey is approved next week, thosd ARRA dollars will be dispersed to different agenciezand municipalities. There is no timetable on when all of the ARRA fundws willbe received. Morgan calls the other ARRA fundse “Congressional dollars.” These fundsw come with mandated spending parameters straight from Much of this money goes straight to municipalitiezs to help pay for infrastructure projects and community For example, Shelby County cities will collectivelu get $6.1 million for public safety.
Thos e “Congressional funds” will funnel through the existing federal Edwardf Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Progra to keep cops on the payroll and keep the crimina l justice systemmoving along. This is basicallyg a job retainer, not necessariluy a creator, but one that will “simultaneouslyt help jump-start the American economy and protectour citizens,” President Baracok Obama said when the fundx were released in March. Ford Constructiobn officials pointed to workers they rehirecd earlier this year when the business won ARRAbridge contracts, Morganj says.
Congress outlined which projects would get ARRA fundx and companies that won bids have been able to show stimulusd fundsworking directly. An obvious strategy for any businesse looking to get is to get close to ARRAgovernment projects, whichh can all be found at recovery.gov or A business can either apply for a projec t directly or work with a company with a winning bid. Other areas targeted by the stimuluxs plan are receiving mixed reviews on thestimulation , agent Melissa Hayes says the stimulus packaged has “definitely” stimulated the Memphiss residential real estate market.
Signs for on-the-market homes she is sellingv now contain an extrza message that toutsthe $8,00 0 tax credit first-time home buyers can get thanks to the ARRA. “Everythingh in the $150,000 price range has been selling the best right Hayes says, noting she garneredf four contracts in the last weekend. “I thinok there is still apprehension in the People having stability issues with their jobs is themain thing.” Betweenh a slight interest rate uptick last week and the tax “people are really jumpinh on it,” she says. Kevin Yoon tells a differentr story. When asked if the ARRA is stimulatingg the homebuilding market, the LLC manager says flatl y “no.
” His company has sold 26 homesa so far this year, all in the $180,000-$600,000 priced range. While “one or two” of those were purchaser with taxcredit help, Serenity’s homex aren’t necessarily in the price range of first-time “We’ve been blessed this year and have triedd several things (to increase sales),” Yoon says. “Nott one of them is the single answer inthis economy, but not one of them is a governmentf program.
” Whether or not ARRA funding is stimulatinf the Memphis economy remainss a question yet to be But one part of the economicf stimulus plan is certain: Like the residentiapl tax credit, ARRA funds are for a limited time When the dust settles in December nearly $5 billion in stimulus funds will have been pumped into Tennessee. That makes state Rep. Curry R-Collierville, fearful about the state’s fiscal 2011 “What are we going to do aftert the stimulus money is gone and a new governor is saddled with hugebudget deficits?
” Todd “So far, we haven’t seen the monied kick in yet and I don’r know when they will; no one can predict I think it will help, but we’re not very optimisticc on what’s going to happen next year.” Morganj is a bit more “What we hope happens when the money runs out is the economgy is in a strong recovery positiom and we don’t miss a he says. “If that doesn’t happen, then we won’tr be able to do some of the thingss we’re able to do now going forward.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

MB Chamber of Commerce welcomes new businesses - WMBF

uqyvemiwu.wordpress.com


MB Chamber of Commerce welcomes new businesses

WMBF


Palmetto Bay Jewelz is a boutique that owner Lynda Hetel says offers affordable elegance with their selection of unique fashion jewelry at affordable prices. The boutique also carries accessories including scarves, sunglasses and umbrellas, ...



Sunday, January 15, 2012

SNAP makes membership drive immediate task - The Borneo Post

pifogyxat.blogspot.com


SNAP makes membership drive immediate task

The Borneo Post


Setting the party's vision, Stanley hopes to gather more members, especially in selected divisions. รข€œWe will start the formation of a division committee whose duties are to gather new members as we cannot rely on the old list of members due to the ...



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Friday, January 13, 2012

Centennial poised to grow - Memphis Business Journal:

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Becoming independent is the third phase in a strategy started threee years ago when Joe Wade was tapped fromwithin Memphis-based to head up the new alternative fundzs venture. In addition to the Canalesx and Wilsons, the other one-third owner is Marvin Bruce, the formef president, CEO and chairman of , the larges t marketer of automotivereplacement tires. The partnerd felt the timing was right topurchase CSG'as remaining 21% interest in "We felt like this business got its own identit y and it would be advantageous to be a stand-alone business without any other ties," Wade says. "They're (CSG) still good friends of And neighbors.
Both are locatedf on the same floor at theCrescentr Center. Centennial now has more than $420 million in threr fund of funds it managea for some 70 clients acrossthe U.S., Wade The minimum investment per fund is $1 The firm has now grown to a stafc of nine, which gives Centennial the people it needxs to grow. "We've staffed ahead of Wade says. "We could probably doublwe in size." Centennial's three funds includwe the HeritageEquity Fund, a long and short equituy fund started in 2003 with $55 It now has about $150 milliobn in assets and includes 16 different The multi-strategy, fixed income Absolute Return Fund was startedc in January 2004 with $25 million and now has abourt $200 million and is comprised of 23 separatwe funds.
The newest, the Global Macrok Fund, was started in November 2004 with $15 million and now has $70 It is comprised of 14 differen funds. Of the three, Wade says it is the most but it also had returns ofnearlty 15% this year. While each fund has differenftrisk levels, the key is managingv the fund managers to control risk. "We're in the stay-ricy business, not the get-rich business," is the generao attitude that hangs over Wade when decidingyon Centennial's investment strategy. Wade spenf four years as a consultant at CSG after the company purchasedhis Birmingham-based hedge fund Alternative Investment Strategy, in 1999.
At CSG his main role was to buildf alternative investment consulting practices for families andinstitutionao investors. "Our success or failure is easily he says. "Consulting is advisory. You have the responsibility ofmoneg management, but not the authority." Martu Kelman, CEO of the investment firm , says he generallyu stays away from hedge funds. While some hedge funds can produces double-digit returns, others produce modest or negativew returns. "Making a lot of money throug h hedge fundsreally doesn't suit our structure," he says. Kelman-Lazarov'as strategy is about hitting singlesand doubles, not just home which can also lead to a lot of he says.
The typically high hedgre fund feesof 1%-2% plus up to 20% of profits, and the lack of governmentt regulation also worry Kelman. But for the hedge funds in general and Centennial in particular have beengood investments, says Spence Wilson, presidenr of . Over the past last decade, the Wilsonsd have increased the percentage of alternative investments in their portfolio as they got comfortablew with it and saw less opportunities inothedr funds, Wilson says. And while he recognizes that hedger funds can be the fund of funds approachj helps minimizethat risk. "The fundsz concept gives you great exposure to great hedged fund managers with substantially reduced he says.
Address: 6075 Poplar, Suite 702 Web

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Burgess: Property tax losses

uqudenlid.blogspot.com
The Miami-Dade County property appraiser released its preliminaruy tax rollinformation Monday, with all four taxinyg jurisdictions – fire library, the unincorporated area and Miami-Dadde overall – seeing a decline. The countywide decreasw comparing preliminary tax numbers from year to year showd a 9percent decrease, or a total of $22.55 “These losses would have been worse if not for new constructionh that was added to the propertyt tax roll as of Jan. 1,” County Managedr George Burgess said in a memo sent tocounthy commissioners. North Bay Village took the biggest hit, down 20.2 percenr from 2008 levels. Homestead saw an 18.
2 perceng decline, followed by Normandy Shores, down 17.5 percent, and Aventuraw which was down 17.3 percent. Golden Beach and the tiny city of Islandiaw sawno change. Medlet saw a 1.5 percent drop while Biscayne Park saw a 4percenyt decline. Click for the full list. Staffers reviewee property tax rolls going back to 1985 and founs that 1993 saw taxable valu shrinkby 2.9 percent, or $1.9 “Even in 2008, when we absorbed the impacft of doubling the homestead exemption from $25,00p0 to $50,000, the property tax roll was relatively flat,” Burgess explained in the memo.
“These losses in property tax roll values are Burgess warned of a lot more pain on the using the last two years as a barometert of what is For the secondconsecutive year, Miami-Dade faced a $200 millio n budget gap in the last fiscak year. Core services were kept intact bytightening belts, but assuming the same tax rate adoptedc for 2008-09, the estimated ad valorem revenues for fiscak year 2009-10 would shrink by $174.1 million, accordinvg to the memo.
Takingt into account the impact of normal inflationary growth and theeconomic slowdown, combined with the non ad valorem revenue sources, results in property tax subsidized operations facin a budget gap of $350 million to $400 Burgess said. “We are workinf diligently to prepare a proposed budget forFY [fiscal 2009-10 that to the extent possible, preserveds essential services and minimizes servicwe impacts to our he wrote in the memo. “However, closint a budgetary gap of this size will requirse some verydifficult decisions.

Monday, January 9, 2012

In Indonesia, watching the sun rise with 504 Buddhas - Los Angeles Times

afyfojahejus.blogspot.com


Los Angeles Times


In Indonesia, watching the sun rise with 504 Buddhas

Los Angeles Times


The rainy season had just begun when I flew from Singapore to Yogyakarta, about 35 miles southeast of Borobudur. The name of the town's airport, Adisucipto, seemed to me almost as imponderable as that of the province's sultan and elected governor, ...



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Friday, January 6, 2012

Republican opponents raising questions about Romney, character in NH - Washington Post

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Telegraph.co.uk


Republican opponents raising questions about Romney, character in NH

Washington Post


Those are the questions that the Republican presidential contender's rivals are raising with increasing frequency ahead of Tuesday's New Hampshire presidential primary. They're trying to exploit one of Romney's biggest vulnerabilities: shifts on i ssues ...


Mitt's fund-raising dwarfs opponents'

New York Post


Raising funds, organizing on Santorum's to-do list

DesMoinesRegister.com


GOP candidates keep raising World War II

CBS News


Reuters -Boston.com


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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Monday, January 2, 2012

Please specify change agendas - Pakistan Observer

edovogopu.wordpress.com


Please specify change agendas

Pakistan Observer


... target of criticism if they failed to deliver on returning to power. We would, therefore, urge all claimants of change to specify their agendas so that people make a conscious choice and hold them accountable if they deviated from the chosen direction.



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