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Irwin Financial restructuring business Business First of Louisville

The restructuring, announced Thursday, will enable the company to refocus on its core banking services to small businesses and branch-based customers, as well as capping Irwin Union’s remaining exposure to the national home equity lending business, a principal driver of recent losses, the bank said in a news release.

Irwin Financial plans to sell its home-equity residential business to Roosevelt Management Company LLC, a New York-based financial services firm, which will remove $1 billion in home-equity loans from the balance sheet.

Irwin Financial also has arranged for Roosevelt to repackage all its remaining home-equity loans into a "securitized structure" that will cap its remaining exposure at less than $100 million.

The company also announced that it has entered into agreements to sell its small-ticket leasing business in Canada to RoyNati Inc., a subsidiary of Scotiabank Group, and in the United States to Equilease Financial Services Inc. more

Business class (almost) all the way

We booked a flight to Europe in business class using 180,000 award miles, and we've just learned that some of our flights will be in economy class. We need your help.

My husband, Richard, is retiring this year and we have been saving our American Airlines miles for a trip to Europe. It was important for us to fly in business class because my husband is a big man and is not at all comfortable in economy class.

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SAP makes waves in the water industy

Some businesses began running SAP in the early-to-mid-1990s when the utilities were being deregulated. "There has been a steady take-up, particularly in the water and energy sectors." SAP also saw more demand for its software from utilities as the companies raced to make their old IT systems Y2K-compliant.

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Business big shot: Dave Forsey of Sports Direct

Nothing sums up the chaos that has surrounded Sports Direct's short life as a public company more than the almost complete lack of information about Dave Forsey, its chief executive.

Asked about his age, the company's PR agency replied: "Believed to be 43." The straight man to Mike Ashley's music hall routine is one of five directors who pocketed £5 million when Sports Direct last year launched the most controversial flotation in recent City history. He is one of the tight coterie of directors surrounding Mr Ashley. A rival executive says: "Dave has been with Mike since he was a baby."

Mr Ashley continually ribs the diminutive executive over his height, or rather, lack of it but trusts him implicitly. While the billionaire spends time on the company's brands, Mr Forsey is charged with running the group's Shirebrook warehouse and its 400-odd stores, whose pile-it-high, sell-it-cheap philosophy has drawn constant criticism from Adidas and Nike. more

Latest New Business Lead News

New enterprise eyes N-push abroad - Daily Yomiuri On-Line

To help Japanese electrical machinery makers win orders to build nuclear power plants abroad, the government and two electric power companies will establish a new firm this summer, it was ... have taken the lead in garnering orders for the ...

Greg Meyer Joins Fluor Government Group to Lead Its Environmental ... - Forbes

BusinessWire - Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announced today that Fluor Government Group (FGG,) has named J. Gregory Meyer as senior vice president to lead the company's Environmental/Nuclear business line. In his new role, Meyer will oversee FGG's ...

myYearbook Lands Digital Media Industry Veteran to Lead Business ... - Forbes

BusinessWire - myYearbook, the best place to meet new people and one of the 30 most-trafficked sites in the United States, today announced the appointment of Scott Levine as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Reporting to CEO Geoff Cook ...

New Hurdle to Iran Sanctions - Wall Street Journal

The Obama administration, still struggling to win China's pivotal backing for a new round of United Nations sanctions against Iran, is increasingly worried about gaining the support of some other members of the U.N. Security Council, particularly ...

AIG sells Asian business to Britain's Prudential insurers (1st Lead) - Monsters and Critics

London/New York - Britain's insurance giant Prudential (Pru) has reached agreement on a 35.5-billion-dollar deal to buy the Asian arm of embattled US insurer AIG, it was announced Monday. It said the deal would transform Pru into the largest insurer ...

Marotta is new chair of Bradley Center board - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Bradley Center Sports & Entertainment Corp.'s board of directors has selected Marc Marotta as its new board chairman. Marotta, a former state Department of Admininstration secretary, lawyer and Marquette University basketball star, was elected ...

Lead futures recover on short-covering - Hindu Business Line

NEW DELHI: Lead futures prices on Thursday recovered by Rs 0.40 to Rs 101.70 per kg as traders indulged in covering up short positions driven by pick up in demand. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, lead for delivery in March gained Rs 0.40 or 0.39 per ...

Premium Market Intelligence Data Available via Free Web Service - Investors Business Daily

... online Geoscape Intelligence System (GIS), the DirecTarget database enrichment system and a variety of geo-demographic, consumer, business and media databases enable actionable insights that lead our clients to gain significant business ...

Sweeping Changes At AOL - The Business Insider

AOL just announced big changes at the top of its content business. David Mason, the former cofounder and CEO of AOL's recent acquisition StudioNow, will become senior vice president of AOL Content Platform. Ex-Googler David Eun will take Bill Wilson ...

Moody's urges Turkey to enact new fiscal rule - The Guardian

Moody's lead analyst for Turkey Sarah Carlson said, in an e-mail response to questions ... Economy Minister Ali Babacan said last month that legal preparations for a new fiscal rule law would be completed within months, and the 2011 budget, to be ...

Open Question: Do you think it's fair of the US to sanction Iran for trading in Euros?

The Iraq war had to do with gaining strategic control over Iraq’s hydrocarbon reserves and in doing so maintain the U.S. dollar as the monopoly currency for the critical international oil market. Iraq started trading oil in Euros in 2000. By 2003 it was trading in USD under orders from it's new American president. "The United States, leading efforts to isolate Tehran which it accuses of seeking nuclear weapons, has slapped sanctions on Iranian banks and other bodies, moves that prompted many foreign banks to cut dollar dealings with Iran or stop all business." http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBLA02024820080430 Do you think it is fair of the US do this? more

Open Question: No longer disbanding, but parting ways with founding mentors. What to say & do?

A bit long but please bear with me, it boils down to 3 simple questions in the end. A fuller view of my situation can be found here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Agr.tSvKC970Y4TWpGoxDjzsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100302165531AASyBjL Our theatre company started in late 2008 and has dwindled down since mid last year. The main problem was that we were mostly 19-year-old-know-nothing-college-students recruited by a set of wannabe pastors who wanted a lot of hype, and I ended up responsible for this organization I never really wanted to join. However, we managed to agree on some mutual values and envision what this organization stands for (i.e. to pool together young aspiring artists in a fun and creative environment which emphasizes a character of integrity, commitment, and competence; so that one day they grow up to become influential professionals who endorse the right values in society), and because of that, for most of this org's existence I've been leading it passionately as president. I'm an inexperienced 24 year old (was 23 then) who took performing arts major in my fifth attempt at college because I wasn't in a position to have a go at in high school; but I know I'm never ever going to be a professional performer. I mostly relied on my conceptualizing, leadership, and communication skills in directing this org. People tend to trust me to lead things because I'm charismatic, intelligent, confident, care deeply about the world around me and am willing to take risks to make it a better place. Nevertheless, I had very little influence in creating a proper understanding in the minds of my teammembers of what this org stands for (despite having written organizational charts and hours of visioneering meetings with subdivision leaders), and very little authority to excercise work ethics and discipline. I delivered very little and it's eating up my self confidence. Now this founding couple we're leaving is a businesswoman who sells apartments near my campus and her husband pastors a wannabe church. No performing arts experience! They always talk about these big fluffy dreams the average person has no chance of attaining, claiming that with God everything is possible and that faith is all about believing that God gives you the power to attain things bigger than you as long as you put Him first. They take credit for helping us magnify our capacities, become independent and accountable. However, in hindsight, I honestly believe that they're cheapos preying on eager, naive students who would work for free in order to expand their business and ministry, which they have trouble differentiating one from the other. If their main concern was really the morality and carnality of the young generation, then they would invest a lot of time in helping us properly building our foundations: long term vision, day to day mission and objectives, concrete definition of core values, and basic skills like financial management and healthy boundaries. But instead of these, they're scheduling hype: battles of bands, singles' night out, hip hop dances with fireworks--which they keep recruiting new people for and have no idea how to follow up. And they expect me to MC these shows and send a team of my kids to support them. I feel so cheated. Since this couple isn't communicating--well, they talk to me while working on a laptop, or have other friends around when I want to get to the nitty gritty over lunch--I've concluded that the issue is not them being an imperfect leader, but rather their lack of good character and trustworthiness. Due to my lack of authority without the endorsement of a senior couple, I have seriously considered disbanding because we simply can't exist without one, and I have more important things to do. However, this does not reflect my commitment to the vision, as this very same vision always recurs in my life no matter what I do. At the last minute, the five members remaining onboard insisted that we carry out without the pastor wannabes and part with them on good terms. Our next step is discussing our team's purpose, envisioning the kind of cultural movement we plan to initiate, translating those in terms of daily activities and attainable achievements, and networking to find a new senior couple to replace the one we're leaving. This new couple must be a couple who cares about, prays for, and are actively taking action to reestablish righteous moral values, accountability, community life, pride in tradition, loyalty and dedication, and true artisanship in the lives of young aspiring artists. They should have experience as a performing artist themselves, and preferrably pastor a real church (not a wannabe one!) or are involved in some type of discipleship ministry, but know how to implement the principles in a secular context. (We're NOT a Christian org, but most people in our Southeast Asian society believe in God and practice a religion.)1. How do I say a final goodbye to our first mentor couple and leave them no room to "give us another chance"? I just want to thank them for the initiative but make it clear that we can no longer work together, and hope that this doesn't affect our friendship. What if I can't reach them in person? 2. How do I step down from leadership A.S.A.P? Nobody else in the current team is ready to takeover, and I am underequipped to bring this team's vision to fruition. I'm getting married, and have other obligations like finding a real job so I can support myself. However, I want this org to make it and feel responsible for laying down the foundations leaving it to a deserving leader. 3. What needs to be in the organization chart, and how to make a volunteer organization actually buy into this? Who should, and how are rules to be enforced while we have no senior couple in the meantime to mentor us and edify the president's authority? Thoughtful solutions appreciated! Thank you for reading :) more

Open Question: I cancelled disbanding my theatre company, but am parting ways with mentors. What to say?

A bit long but please bear with me, it boils down to 3 simple questions in the end. A fuller view of my situation can be found here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Agr.tSvKC970Y4TWpGoxDjzsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100302165531AASyBjL Our theatre company started in late 2008 and has dwindled down since mid last year. The main problem was that we were mostly 19-year-old-know-nothing-college-students recruited by a set of wannabe pastors who wanted a lot of hype, and I ended up responsible for this organization I never really wanted to join. However, we managed to agree on some mutual values and envision what this organization stands for (i.e. to pool together young aspiring artists in a fun and creative environment which emphasizes a character of integrity, commitment, and competence; so that one day they grow up to become influential professionals who endorse the right values in society), and because of that, for most of this org's existence I've been leading it passionately as president. That having said, I'm an inexperienced 24 year old (was 23 then) who basically took performing arts major in my fifth attempt at college because I wasn't in a position to have a go at it when I was in high school; but I know I'm never ever going to be a professional performer. I mostly relied on my conceptualizing, leadership, and communication skills in directing this org. People tend to trust me to lead things because I'm charismatic, intelligent, confident, care deeply about the world around me and am willing to take risks to make it a better place. Nevertheless, I had very little influence in creating a proper understanding in the minds of my teammembers of what this org stands for (despite having written organizational charts and hours of visioneering meetings with subdivision leaders), and very little authority to excercise work ethics and discipline. I seemed to prove very little and it's eating up my self confidence. Now this mentor couple we're parting ways with is a businesswoman who sells apartments near my campus and her husband pastors a wannabe church. They always talk about these big fluffy dreams the average person has no chance of attaining, claiming that with God everything is possible and that faith is all about believing that God gives you the power to attain things bigger than you as long as you put Him first. They claim that they're helping us magnify our capacity, becoming independent, and accustomed to responsibility. However, in hindsight, I honestly believe that they're cheapos who are only looking for eager, naive college students who would work for free in order to expand their business and ministry, which they have trouble differentiating one from the other. If their main concern was really the morality and carnality of the young generation, then they would invest a lot of time in helping us properly building our foundations: long term vision, day to day mission and objectives, concrete definition of core values, and basic skills like financial management and healthy boundaries. But instead of these, they're scheduling hype: battles of bands, singles' night out, hip hop dances with fireworks--which they keep recruiting new people for and have no idea how to follow up. And they expect me to MC these shows and send a team of my kids to support them. I feel so cheated. Since this couple isn't communicating--well, they talk to me but while working on a laptop, or have other friends around when I want to get to the nitty gritty over lunch--I've concluded that the issue is not them being an imperfect leader, but rather their lack of good character and trustworthiness. Due to my lack of authority without the endorsement of a senior couple, I have seriously considered disbanding because we simply can't exist without one, and I have more important things to do. However, this does not reflect my commitment to the vision, as this very same vision always recurs in my life no matter what I do. At the last minute, the five members remaining onboard insisted that we carry out without the pastor wannabes and part with them on good terms. Our next step is discussing our team's purpose, envisioning the kind of cultural movement we plan to initiate, translating those in terms of daily activities and attainable achievements, and networking to find a new senior couple to replace the one we're leaving. This new couple must be a couple who cares about, prays for, and are actively taking action to reestablish righteous moral values, accountability, community life, pride in tradition, loyalty and dedication, and true artisanship in the lives of young aspiring artists. They should have experience as a performing artist themselves, and preferrably pastor a church (not a wannabe one!) or are involved in some type of discipleship ministry, but know how to implement the principles in a secular context. Here are my 3 questions: 1. How do I say a final goodbye to our first mentor couple and1. How do I say a final goodbye to our first mentor couple and leave them no room to "give us another chance"? I want to thank them for the initiative but make it clear that we can no longer work together, and hope that this doesn't affect our friendship. What if I can't reach them in person? 2. How do I step down from leadership A.S.A.P? Nobody else in the current team is ready to take over, and I am underequipped to bring this team to where we ought to be. I'm getting married and have other obligations like finding a real job so I can support myself. However, I want this org to make it and feel responsible for laying the foundations before passing on the legacy to someone better than I can. 3. What needs to be in the organization chart, and how to make a volunteer org actually buy into this? Who should, and how are rules to be enforced while we have no senior couple in the meantime to mentor us and edify the president's authority? Many thanks! Thoughtful answers appreciated :-) more

Open Question: paterson d, gov nys apparently violated no laws. elected leader as citizen us@democracy may err within law:ok?

World News News Forums & Polls an elected leader is citizen (us)@democracies. leader may err within law Posted in the World News Forum Share Read Comments below Ads by Google Local Newspapers - Find Albany area newspapers - dailies, weeklies, tabloids. yellowpages.com Electricity on the Cheap? - $199 homeowner's kit that power Co execs tried to outlaw in 18 states. www.Power4AllHomes.com Latest Navy News - Leading International Military Publisher. Get Latest News Now! www.TheYearInDefense.comComments Showing posts 1 - 1 of1 Ms gargi welch Join the community Schenectady, NY 1 min ago NYgov Paterson as us citizen ,had right@help/counsel an aide/friend, talk to alleged victim of a friend:ok?KR? 3.3.2010 NYgov Paterson is us citizen , had right to help/counsel an aide & friend, talk to alleged victim of a friend.without court judgement aide was never guilty. domestic violence occurs with conducts of both m/f,et al partners.if male is physically strong, woman is often possessive by nature.some misconducts are triggered by both. god/s, goddesses were immune from domestic violences as judicial courts were not there.some domestic violences are resolved @love aftermath incident. new york news media , nys attorney general A Cuomo interfered a subjudice issue to drive out patterson@race gov nys 2010. later must amend in democratic manner; said dr kamal karna roy @par websites all over globe , see web with search words viz "kamal karna roy " et al in support of views . Categoryexplained that contrary to the conventional theory, the new theory in European studies highlighted common features between towns and villages even before 13th century. The 74-year-old expert said that in the Tamil country, the whole situation had begun to change around the end of the 15th century during the Vijayanagar Nayaka rule, which strongly controlled the towns. Emphasising that brisk trading with Arabs, the Southeast Asian nations and China took place in the later part of the study period, Professor Karashima said Tamil inscriptions were found in Takuapa (Thailand), Pagan (Myanmar) and Sumatra (Indonesia), which talked about the merchant guilds. The inscriptions belonged to the 9th-12th century period. Referring to a 13th century Tamil inscription in Quanzhou, a southern port of China, he said it talked of the plans of the Tamil community to build a Electronics Dining Out Education & Reference Entertainment & Music Environment Family & Relationships Food & Drink Games & Recreation Health Home & Garden Local Businesses News & Events Pets Politics & Government Pregnancy & Parenting Science & Mathematics Social Science Society & Culture Sports Travel Yahoo! Products My Activity My Q&A My Network My Network Activity Edit My Preferences About How Answers Works Community Guidelines Leaderboard Suggestion Board Answers Blog Answers Badges AskUse the form below to ask your question Remember to follow the Community Guidelines AnswerDiscoverWhat are you looking for? Search Answers My Saved Search Home > Ask Your Question 3 Preview your question Preview your question Norbert W love@democracy Your Question NYgov Paterson as us citizen ,had right@help/counsel an aide/friend, talk to alleged victim of a friend:ok?KR? 3.3.2010 NYgov Paterson is us citizen , had right to help/counsel an aide & friend, talk to alleged victim of a friend.without court judgement aide was never guilty. domestic violence occurs with conducts of both m/f,et al partners.if male is physically strong, woman is often possessive by nature.some misconducts are triggered by both. god/s, goddesses were immune from domestic violences as judicial courts were not there.some domestic violences are resolved @love aftermath incident. new york news media , nys attorney general A Cuomo interfered a subjudice issue to drive out patterson@race gov nys 2010. later must amend in democratic manner; said dr kamal karna roy @par websites all over globe , see web with search words viz "kamal karna roy " et al in support of views . Category Politics & Government > Law & Ethics Asking costs you 5 points. You can ask 5 questions today. Make sure your question follows the community guidelines. Share your updates withUpdates An update about your question will not be shared outside more

Open Question: What to do about my girlfriend's ex-boyfriend? He wants to be with her.?

My girlfriend dated her previous boyfriend for a couple years before finally breaking up with him. a few months later, she and I met and began dating. That wouldn't be an issue normally. We've both had plenty of previous relationships. But he still wants to be with her. At first I ignored it, she's with me, not him. My girlfriend's friends told her early on that she should put a stop to his constant calling and texting before it too out of hand, I eventually mentioned that i didn't like that someone was disrespecting our relationship as well. But it has become so often and so in-my-face, I can take it anymore. YET...still happening. Do I take action? I don't want to cross a line and step over boundaries in her personal business that doesn't have to do with me, or give out ultimatums. The only person that can make him stop is...well, him. My girlfriend is the only person that can stop him from being able to conact her...block him from website profile pages...block her phone (or get a new one...hell, she could move to a different apartment so he doesn't know where she lives. all she really needs to do is say "fuck off"). Confrontation (which I would love) is only going to cause drama...but maybe that would lead somewhere. When it first started, I could understand her taking a nicer approach to handling him... but its built up so much that I just can't take "I tried but nothing worked" as an answer... nothing worked because she only tried the nice ways of dealing with him and didn't stick to her guns. Her relationship with him is affecting our relationship. Its hard to have a good time, when in the middle of it, she stops and tells me we have to go check her place because he said he's in town and she was worried that he might do something (this happened a couple months ago) or just that he is still asking her to come back...buss kill on a date. So that makes it my business now...so I can take action without being out of line, right? A guy making a sexual comment about my girlfriend's anatomy or saying he wants to be with her forever on twitter, facebook or myspace is something I have a right to be pissed about. I would prefer not breaking up with her. So the real questions at the end of this long story: What action do I take? What actions can be taken? How do I avoid making it worse without just letting it continue (or does it always get blacker before the dawn)? more

Resolved Question: disbanding my theatre company due to ethical issues in leadership. What to say to members?

We started late 2008 when a businesswoman doing business near our campus (she also happens to pastor a wannabe church with her husband) invited all our class for lunch intending to recruit us to do a neighborhood christmas performance which could serve as a "promotional tool" for our campus's new performing arts major. I wrote a storyline for it, not because I wanted to get involved, but because my classmates who kept harassing me about it accepted my terms that I will only do it if we're allowed to perform about the birth of Jesus. To my surprise, my storyline was selected and I was appointed as both scriptwriter and producer. The businesswoman connected us with most people she knew who might be able to support the production, but expected us to raise our own funds and pay the bills. She claimed that she was helping us becoming independent and facing the dynamics of real business when we later in life become real artists. Her wannabe pastor husband was frequently in the office to give us motivational talks and "teaching". Together we projected this org to be a community where aspiring artists are equipped in commitment, character, and competence, so they will grow to become influential people who have the right set of values once they work in the entertainment industry, and get to build up stage experience in an environment which values integrity and accountability. The production was relatively successful, considering that we did a 45-minute play (incl good costumes, make up, stage, lighting, props, decorations, music and kitchen sink) with only 6 weeks preparation. However, people got mad at me for pushing them so hard and setting a standard of excellence and discipline. So by post production evaluation we'd already lost 90% of our cast and crew. The businesswoman wouldn't stop asking me to raise money to pay the outstanding bills about the equivalent of US$5,400. This production has also caused our formerly tight knit class of 40 to drift apart; and gotten us with trouble with our campus which wasn't informed. Long story short, the org remained active from January-July 2009. We tried organizing miniproductions and workshops to make money to pay the bill, but these were unsuccessful. As soon as we got a real TV cinematographer/performing artist on board to co-lead a production with me, it turned out that he was just interested in me because he'd been in love with me for two years and kept it a secret. Realising that this org was hardly becoming what we projected it to be, we called off the production and attempted to restructure the leadership to first educate them in a proper understanding of our vision, mission, and core values. We recruited a new HR but he turned the organisation into a bible study and neglected the performing arts side, and we didn't know what to do with our non-Christian members. In all this, the businesswoman left us although she kept her office open for the theatre company to meet daily at. She became busy with other things; amongst others, gaining political power in other neighborhoods so she can recruit other enthusiastic, talented kids to do for her what we did for her. I've had to MC for some of these events, rather surprised to find that she and hubby had cast the same vision on those other projects. I feel cheated because they should've invested in us--the committed ones--instead of throwing hype here and there with these new untrained people they can't even follow up. Wannabe-pastor hubby continued devoting once a week for what was left in the theatre company, giving motivational talks and convincing us that we are not working hard enough to fulfill our potential. We're hitting a brick wall, but brick walls aren't there to keep us from the dream; it's there to separate us from those who don't really want the dream badly enough. By August 2009 I've had enough. I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to invite Mr & Mrs Wannabe Pastor for lunch or dinner AT MY PLACE in order to talk things out since May 2009 but they always cancel last minute because the Mrs had to show up in court or had other business. Otherwise, when I do get to spend time with them somewhere, they always have other people with them so I can't say what I've been wanting to say. At this point I believe that "imperfections in the leader" is no longer the issue; the issue is the integrity and character they've been preaching about but don't have themselves. They're not helping us but using us to expand their business and ministry (which they can't separate one from the other) on our time, money, and energy. And I don't want to do that to the people I am leading, because life is too precious for that. Now I no longer talk to the couple and refuse to pay the $5400 bill because I never signed anything stating that it was my, or the org's obligation.I've kept these things to myself because I was afraid of what it would do to the dynamics of our team; or worse yet, our friendship. I tried looking for a new adult couple to mentor us--which both shares our vision but also can apply it to the performing arts--but it looks like it isn't going to happen. And if it does, it's probably not worth the wait. Tomorrow is our final meeting where I will dissolve the organization and return any money my team members have ever donated to it. How do I do so without compromising my integrity? I said that I believed in the vision and will pay the price to make it happen, but now it seems like I'm the one walking out on it. And how do I present the facts without defaming our former mentor couple? While we are cutting ties professionally, I also don't want to hurt any remaining personal friendships my teammates might still have with them. Many thanks!Thank you. Actually, we did have an organization chart like Erika USAF Mom said, which we used to reeducate our leaders during down time. Unfortunately they weren't interested in this and just wanted hype. I will write a letter as CGBaker suggested, as no business should be left unfinished. My fiance said that we are lacking experience and funds. I have a great vision and all the best intentions for this org, but I shouldn't be leading such an org with great responsibility yet. I should first spend some years working elsewhere with similar projects and values, gain skills and insight, then lead an org like this. Then again, I wouldn't have been so passionately dedicated to this org if it had nothing to do with my life's purpose: "Welcoming God's children in God's house and equipping them to fulfill their purpose". Ventures breathed by this purpose is what I spend my life on, but now's not the timing to go at this one. Thank you for believing in what this org stands for. God bless! more

Open Question: Disbanding my theatre company due to ethical issues in leadership. What to say to members?

We started in late 2008 when a businesswoman doing business near our campus (she also happens to pastor a wannabe church with her husband) invited all our class for lunch intending to recruit us to do a neighborhood christmas performance which could serve as a promotional tool for our campus's new performing arts major (which our class is doing). I wrote a storyline for it, not because I wanted to get involved, but because my classmates who kept harassing me about it accepted my terms that I won't do it unless we're allowed to perform about the birth of Jesus. To my surprise, my storyline was selected and I was appointed as both scriptwriter and producer. As it turned out, the businesswoman got us connected with most people she knew who might be able to support the production, but expected us to raise our own funds and pay the bills. She claimed that she was just helping us becoming independent and facing the dynamics of real business when we later in life become real artists. Her wannabe pastor husband was frequently in the office to give us motivational talks to work harder and expect results. Together we projected this would-become-theatre-company to be a community where young aspiring artists are equipped in commitment, character, and competence, so they will grow to become influential people who have the right set of values once they work in the entertainment industry, and get to build up stage experience in an environment which values integrity and accountability. The production was relatively successful, considering that we did a 45-minute play (including good costumes, make up, stage, lighting, props, decorations, music and the entire kitchen sink) with only 6 weeks preparation. However, people got mad at me for pushing them so hard and setting a standard of excellence and discipline. So by post production evaluation the organisation had already lost 90% of its cast and crew; and the businesswoman wouldn't stop asking me to raise money to pay the outstanding bills about the equivalent of US$5,400. This production has also caused our formerly tight knit class of 40 to drift apart rather bitterly. Long story short, the organization under my leadership remained active from January-July 2009. We tried organizing miniproductions and workshops to make money to return that which this businesswoman claims we owe her, but these were unsuccessful. As soon as we got a real TV cinematographer/performing artist on board to co-lead a production with me, it turned out that he was just interested in me because he had been in love with me for two years and kept it a secret. Realising that this organization was hardly becoming what we projected it to be, we called off the production as soon as Mr Cinematographer left and attempted to restructure the leadership to first educate them in a proper understanding of our vision, mission, and core values. We recruited a new HR but he turned the organisation into a bible study and neglected the performing arts side, and we didn't know what to do with our non-Christian members. In all this, the businesswoman practically left us although she kept her office open for the theatre company to meet daily at. She became busy with other things; amongst others, gaining political power in other neighborhoods so she can recruit other enthusiastic, talented kids to do for her what we did for her. And I have had to MC for some of these events, rather surprised to find that she and her hubby had "casted the same vision" on those other projects, and I feel cheated because I thought they should have invested in us--the committed ones--instead of throwing hype here and there with these new people they don't even have any idea how to follow up. In the meantime, wannabe-pastor hubby continued devoting once a week for what was left in the theatre company, giving motivational talks and convincing us that we are not working hard enough to fulfill our potential. We're hitting a brick wall, but brick walls aren't there to keep us from the dream; it's merely there to separate us from those who don't really want the dream to come true. By August 2009 I've had enough. I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to invite Mr & Mrs Wannabe Pastor for lunch or dinner AT MY PLACE in order to talk things out since May 2009 but they always cancel last minute because the Mrs had to show up in court or had other business. Otherwise, when I do get to spend time with them somewhere, they always have other people with them so I can't say what I've been wanting to say. At this point I believe that "imperfections in the leader" is no longer the issue; the issue is the integrity and character they've been preaching about but don't have themselves. They're not helping us but using us to expand their business and ministry (which they can't separate one from the other) on our time, money, and energy. And I don't want to do that to the people I am leading, because life is too precious for that. Right now I am notnot talking to this couple anymore. I've decided to not pay the $5,400 bill. I didn't sign anything that stated that it's my, or the organization's obligation. I've been keeping these things to myself because I was afraid of what it would do to the dynamics of our team; or worse yet, our personal friendship. I tried looking for a new adult couple to mentor us--which both shares our vision but also can apply it to the performing arts--but it looks like it isn't going to happen. And if it does, it's probably not worth the wait Tomorrow is our final meeting where I will dissolve the organization and return any money my team members have ever donated to it. How do I do so without compromising my integrity?I said that I believed in the vision and will pay the price to make it happen, but now it seems like I'm the one giving up on it. And how do I present the facts without defaming our former mentor couple? While we are cutting ties professionally, I also don't want to hurt any remaining personal friendships my teammates might still have with them. Many thanks! more

Resolved Question: Sex with my Ex that I abused verbally and physically, are we get past this to reconcile or not?

Hi all, if you remember my posting from Feb 1rst you'll know that I was verbally abusing the love of my life without realizing it. He walked out on me on January 31rst after 2 years. Since then we have been on the phone every single day practically having 3 to 4 hour discussions/spats to the wee hours of the morning. He says he can't say we won't reunite in the future but for now he's working on himself and tending to neglected business. He also spent many hours venting making sure I was clear on the hundreds of ways I hurt him and broke his spirit. He is very sensitive and intelligent and I respect him more now than I have showed in the past. I always respected him because he is an awesome man but my anger would overtake my common sense back then. I have since then taken my situation very seriously seeking weekly counseling and spiritual assistance to rid myself of the horrible 'Angry' spirit that has shook my home life to it's core. Initially, me ex fiance (he is a guy and I am the woman) would not allow me to see him. He said my physical presence made him feel awful and many other mean things (I cried but I couldn't blame him). About 10 days later he finally saw me once and told me he was not coming back. I cried for hours, he just stood there asking me to go home. He stayed on the phone with me all night that night. I didn't contact him at all for a week or so, then I called to ask about canceling the cell phone account we have together (he asked for this after the break up). Suddenly, he said he wants to pay the bill for now so I said okay, he said he will cut it off next month. He is to give the money on Thursday. I am very confused but I am following his lead. Now it seems we have managed to come past the extreme emotional part of this break up because after an all night argument night before last (him scolding me about how I treated him) he decided to come back home for something yesterday morning (he has nothing here and took all of his clothes the week after the break up)... he claimed he had something here (we both new that wasn't true). I let him in and we chatted briefly, we hugged and he held me and smelled me for what seemed like forever and soon after ended up in several sexual situations. Following the sex he got up and played some music he wanted me to hear while I got dressed. It was very nice and peaceful. We drove out and had a quick lunch then I dropped him off to the relative's home where he is now staying (he took the day off from work). We had an awesome hour and a half together. We even held hands for a minute. I touched him a lot and was grateful that he finally let me. My question is, I know he has not finished working through his emotions and neither have I, but is it possible that we could get back together at some point? I am so sad without him and I am in repentance mode and am in the serious process of learning to correct my horrible verbal abuse and fits of anger where I slap, hit, kick and punch. I AM VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. I cannot express that enough. Of the 2 years we were together, I hit him 4 times and cannot believe that I was such an awful person verbally as well (when I was angry) like Jekyll and Hyde.. Other times I was a loving, caring, resourceful and fun filled spirited mom and fiance (so weird looking at it now). I have changed my life drastically over these 4 weeks and I wonder if he can tell. He says he will see me on Thursday to pay his cell phone bill that we share together and that was about it. What can I do if anything to get him back so we can continue to build our otherwise really great relationship or friendship (or I should say, have a second time around new relationship) I really can't believe we finally saw one another, had sex, drove for a while and had a quick lunch. I know I some may conclude that I didn't deserve that and that might be true. I didn't mention anything about getting back together but I showed in my actions that I missed him and I asked him many times before to please come home. I'm glad he didn't and especially glad that he had the courage to walk away from me so I could face my demons and deal with myself. It was the best thing he could have ever done for me to make me see the extent of my error. He knows I want him back and says he loves me like no other. I need your advice now. I know the longer we're apart the higher the risk of him meeting someone new but what can I do if anything and please describe to me what you think about his behavior, does he seem to be forgiving me? Thank you guys... I really want my family back together.1. Courage Wolf; for you, I will. 2. Thanks T. 3. Mr. Fix it: Learn more about 'spirits'. I have the spirit of anger, it is something that I am vigorously exercising against. I believe in spirits, I also believe that an angry spirit is not compatible with a healthy spirit, that's why I have to recognize it and shut it down. I'm not sure how old you are but you may have a lot to learn about the spiritual world, it is a very real thing. There is more than meets the eye, this obvious from all the horrible things going on in our world. I take full responsibility for my actions and am in no way trying to escape that. I am also aware of the evil forces waiting to use me as a pawn in horrible crimes against my loved ones if I let them! I have chosen to walk the walk and fight against any urge to entertain anger. Anger is not who I am spiritually, it is not compatible with my natural spirit. I am working to recognize when I am angered so I don't indulge in it! Thanks Jac V! more

Resolved Question: Will the corporate funded tea parties begin again to fight health reform?

The Guardian notes the cashroots behind right-wing Astroturf: "When Obama beat Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries, FreedomWorks studied how he did it and then copied him. A plethora of groups have jumped on board, with exotic names such as Tea Party Patriots, Grassfire, Conservatives for Patients' Rights, 60 Plus, all loosely working together, with FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity probably the leading partners. FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity are sister groups who came from the same parent body -- a campaign called Citizens for a Sound Economy, which split in two in 2004. It was set up by one of America's richest men, David Koch, an oil tycoon who has funded rightwing causes for decades. FreedomWorks receives funding from the tobacco conglomerate Philip Morris, as well as from Richard Scaife, another business tycoon, who for years helped fund dirt-digging investigations into Bill Clinton. Local branches of Americans for Prosperity have also received tobacco money; the group has opposed smoke-free workplace laws and cigarette taxes. ExxonMobil was a sponsor of Citizens for Sound Economy, and both FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity have campaigned vigorously against Obama's plans to reduce CO2 emissions through a cap and trade scheme, working closely with the American Petroleum Institute. 'This is the same old, same old,' says John Stauber of the Center for Media and Democracy, which investigates corporate lobbying. 'Yes there are some new names and new causes, but these anti-government front groups have been around for a long time.' " See who else is in the Tea Party Movement.Only rock stars get thumps down.Nightwind, I'm not sure if you've travelled outside of the country, but as the body of my question begins, this is the opinion of the impeccable London Guardian newspaper.Kojak, your last sentence gives you away. more

Open Question: resume assistance Please help I have removed specific details?

Jane Smith blah blah Summary•Academic background in natural and social sciences •Skilled at learning new concepts quickly, working well under pressure, and communicating ideas clearly and effectively. •Strong interest in healthcare sector •Completed course in medical terminology •Extensive computer training, including knowledge of networking environments and business software packages. Education Continuing Education Local CC Biological Sciences B.A. Degree in Psychology Top Ten Public University 2009 Conferred May 2009 Career History •Worked directly with Associate Athletic Director to monitor student athlete class attendance •Performed general office duties including, but not limited to: answering multi-line telephones, copying, faxing. •Provided directory assistance to visitors of the Ross Academic Center.2008-2009 •Contacted alumni and parents enrolled in various colleges at the University of Michigan in order to update records and maintain relationships between prospects and the university. •Request donations for scholarship funds sponsored by the University of Michigan for both incoming and enrolled students. •Assisted lead instructor with students ages 2-5 years. •Helped coordinate and implement student activities, lesson plans and monitor students’ progress and behavior. 2007 •Coordinated and performed the preparation, data entry, verification and editing of complex, typically confidential data. •Interacted with other departments to resolve problems and inquiries, and to establish and maintain efficient data and information flow. •Filed forms for entry and distribution •Shadowed and provided administrative support to public sector solutions consultants. •Assisting in the creation and presentation of group projects •General office duties which include, but are not limited to: copying, faxing, sending and receiving reports2005-2006 2001-2004 Skills •Accomplished interpersonal communications skills •Developed leadership, presentation and writing skills •Proficiency on Windows and Macintosh microcomputers •Expertise with Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Power Point •Multi-media presentation and desktop publishing experience •Experience with digital informational databases •Experience with protocols of the Internet •Working knowledge of network and server environments •Working knowledge of standard office automation •Functional in the Spanish Language Memberships & Affiliations •Founding member XXX •Member of Student National Medical Association more

Resolved Question: Is China set to dominate the world in renewable energy industry?

China Leading Global Race to Make Clean Energy http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/business/energy-environment/31renew.html "China vaulted past competitors in Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United States last year to become the world’s largest maker of wind turbines, and is poised to expand even further this year. China has also leapfrogged the West in the last two years to emerge as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels." Does it matter that China is getting such a lead in the new technologies? Will we all be buying Chinese solar panels for ever after now? Why are British workers in our beleaguered heavy industry sectors not getting the chance to benefit from these new green jobs?jeff, yes i know. But they are turning their tanker around a good deal faster than any of the 'developed' countries, its very impressive to watch, and very frustrating. We too are still building coal power stations.dana, yes, the engineers that run china can say 'make it so' and it happens. they dont have to slog through the sea of opposition from vested interests, they have a big advantage. paul, spot on. it's been happening since thatcher, and i spent several years waiting for nu-labour (= tory lite) to stem the arterial bleeding from the manufacturing sector. no chance! you cant eat a city bank.d/dx, lots to think about there. i only disagree about the innovation side; chinese patent numbers are rapidly catching up with ours, give it a decade and they will be up with europe and n. america. i dont know if we will see a cultural difference in the type of innovation, maybe more cautious steps? On the wages side; there is far to much spread here, it is leading to a collapse of the social mobility that fuelled the innovations of the last four decades. the rich have clotted at the top of the milk again, time to shake the bottle.i said to watch siemens didnt i; http://www.greenwisebusiness.co.uk/news/siemens-invests-in-british-tidal-energy-developer-1179.aspx but i'm not sure there's not a much better design, this is too cribbed off a wind turbine. as for tooling up, harland and wolff got aid as no other shipyard did, because of the troubles. more

Voting Question: i am new in real estate business,what should i do to get maximum leads without investment?

i am new in this business and request you all to help me to grow.i am working in Lucknow , India in the of SARKAR PROPERTIES.Plesae let me know what are the ways to get maximum leads in case of rent, lease , sale and purchase but specially in case of rent and buyers looking for real? more

Resolved Question: Any shooting range owners from Florida?

In the part of Florida that I live, there is only one range with four stalls. It is expensive as well as run down. People go there only because they have no other place to go within a 50 mile radius. I decided I want to open a range myself and have already obtained so much data that my head is spinning, yet I still have some questions I am having trouble getting answered. I have the Florida State Statutes, County Codes and Zoning, The NRA Range Sourcebook (in the mail), USAF ETL 08-11: Small Arms Range Design and Construction, the EPA CFRs for lead, and have a couple of properties I am looking at in my area that meet code and would be large enough to suffice the range. The range will be an outdoor range that has 50m (X5), 100 m (X5), 300 m(X3), and 1000 m (X2) lanes that will have use a dirt backstop accompanied by a cement block wall. The range will allow for ammunition from .22 cal to .50 cal. Other than delivery of dirt my brother, cousin, dad, and friend will assist me in the construction of the stalls, measuring the Surface Danger Zone/Vertical Danger Zone, backstops, and targets. My cousin and myself are going to Orlando to become Range Safety Officers for insurance purposes. As business takes off I will be adding a skeet shoot and a tactical/obstacle course with pop-up targets and CQB scenarios, but those are not in the making yet (not until I have an established business). The building where business will be conducted will need to have retail space for accessories, gear, ammo, and guns for sale/rent (I have an application for an FFL but until I have a location of business I cannot send it in). I will also need a 125ft X 125ft room for conducting NRA, CCW, and security courses as well as offer free hunting courses (All but the hunting courses will be taught by either myself or my cousin). A bathroom and breakroom are requirements for a security training facility in my state. I know what is needed by the county, state, EPA, and BATFE in regards to licensing and regulations for the range and firearms, what I am not sure of is the business aspect. I was hoping someone who owns a range in Florida could help answer the few questions that I have left. Q1: I know the average mark-up for firearms and accessories in the area, but how can I find the cost of the firearms and accessories (wholesale/dealers price) or of any price breaks for bulk orders? The distributors will not talk to me until I have my FFL and I cannot get my FFL without a place for business and I cannot get a place of business without a business loan from a bank. Due to the economy and my age, 24, I am going to have to go to the bank with a DETAILED business plan and explain how they will get there money back. Q2: How do you pay a business loan back? Do you pay monthly payments (i.e. mortgage/car payment) or do you pay in back in a lump some with in so many years? If so what is the time frame it is to be paid back in? Q3: Do you know of any good insurance companies to cover my business (in Florida) and if so how much does it cost? Again they will not talk to me until I have a business. Q4: How much do lead removal services cost? The EPA mandates that a company has to come and remove lead from my dirt back stops and I'm sure it is not free. If I have the equipment am I allowed to do it myself? Q5: If you own an outdoor range in Fl, do you mind telling me an estimated cost of construction supplies for your outdoor range? Q6: I am looking a buying a large piece of land and I'm probably not going to find one with a building on it that suits my needs. Any ideas/suggestions on new construction vs. other options I am unaware of such as portable buildings (if they have them) Q7: What are the state and federal taxes (estimate of course) for running such a business in FL? Please, refrain from JUST telling me that this is an expensive business and that it will fail. I now that it will be expensive and that is why I need a DETAILED business plan for the bank. I am hoping for help with the few financial questions left to determine the over all cost and revenue I will need to acquire. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I appreciate and look forward to any responses. more

Resolved Question: Why wont he commit to her and the kids, one of them actually being his own child?

I know this is very long but I need advice for her ,PLEASE only HELPFUL ADVICE I can give her so my sister who I adore dearly is 30's years old She has 2 boys age 9 and 5 years. (from a previous marriage she divorced at the age of 27) She started a relationship with a man who also had a child of his own, she became pregnant at the age 29 with her 3rd child from this new man she was involved with (Side note: HE was 26 and has his own 5 yr old daughter) anyways fast-forward my sister now has 3 boys a 9,5, and 5 mo, the father of the newborn now isn't so sure he wants to commit...so my sister is now basically 30 years old with 3 children to raise on her own. She claims that she was under the "false" pretense that he was getting ready to start a "blended family" with her... I had to tell her STRAIGHT up that she basically got fooled or lead herself to believe something that wasn't there. Because he is giving her the excuse that he is not ready to commit and settle down but he said he will "be there" for the baby (which he does stop by once a week to see the newborn) I told her the real reason that he doesn't want to commit to you is because, she has her 2 older boys that he doesn't want to have to provide for, also considering the fact that he has his own 6 year old daughter from a previous relationship. And yes her ex-husband does provide for her 2 boys like he should. But I told her there is a huge difference between dating a woman with kids and ACTUALLY LIVING with a woman and her kids...HUGE DIFFERENCE, I also told her just because he's a really good father to his daughter and "nice" to your 2 older boys doesn't not mean he is willing to step in and be step dad. THOSE ROSE-COLORED glasses need to come off! am I right under my assumptions...the guy is now currently 27 years old and if he was to "commit" to her he would have a total of 4 children PLUS her to take care off...I told her if he really wanted to be with you and make it work he would have done so by now especially since she does have a 5 month son by him. I don't want her to sit around and waste her time waiting for him to commit to her because I doubt that that will ever happen. what do you think of this situation and what advice can I give her??? WHAT ADVICE CAN I GIVE HER, and yes this is my business because she is at home living with me I was there helping her pick up the pieces after the divorce, and yet here we are doing it all over again more

Resolved Question: By Laws for small business and purchasing of supplies?

Recently an award for a contract was awarded which lead to the next step of securing a loan for the start up of the "new" business. It was a side line before. The company was registered as "rosebush pro team and services ltd. (not real name) My partner wants to sign over as it's no longer in her time line and I do not want to lose the opportunity. Is there anyone who can help with the creation of the needed "Bylaws "? ANY information and advise with this will be most welcomed. I also have a full time job and planned to hire staff for this endeavour. Additionally. Where can I get the best deal in kitchen utensil in T&T? Thanks more

Resolved Question: Question on tax deductions for a part-time hobby business?

This year I plan to turn my volunteer-only piano playing into a part-time hobby business, hopefully to include playing at weddings, private parties, perhaps at a restaurant and/or teaching a little. Are all the following expenses able to be deducted from gross revenues for calculating my taxable net revenue? 1. New equipment (will probably need to upgrade my electronic keyboard). 2. Existing musical equipment (such as grand piano) that I previously used for hobby-only, but now would use as part of business -- for teaching, practicing for gigs, etc. 3. Continuing education to increase my skill, my ability to get more business and charge more. For example, courses leading to a masters degree? Finally, how long does the IRS allow this type of hobby business to continue to operate at a loss before they consider it really not a business but just a hobby? For example, I can imagine that start up expenses would easily be more than a first year of revenue, and possibly could eat up pretty much all of the second year's revenue also. more

Voting Question: How do you guys feel about IVOB? Penny stock now? But....?

But they just hit the news! INVO Bioscience, Inc. (OTCBB: IVOB), a medical device company focused on treatment options for patients diagnosed with infertility, announces that the US National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) has approved a 100 patient study being conducted by Galaxy IVF in three INVO centers in Pakistan. The purpose of the study is to evaluate a low cost stimulation protocol combined with INVO to make an IVF affordable procedure available across the large infertile/sub-fertile population. The study will use a minimum ovarian stimulation protocol with the primary endpoint being number of follicles obtained and the fertilization rate. The secondary endpoints will be pregnancy rate and cost of treatment. Recruitment has begun for the study and Dr. Ranoux will be attending the first INVO cycles at each of the clinical sites. Galaxy IVF has discontinued the original study started in the IVF center in Lahore because of major protocol violations by the site. The new study will be performed in INVO centers that have been trained and have already performed INVO cycles per the protocols outlined in the INVOcell Instructions for Use. This additional data will support the widespread acceptance of the INVO in the Middle East. The approved protocol can be reviewed at the NIH site link: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01058252?term=Galaxy+Pharma&rank=1 or the WHO site link: http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial.aspx?TrialID=NCT01058252 About INVO Bioscience INVO Bioscience (IVOB) is a medical device company, headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, focused on creating simplified, lower cost treatment options for patients diagnosed with infertility. The company's lead product, the INVOcell, is a novel medical device used in infertility treatment that enables egg fertilization and early embryo development in the woman's vaginal cavity. The company was founded by Claude Ranoux, MD, a noted expert in the field of reproductive health, infertility and embryology. For more information, please visit www.invobioscience.com. This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategies, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, as well as statements that include words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include those set forth in our filings at www.sec.gov. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. more

Resolved Question: Do you still believe that Obama's spending is going to save the US Economy ?

Warren Buffets business partner does not From Money News Feb 21, 2010 Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner in Berkshire Hathaway, warns in a new column that the U.S. economic empire is crumbling before our eyes, thanks to federal debt and poor planning. In an article penned for Slate.com, Munger uses the form of a parable to explain how Wall Street’s love affair with gambling has destroyed America’s Main Street. The article leads with this headline: “Basically, It’s Over.” The U.S. deficit — just the gap between spending and income in one year — is projected to hit $1.6 trillion in 2010. Total debt is project to exceed 100 percent of GDP starting in 2011. more

Voting Question: Class Election Help please?

We are holding a fake election in our class, can you tell me if this is enough: I assure a cheery “Good afternoon!” to our dearest Mr. Fagert, along with the rest of the class. Because nobody in my group wanted to be in the election for governor, I am standing in front of you today, ready to tackle whatever comes my way. First of all, I would like to address my following concerns and issues before I continue: Illegal Immigration, State Spending and Taxes, Education, Texas Trans Highway, and last, but not least, my choice: Smoking. Illegal Immigration, a word that already has a negative side to it. Many people have invaded our country, leading into a vicious attack. One of the ways these horrible people sneak in is through the border. Yes, that line between Texas and Mexico. Illegal Immigration started about 30-40 years ago. To prevent our state, along with the rest of the country, from being in the hands of violent trespassers, I have a few suggestions. 1. I know you’ve probably heard it at least 300 times, but WE NEED MORE BORDER SECURITY! This helps ensure our state’s safety. 2. Instead of focusing more on closing/securing the border, we need to do one thing and make everyone present right now a legal citizen. Now I’m not saying, just go to each house and make everyone legal. We need to start scanning fingerprints, passports, and history backgrounds of each person, then decide whether to make a legal citizen or not. This will make the process faster. Today, we all know we are falling into a recession. We’ve fell into the hole, and we haven’t climbed out yet. Well, Texas has a part in that too, hence the name the United States. Currently, signing a bill on June 19th 2009, our governor passed a 2 year budget of 182.3 billion dollars. Now, think about it. If we cut taxes on many businesses, won’t we have more money to spread among all you and to provide more for more important issues? IF I become governor, I hope to do just that. Education: Though the kids right there (point) may groan at this. We have to face the truth- We need it! Without education, no one would invent I-Pods, cell phones, CHOCOLATE, or even, those new Apple Tablet I-Pads. We need to enforce kids with more fun stuff to do. The kids of today, I have to admit, get soooo bored with the curriculum sometimes! I suggest the following: 1. laptops for those who can’t afford one, this is for studying uses, and for entertainment at times 2. We need teachers who can understand children’s stress nowadays! And Mr. Fagert, you’re a perfect example of what a teacher should be: Semi-Sweet, a little strict, but overpowering kindness. We all have heard of or have known a person in a tragic car accident. Well, maybe there’s some way we can prevent most accidents from occurring? 1. I suggest encountering a group of people called “Traffic Patrol”. Many accidents happen because of street light failures. To put it in simple words, you know, when you’re stopped at an intersection, and there’s a green light at both places? Yikes. Instances like these are the cost of valuable lives. Traffic Patrol can be stationed at different areas of Texas. Basically, they get paid (not from your taxes) to see if traffic lights and stop signs are accurate. If something isn’t working, or is misplaced, they immediately are to enlighten a company, who will fix it later. 2. We need to be stricter about using cell phones while driving. You know how many people die of using cell phones when driving? Enough to make companies like Geico and Allstate a killing! With me as governor, I promise to enhance a better driving environment. Smoking is the number one cause for Cancer. We all know cancer is a serious thing, yet we know that smoking is bad… How come people can’t connect these two facts together and try their hardest to quit? Well, maybe because most people who still smoke don’t know this. How much did our government spend on smoking education last year? None. If you elect me as governor, I promise to ensure that smoking is bad, and provide a tragic-free state. Well, you’re all probably sleeping in your chairs, so I’ll finish my speech here. And remember: Vote for *****! more

Voting Question: Will somebody please tell Barrack Hussein Obama you can't spend your way out of a recession?

Lets look at the facts: 1. California is will be bankrupt in 30-60 days. It makes up a larger portion of GDP to the United States then Greece does to the EU. 2. Barrack Hussein Obama is running a deficit of $1.6 trillion dollars or 60% more then the United States earns per year in tax revenue. A. I have seen no new roads B. I have seen no new government jobs nor do government jobs produce anything. They are a net loss. C. This will all result in massive tax hikes for everyone (at least the people who produce jobs). 99% of which are small business owners. 3. The government owns more than 1/4 of the mortgages in the country through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It was a program started to "help" the poor. How on earth, does the government now own 1/4 of the mortgages in the country? Why does anyone in the United States believe that after a housing boom, housing collapse, subsequent bank collapse, bank bailout, then massive government deficits that produce nothing.....not going to lead to currency collapse? Lastly, in my own personal experience. My family owns a $150,000,000 business that puts down concrete pipe underneath my entire county. When anyone builds a residental neighboorhood, commercial property, OR has a contract with a government they go through us. Not a single building has been built out of a population of more than 1,000,000 people. How could GDP possibly increase with rising unemployment and OBVIOUSLY no construction?Pata, That economic formula is the keynesian economic formula. It stipulates that if the government spends $10 trillion dollars this year and creates temporary non-producing jobs somehow we get GDP growth. Unbeliveable. more

Resolved Question: Is this guy crazy: Wisconsin dad drives all the way to Kansas each week to hang on to a job in tough times?

JANESVILLE, Wis. – In the early dawn, after another week building cars, Michael Hanley leaves his job in Kansas. He quickly zips into Missouri, then heads up a ribbon of highway past grain silos and grazing deer, across the frozen fields of Iowa, over the Mississippi River and into the rolling hills of Wisconsin. Finally, he pulls into his driveway — 530 miles later. It's one heck of a haul: more than 1,000 miles roundtrip, 16-plus hours of driving, every week. "I like to say I gave up an eight-minute commute for an eight-hour commute," he says wearily, running a hand though salt-and-pepper hair as he watches his two sons play basketball for the first time this season. After the aging General Motors plant where he worked for 23 years was idled about a year ago, Hanley faced a Hobson's choice: Stay with his family and search for an autoworker's salary ($28 an hour) in a county where more than 40 percent of its manufacturing jobs disappeared from 2006 to 2009. Or hang on to his GM paycheck and health insurance and follow the job, no matter where it leads. In his case, it led to Fairfax, Kan., the same place his brother and two brothers-in-law — also GM workers, and now his roommates — landed. For others, it has been Indiana or Texas. The long commute is not just a story of hard times, tough choices and a shrinking American auto industry. It's also a case study of what happens when an aging industrial town loses an anchor, when workers too old to start over and too young to retire are caught in a squeeze and when economic survival means one family, but two far-flung ZIP codes. ___ Hanley is not one to complain. "GM has been good for us," he says. "This whole town knows that." For 90 years, the sprawling plant — it started out building tractors — became a different kind of family business. Through the decades, sons followed fathers onto the line, sometimes rubbing shoulders as they built Chevy Cavaliers, Caprices, Tahoes, Suburbans and more. Hanley's father and brother worked there. So did his father-in-law, two brothers-in-law and an assortment of uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. But as GM's financial troubles mounted, car and SUV sales fell and gas prices climbed, the automaker closed several plants, eliminating thousands of jobs. Janesville — then the oldest of GM assembly plants — ended production of SUVs in December 2008, months before the automaker received billions of dollars in government loans and filed for bankruptcy. (The factory is on standby status; some hold out hope it will reopen one day.) Some of about 1,200 remaining workers took buyouts or retired; some began new careers. Hundreds more stayed with GM, relocating, commuting or just waiting for an opening. The automaker has about 6,500 laid-off workers nationwide. Even before the doors closed, Hanley began preparing for life after GM. He returned to college to complete two credits he needed for an accounting degree, but an offer in Kansas came first. He didn't hesitate. Auto work these days is like playing musical chairs. You grab an opening where you can. Hanley didn't want to lose his health insurance while his wife, Laura, was receiving costly chemotherapy treatments for a blood disease that will likely lead to cancer. The medical bills last year, she says, were in the tens of thousands of dollars. "There's no way I could possibly go through one treatment without him having insurance," she says. Like many other divided GM families, the Hanleys decided even though the job was important, there were reasons not to uproot everyone: Laura works at their sons' Catholic school, the boys are immersed in band, Scouts, basketball and church, and the sale of a house was an iffy and perhaps money-losing proposition. Hanley knew it would be a trade-off — financial security for a lonely existence. His eyes mist as he talks about what he misses: dinner with his family, coaching basketball, going to the YMCA with his boys, wrestling with them at night, attending their concerts and games, watching them grow up. "It's an adjustment, not being home," he says. "I probably sounded cruel because I said I wouldn't miss my wife as much because she's going to be there when I come back, when I retire. But those years with the kids aren't going to be there. That's the hard part, not being able to be around them. ... I don't know if I really appreciated it before." Hanley plans to commute another 18 months, until he turns 50, hoping for a retirement package then — something, he says, he "prays about every night." Laura, meanwhile, does double duty as a single parent. It's all overwhelming — working, shuttling her sons around, keeping an eye on her elderly mother and worrying about her husband's long commutes. "The kids are tired of seeing mom cry because she's stressed and seeing dad cry when he needs to go back to work," she says. "We're really close — the four of us. You can't talk to more

Voting Question: Why do all Liberal movements die off so fast?

Throughout our history, this is sadly the case. History repeats itself. Liberal leftwing movements are like the high on a drug, followed by the low. Let me give examples 1) In Britain you had Neoclassic literature (based on reason)....then for 30 years you had idealistic Romantic literature (Liberal-like) that thrived from the poets like (William Wordsworth)...the idealism then yielded to the Victorian Age. 2) In the New England Renaissance, there was a short age of Transcendentalism...the Liberal movement of 19th century thinking, it too lost momentum rather quickly. 3) In the 1800s there were numerous socialist utopian experiments, they all were exciting and then collapsed within 10-15 year spans. 4) The Bolshevik Revolution: The Marxist utopian vision at first was spectacular until it was toppled by a new class of elite, who hijacked Marxism into Totalitarianism. 5) The French Revolution: Same great feeling among the peasantry....and then came Napoleon. 6) The 1960s and Civil Rights.....the hippie generation...acid rock........it all died with the economic challenges of the 1970s (hyperinflation) and then the exodus of wealth from downtown cities for suburban sprawl.....leading to a NEW age of segregation between city and suburban life (with the exception of Manhattan), then solved by gentrification of downtown cities.....leading to the elimination of urban cultures..... 7) The beginning of the Internet Age....this was where the masses had the ultimate opportunity to catch up with the business community....and they did.....with the dot com era!........Then the dot coms went bust......now the hype is gone.... 8) National Conference on Organized Resistance, Washington, DC campus of American University....(1997 thru 2008) This was a large set of workshops from the political left ranging from everything from anarchy to civil disobedience to artistic political expression to bio-disesel-fuel.....to feminism....to veganism....to alternatives to pills for mental illnesses......to nonviolent protests......Crowds of 5,000 people every January gathered on the campus courtyard...... until 2008 when no college student who hadn't graduated agreed to sponsor the workshop on their campus......the umbrella group discontinued itself indefinitely...... as a result........the entire production died off......and now the whole thing is gone completely...... So I ask....why does this happen? 7)Perhaps the very last of these is the Obama movement? From inauguration to where we are nowbut I think Liberals should not give up, Liberal movement are beautiful....but they are like fall foliage...they are all short-lived because they are inspirational but not fiscally sustainable..... but inspiration is an element to life as enriching as economic stability...you wait till the next autumn...in a sense....it comes and goes...Liberal movements are cyclicalEdit: Let me explain...Liberal movements are based passion in a society in the name of that freedom. The lack of that passion nulls whatever political system you are in. For example, if I go outside and scream FREE SPEECH to the top of my lungs, I will be arrested for disrupting the peace, if not that....my reputation for insanity will deprive me of any future endeavors...... Unexercised passion in a Liberal system makes the system as unliberating as any other system.Democracy is a Liberal idea when it is EXCERCISED. But it is NOT a Liberal idea when Democracy means 2 political parties with merely identical agendas who debate behind closed doors develop policies based on representatives who are elected based on knowledge from the media sources with the most airtime to influence such public opinion, bought with dollars from the largest corporate industrial giants who oligarchy and multinationalism forbids other entrants. That's where we are at right now....the name is "Democacy"....but it is not so Democratic.....it is just a term for people led to think their votes count for something more

Resolved Question: ARE YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR A DEMOCRAT ?

Whatever your political affiliation is, OUR country is in trouble..... It seems like Obama is intentionally trying to screw up America so bad that it will never ever be able to be repaired. The things he's done and has proposed to do are the exact opposite of "hope and change". What a better way to destroy a country than from within? LQQk where and what he's spending our money on, it's so obvious he's just pissing our money away on frivilous wasteful pet pork projects that add up to absolutely nothing. Tell me how is this helping the USA? Maybe this is all just a ploy to bankrupt the country? Read some of the "Stimulus Bill" that was pushed through very quickly.... www.readthestimulus.org As I observe our president, I am embarrassed by him and for him. Since taking office thirteen months ago, he has not assumed responsibility for his decisions and their subsequent consequences. Rather, a recurring theme in many of his speeches (now numbering more than 400) is the placing of blame for America's current troubles on his predecessor in office. Reasonable people do not absolve President Bush of any responsibility. However, reasonable people also know that the office of president now belongs to president Obama. He owns it. Since Mr. Obama's ascendency to the Oval Office, he has spent (and borrowed) more taxpayer money than all previous presidents in U.S. history combined. The immaturity he displays in handling our economy is compounded by his narcissistic and egotistical attitude toward the American people. In his last few speeches, he blamed the failure of his programs as a failure of the American people to understand what he is proposing to us. He alleges that we are ignorant, ill-informed and swayed by conservative talk radio. He'd prefer we get our news from MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS and NPR, which form the nucleus of the Obama Fan Club. Regrettably, with the help of the "Oil Man" Bush-bashing media, we have elected an inexperienced president at a time of great peril from radical Islamists, record unemployment, out-of-control federal spending and massive government debt. Communist China now owns almost half of our debt. Is it any coincidence that the White House National Security Council recently directed U.S. spy agencies to lower the priority placed on intelligence for China in spite of strong opposition from high level American intelligence officers? Great Britain ceased to be a world power after World War I when it had to borrow massive amounts of money to stay afloat. The lender then was us. The same thing is happening today except the lender is China and we are the borrower. President Obama has never run a business and never served in the military. He was a community organizer and a U.S. senator for 143 days. He has repeatedly bashed and berated America abroad while criticizing the Constitution at home, advising us it needs "reform." Despite the fact that most Americans do not want his health care "reform" plan, he and leading Democrats - including Kanjorski, Casey and Specter - are determined to ram something through Congress. Quoting the Wall Street Journal, President Obama "has surrounded himself with the most radical left-wing liberals available. These people are creatures of the Great Society of the '60s and '70s and have spent their lives in government knowing nothing about the private sector." The administration is philosophically ill-equipped to turn the economy around, they have no practical experience at solving economic problems. Without business and consumer confidence that the people in charge of our government know what they're doing, it becomes clear that the people in charge are actually making our economic problems worse. There is a populist movement under way as evidenced in Virginia, New Jersey and, most recently, Massachusetts. This movement does not approve of the direction our country is headed with the Democrats at the helm, nor is there blanket endorsement of Republicans. Clearly, though, the movement is evidence that Americans want jobs, less spending, less government, lower taxes, less debt, as well as truth and transparency from public officials. KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OUT of our LIVES... SEE YOU AT THE TEA PARTIES WE THE PEOPLE UNITED WE STAND, Divided we fall.... and we are so divided right now among the "D's and the R's it is so sickening. Fellow Americans, this divide and conquer strategy that is being played is so obvious. We are all arguing and bickering amongst ourselves, our lovely politicians are robbing us blind. They are laughing all the way to the bank. Trillions... they got us really good!!! I watched this shocking video that was released before the Obama administration, and it will make you understand what's really going on... Please watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dmPchuXI… more

Resolved Question: What can I do about my neighbors?

My fiance and I are having some problems with our new downstairs neighbors and would greatly appreciate any advice. Today makes our third day in this apartment, and last night was our second night sleeping here. Before we moved in the landlord asked us to please be respectful of our downstairs neighbors because one of the ladies suffers from MS and needs a walker to get around and the other was "the nervous type" . We have no problem abiding by this rule, we spent the last year living with his grandmother and we do not drink, smoke, party or even curse for that matter. We like to keep to ourselves and appreciate that they like the same. But our first night staying here my fiance volunteered to take my dog out before we went to bed (roughly 1am) and the stairs leading to our apartment have nothing on them more than a glossy finish and that mixed with melting snow that had been carried in from outside, equals the exact scenario that played out, he fell straight down the stairs. We were hoping that it didn't wake the people up so we quietly gathered the dog and went about our business. Well, last night, (night number two) he got home from work around 1am and we were in desperate need of some groceries, so he came home and we went on. Around 3am we got home and quietly made our way up the stairs, and low and behold our neighbor opened her door and chewed my fiance out. Told him that we kept her up all night and she was threatening to call our landlord and have us evicted! He even explained to her that he fell down the step and everything, and she could seem to care less. Our second night here! He apologized a good five or six times and the woman continued her rant on him. We were both so upset by the event that we were considering finding a new place. His brother told us that he works with a girl that used to live in this very apartment, she said that those people are quite rude and ensured us that they would try to run us out. Is there anything we can do short of moving out? And talking to and or reasoning with these woman is far beyond out of the question. I really love this place, but now I see why it is so affordable... It's too good to be true. more

Voting Question: What is the legal definition of "New Balance"? Possibly illegal late fee charges?

My Cardmember Agreements state that if I make a late payment, that they will charge me a late fee on the "New Balance". Fair enough. But they define "New Balance" to mean Total Charges for that account plus new charges leading up till the next billing cycle. For example, lets say in the month of January you made $1000 worth of purchases and you sent a payment of $999 meaning you left a balance of $1. Because the charge card was not paid in full, you will be charged a late fee. So instead of charging you a late fee on the $1, they charge you a late fee on the $1000 plus any charges you made up until the next month. So if you made $500 in charges leading up till your next statement, you are charged a late fee based on $1500, all because you left a balance of $1.00 Furthermore, I called to ask where in my membercard agreement I can find this definition of "New Balance" and they said its not listed anywhere, its assumed that you know what "New Balance" means. Is this legal? By the way, Chevron Texaco Business Card is the perpetrator in question. http://www.chevrontexacocards.com/ more

Voting Question: Pursue or forget? Decisions...?

So I have this friend at work. We were a team from the start. We began working there at the same time, promoted to lead our department at the same time, and, eventually, became supervisors at the same time. We now share equal power over our department. Since we've become better friends, I noticed that she is more open with me when it comes to personal stories. It makes me feel good because I feel she trusts me enough to open up, which is always nice as I am a sucker for stories. Outside of work, we never hang out. We have each others numbers but we rarely talk or text on the phone. It never was a big deal to me to be honest, since I see her 5 days out of the week anyway. My excuse, if you can call it reasonable, is that I do not like mixing my personal life with my business life, so I avoid everyone at work outside of work. Recently, however, I've come to realize that I am crushing very badly on this girl, that we know each other more than we think we do seeing we spend 8 hrs a day telling each other personal things, and I would like to be with her. Interestingly, I serve as her adviser when it comes to dating and relationships. She has dated several jerks in the past and is always telling me they're still wanting her back. I tell her to forget them, move on, there are better guys out there, but I never confess my feelings for her. As a curve ball, she is always telling me about several new guys she is wanting to date (none being me of course), but she is always never able to decide. It tears me inside to advise who she should go out with (based on how she describes her guys) and grit my teeth because I want to be that guy, but I never add myself in her list of guys she should think about dating. And here is the best part: she has gotten promoted to lead an entirely different department meaning she would have to leave the one we're sharing, but this means we can now take a vacation at the same time. I have asked her to come with me on vacation out of the country and she has agreed. Also, she has also begun to encourage me to call and text her and has also asked me out for a drink a couple of times. So now that you know the itty bitty pieces, my question is this - what the hell does this mean? Does this mean I have a chance with her? Is she still single because she might be waiting for me to make a move? What about the other guys she's apparently head over heels for? Are those just things to make me jealous, to encourage me to make my move? Should I even make a move? Or does she view me strictly as a trusted friend she's willing to share personal stories with and travel out of the country with? Please help! more

Resolved Question: Does he still feel the same? Is it stress? What about the distance?

Hi, I'm really new here so I don't really know how this whole thing works, but I just needed some good advice. It seems juvenile, but something just compelled me to seek some help. Alright, so here is my confusing story. I hope it makes sense. I was dating this guy for the longest time. We got together, really jumped into the relationship, and he was deployed for a year. I stayed with him the entire time, and loved him no matter what. Every time he came home, it was the most amazing feeling ever. I was head over heals for this guy. We were even talking about getting married. Well, the fateful day came where he came home from his deployment. Everything was going well. He got an apartment and everything seemed fine. Well, he started getting into financial trouble and started partying way too much. Needless to say, it spiraled downward and we broke up after a year and seven months of dating. The break up was terrible. I was devastated and he made every bad move possible. I stopped talking to him and he didn't want to pull his head out of his butt to see what he was doing. So, I started looking for some forms of comfort, just talking to friends. I started talking to this guy who I have known for about four years now. His name is Alex. Alex went to the same school I do (though he graduated five years ago and I'm graduating this year.) and was a major part of the JROTC program just like I am. He led his program his senior year, and I am leading it now. So, he would talk to me in the past, being a mentor, trying to help me. I was so thankful for him. I haven't seen him in two years, but we still talked. Well, when my ex and I broke up, we started talking more. Things started going great. A mutual understanding came forth that we both had feelings for one another. We texted all the time. From the moment when I woke up, to when I went to bed we talked. He would call me pet names like Baby Girl and such. It was amazing. We had intimate nights over the phone, and things were going really well. One day, he told me that he was going to stop smoking, so obviously he is going to be a little stressed. Things were going well, though he told me, because he was so stressed, he just didn't want to stay up as late talking on the phone, like we did every night having intimate conversations. Things stayed like this for a while. Then he went on vacation to a place where he didn't get signal. It was a weekend trip. I didn't talk to him for about four days and was getting really worried. When he got back into town, I thought he would text me, but he didn't. I texted him and he had gotten in, I don't know how long ago. He then told me he was stressed out because he wasn't going to be getting much work lately (he works in construction). Now he doesn't text as often, he isn't as "mushy" as he used to be and we haven't had an intimate phone call in weeks. He is still sweet and mushy some times, and texts every now and then, but not as often. I would send him pictures of me and he would respond to all of them, now, not so much any more. I don't know if he still feels the same way about me. Alrighty, now a little more detail. - He lives in Arizona and I live in Kansas - The last time we were physically together, my friends told me that they could tell that he liked me a little. (This was two years ago and I had a boyfriend at the time.) - I absolutely love the relationship we have. We could be sweet, intimate, good friends, or get down to business when needed. So I guess what I really want to know, is if he still has feelings for me, or if it just the stress of stopping smoking and work that is causing him to be so distant. And even if he does like me, where do we go from there. I really want to be in a relationship with him. I really like him. But with the distance, anything can happen. I'm terrified about getting hurt. more

Resolved Question: Who will last longer in the music business, Lady Gaga or Ke$ha?

They are currently fresh on the radio waves... Nonetheless, Ke$sha has a lead on Lady Gaga since she debuted at #1 in the Billboard charts kicking Susan Boyle out to #2. On the other hand, Lady Gaga debuted at #2, it took her second single of "The Fame," to debut at #1, meaning "PokerFace." I'm not talking about who has the most awards , etc. My question is simple, every new comer is forced to battle a new comer... For instance, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. They are not my question, I used them as examples. If you decided to go back to 1999, Britney Spears won and continues to reign the pop charts. I don't need any pity questioning her going crazy, etc. So, who will last longer in the music business - Lady Gaga or Ke$ha. They are two very different people from avant-garde to trashy chic. more

Voting Question: What is going to be Obama's excuse when the 2011 economy tanks under all his new taxes & business regulations?

Up till now everything that has gone wrong or bad has been "Bush's Fault" according to Obama and company. But who will he fault for the 2011 down turn? Economist have said that 1) Tax hikes from the end of the Bush Tax cuts are going to lead to reduced economic activity just like it always does. 2) Some of the current year economic activity is activity that would have been done next year, but is being squeezed in this year to avoid the tax hike. These two things along with other Obama administration actions are going to lead to an economic drop in 2011 and a "double dip" recession. MY QUESTION IS WHO WILL HE BLAME FOR 2011 ECONOMIC DIP?Bush Tax Cuts lead to 52 consecutive months of unemployment UNDER 5%. 7.5 million jobs created even after job losses in final months. Obama can try and rewrite history, but Bush years were good economic years till the leading practices pushed for by ACORN and the Democrats blew up. more

Resolved Question: Need some help with Accounting Homework urgent PLEASE!?

18. The interest charged on a $100,000 note payable, at the rate of 6%, on a 60-day note would be A. $3,333. B. $1,500. C. $6,000. D. $1,000. 19. The current portion of long-term debt should A. be reclassified as a current liability. B. not be separated from the long-term portion of debt. C. be paid immediately. D. be classified as a long-term liability. 20. Which one of the following payroll taxes does not result in a payroll tax expense for the employer? A. FICA tax B. State unemployment tax C. Federal income tax D. Federal unemployment tax 21. A hybrid form of business organization with certain features like a corporation is a(n) A. sub-chapter "S" corporation. B. limited liability partnership. C. limited liability company. D. "S" corporation. 22. A partnership A. is not an accounting entity for financial reporting purposes. B. must file an information tax return. C. has only one owner. D. pays taxes on partnership income. 23. A general partner in a partnership A. has unlimited liability for all partnership debts. B. is the partner who lacks a specialization. C. is liable for partnership liabilities only to the extent of that partner's capital equity. D. is always the general manager of the firm. 24. The individual assets invested by a partner in a partnership A.are jointly owned by all partners. B.determine the scope of authority of that partner. C.revert back to that partner if the partnership liquidates. D.determine that partner's share of net income or loss for the year. 25. In a partnership, mutual agency means A.each partner acts on his own behalf when engaging in partnership business. B.the act of any partner is binding on all other partners, only if partners act within their scope of authority. C.that partners must pay taxes on a mutual or combined basis. D.an act by a partner is judged as binding on other partners depending on whether the act appears to be appropriate for the partnership. 26. A partnership A.is dissolved only by the withdrawal of a partner. B.is dissolved upon the acceptance of a new partner. C.dissolution means the business must liquidate. D.has unlimited life. 27. The partner in a limited partnership that has unlimited liability is referred to as the A.head partner. B.unlimited partner. C.lead partner. D.general partner. 28. Limited partnerships A.guarantee that a partner will receive a return. B.guarantee that a partner will get back his original investment. C.must have at least one general partner. D.are limited to only three partners. 29. The Polen-James partnership is terminated when creditor claims exceed partnership assets by $40,000. James is a millionaire and Polen has no personal assets. Polen's partnership interest is 75% and James's is 25%. Creditors A.may collect the entire $40,000 from James. B.must collect their claims 75% from Polen and 25% from James. C.may not require James to use his personal assets to satisfy the $40,000 in claims. D.must collect their claims equally from Polen and James. 30. Eberle and Lankton are partners who share income and losses in the ratio of 3:2, respectively. On August 31, their capital balances were: Eberle, $175,000 and Lankton, $150,000. On that date, they agree to admit Newman as a partner with a one-third capital interest. If Newman invests $125,000 in the partnership, what is Eberle's capital balance after Newman's admittance? A.$160,000. B.$150,000. C.$175,000. D.$158,333. more

Resolved Question: How did you get BMW MOTORRAD to take responsibility for the problems you bought when buying a f800gs? Or?

I have a f800gs that from day 1 has had defects and some life threatening. How did you contact any person that was knowledgeable or able to get you to the person that did know BMW motorcycles/products/service...? All of my attempts to get correct information about BMW motorcycles has been very frustrating and seemingly useless. No person at BMW seems to be willing or able to answer questions. They do not know anything about and will not connect me to any person that knows anything about their riders gear/parts/service... I have called and e-mailed bmwridersgear.com multiple times with NO response. I have never called and had a person answer the phone, it is as if they are out of business. I have asked Motorrad and the dealers service/maintenance questions with multiple different answers. This leads me to believe they are lying and or do not know their product/job. I payed and wasted many days at the dealerships each time my motorcycle has died or had a problem. I have used 2 different BMW motorcycle dealers to do service and multiple warranty repairs on my f800gs and bmw will not give me any straight yes or no questions as to whether my motorcycle has been fixed properly. Motorrad has offered me about 500 in dealer cash to shut me up but I would like to know how to contact a person at BMW that knows their products and is willing to truthfully answer questions like any good business used to be able to. I know it is hard to know a lot about a product or service but a person should at least know how to contact a person that truthfully knows a specific product or service. Is there a non BMW person or company that knows the product and is willing and able to answer questions and help a customer and not make them want to hit them with a baseball bat? I have only 2,000 miles on the motorcycle that I supposedly bought new, with 3 miles on it. 2 or 3 people at BMW Motorrad have told me I am the second owner also. BMW has now said that is not true. I am just very frustrated in my dealings and lack of knowledge/responsibility/willingness to interact properly with a person. I payed more for a new BMW vs a Susuki/Yamaha/Harley/Ducati/KTM...thinking I was buying a quality product and service, that was not always breaking down or falling apart. Boy have I been proven a idiot! Thank you. more

Resolved Question: hard working director of a failing cast up for drama exam next week. what should i do?

We're five girls performing a diminutive adaptation of Spring Awakening for our semester exam on Feb 23. We're college juniors (3rd yr univ) for Performing Arts major. If this sounds familiar, I did ask this question last week but now there are new developments. The exam is next week. I'm doing all the work like writing and rewriting scripts, training, editing music, and gathering the props. I'm playing Wendla (the lead character) and directing. The girl playing Anna is the only one who shows up at practice, but she doesn't work well when the cast isn't complete. The girl playing Martha went home interstate for Chinese New Year because it's the only time of the year she gets to see her parents. The girl playing Ilse has IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and often misses practices due to sickness; but she never misses work teaching ballet classes. The girl playing Frau Bergmann is working for her mother in law's business, has marriage and financial problems, and is simply not in shape for performing the exam. Recently I dismissed Frau Bergmann from the team for her uncooperative behaviour and rewrote the script. She protested, said that I wasn't being fair for firing her instead of Martha, who is away. I told Frau that's because Martha had permission and we have planned to work around that; whereas Frau wasn't picking up nor returning phone calls, doesn't text unless she needs to vent out her personal problems, and she doesn't practice in her own time. I was supposed to talk to Frau privately today to make sure that we're kicking her out not grudgingly but to lift some weight off her and free her to deal with her personal problems first. To avoid misunderstanding, I didn't want to do it by phone or email so the earliest I could see her in person was today. However, Ilse already told Frau over the weekend that I no longer like her and want her out, so Frau wouldn't listen to any explanations from me and called Anna in front of me to ask her what I had told her. Frau also managed to talk to the lecturer before I did, so the lecturer ordered me to not kick her out. Now I want to kick out Ilse for not respecting my prerogative for communicating decisions, and this has messed up what little harmony was left in the group. Ilse has been missing practice as much as Frau has, but the only reason why I saved her was because she turned up last Friday when I issued her the final warning. Frau did not come but sent me 10 text messages with all her excuses, so she's dismissed, no questions asked. I gave Ilse another chance and she blew it. I need to communicate this to Ilse now because time is running out, but she is not picking up the phone. Today the doctor ordered total bed rest for her. Martha and Anna are waiting for the new, 4 actor version of the script to be e-mailed. However, since Ilse is no longer part of the team (none of these girls know yet), I think I should be modifying the script again to a 3 actor version. Should I email the 4 actor version anyway and apologise for additional modifications once we get to 3 actors? Or should I just email the 3 actor version and explain everything later? How do I make sure there's no hard feelings? All four girls, including Ilse and Frau are very good friends of mine, but I have to be fair with the teamwork. We're very tight knit; I just don't want this decision to create a rift in our friendship because this is like me pushing them off the cliff to fail the semester and re-enroll next year. Also, I don't want Martha and Anna to be intimidated by me and hate me for doing this to two of our best friends. Sure, I can explain to Anna in person tomorrow, but I won't be able to explain to Martha until she comes back on D-Day! And finally, how do I convince the lecturer to accept my decision? She's insisting that I should keep Ilse and Frau because in the real world I will work with difficult people, and the unity of the team is part of the tests will have to pass. This exam is no exception. But I disagree, because if actors in Broadway treat rehearsals the way Ilse or Frau do, I'm sure they'd be fired right away and the director would either replace them with new actors or write out their characters altogether; because it is the director's job to ensure that the show goes on no matter what. Please help. Thanks in advance. more

Resolved Question: Are there two rulers, Theocracy [Rule by God] and religions today [Rule by Satan] & Does the Devil exist?

Interesting points about theocracy and religions today below: Churches such as Catholicism have abandoned God's Kingdom [or theocratic rule] by preaching that world peace can be brought about by entities such as the U.N. [Rule by human] This one reason they are the Harlot spoken of in Revelation. [Or sold out to the human way like a harlot making herself a enemy of God by that sinful act (James 4:4, "Adulteresses, do YOU not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God." Do not hate people but do not want their low standard ungodly ways in religion, government, or life. See chapter 5 of Galatians for genuine Christian high standards.)] True Christianity does not get involved in the wars of the nations. Supporting this claim, consider the following: “A careful review of all the information available goes to show that, until the time of Marcus Aurelius [Roman emperor from 161 to 180 C.E.], no Christian became a soldier; and no soldier, after becoming a Christian, remained in military service.”―The Rise of Christianity (London, 1947), E. W. Barnes, p. 333. [More careful review shows they were not in government business as well at all.] All of this follows what Jesus said at John 18:36 "Jesus answered: 'My kingdom is no part of this world. If my kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not from this source.'" [Not from human source but God as his only source (See Matthew 4:8-10 where the Devil would give Jesus the kingdoms of the world if he would only worship him the Devil but Jesus said NO! He would only worship God his Father!)] Found on Internet: "Does the Devil or Satan exist? Where did he come from?" Near accurate below. "Why did Jesus refer to the Devil as the “prince of this world”?—John 12:31 Why does a loving and all-powerful God allow the Devil to influence men and their affairs? Prior to his fall, the Devil was the angel “Lucifer, son of the morning.” (Isa. 14:12) He was created and remained perfect until iniquity was found in him. (Ezek. 28:15) His iniquity was pride, which led to his ambition to “be like the Most High” [God].—Isa.14:13,14 Satan’s ambition led him to tell the first lie — that Adam and Eve would not surely die if they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. (Gen. 3:4,5) Through this lie, Satan usurped authority over man, and since that time he has used lies and violence to maintain his hold over the human family. He is the father of lies and a "murderer [of the human family] from the beginning."—John 8:44 The Scriptures promise Satan’s hold over mankind will be broken. First, he will be bound for 1,000 years in Christ’s kingdom so he can deceive the nations no more. (Rev. 20:1-3) Thereafter, the Devil will be released for a little season to test mankind a final time, and then he will be destroyed in the lake of fire.—Rev. 20:7-10" Since the first two people on earth left the genuine theocracy rule and believed Satan's lie, they can rule without God, mankind have to be tested if they want God to rule or the Devil. The Devil is a counterfeit god and death only from him. Jesus Father Jehovah is the genuine source of his kingdom and that source will lead to life on a new clean earth without Satan and those who love his ways are gone! We have free will choice so follow the counterfeit god or the genuine God! The genuine God has high standards to live under his new system, are you willing to live up to them to be there? The great golden rule of treating all others as well as you like being treated is the key. (Matt. 7:12) Why would anyone want anything less? more

Resolved Question: HISTORY HELP !!!!! POINTS!!!!!!! PLEASE HELP!!!?

11.) One reason that the United States became more urban during the late 1800s is that A. farm machines and factory-made goods reduced the need for farm labor B.nobody wanted to live on farms anymore C.immigrants did not know how to do farm work D.union organizing of farm workers had not yet begun 12.) Where did European immigrants often settle in the United States? A.in western railroad towns B.in their ports of entry C.in the South D.near lakes 13.) Prohibition groups saw a link between drinking and A.abuses by big business B.lower public morals C.anti-Asian feelings D.high tariffs 14.) Reformers who tried to solve social problems by helping the needy believed that A.immoral behavior should be punished by deportation B.stricter laws were needed to discourage unacceptable behavior C. prosperous Americans should lead reform efforts D.the cultures of immigrant groups should be respected 15.) During the late 1800s and early 1900s, what segment of American society was most likely to attend college? A.wealthy white men B.New Englanders C.gifted students D.middle-class women 16.) During the early 1900s, most African Americans who went to college attended A.fully integrated universities B.African American colleges C.religious-based schools D.separate branches of white colleges 17.) How did southern states keep African Americans from gaining political power? A.lynching B.segregation C.voting restrictions D.de facto discrimination 18.) Why was the Open Door Policy important to the United States? A.It gave the United States territory in China B.It gave the United States access to millions of consumers in China C.It increased Chinese investments in the United States D.It kept European goods out of China 19.) The United States followed a policy of expansionism in the late 1800s because A.European nations were eager to sell rights to their colonies B.many Americans were demanding high-quality foreign goods C.US factories needed foreign laborers D.the nation sought more markets for its goods 20.) The first action of the Spanish-American War took place in A.the Philippines B.the Gulf of Mexico C.the harbor at Santiago, Cuba D.Puerto Rico Im sorry I know youll give comments on "do ur own homework" and stuff but I havent slepet in 3 nights...my dog died..but my dad said I need it done...but Im suprised Im focused enough to even type this....I never do this but Im DESPERATE..please....help..................... more

Resolved Question: what is the real reason "Hemp" is illegal?

I have been researching this for a large portion of my adult life and have come to the conclusion it all started in the 1920’s with Yellow Journalism. Bear with me for a moment and let me explain,... William Randolph Hearst, who arrived on the scene in 1887, was already in control of the headlines on a day-to-day basis because of his efficient business practice within the industry. He was able to produce his Newspapers at next to nothing by manufacturing the tree pulp used and controlling the channel of production down to his papers, the San Francisco Examiner, and eventually the New York Journal (Which became a leading Newspaper). He teamed up with Henry Dupont to manufacture the ink used in the New York Journal and the partnership began to grow. ALONG CAME HEMP Hemp grows 4 times faster than the timber used for tree pulp by Hearst. Hemp grows annually and can be grown more times Hemp produces a better quality paper. Hemp can be grown in any region of the United States. Since Hemp grew so fast and it grew in every region, Hearst could not stop the middle class farmer from decentralizing the industry. Hearst knew that he could not provide the intellectual property to keep Hemp from destroying his industry and replacing it with middle class producers. In other words he was afraid of the free market. He was afraid of us… he had to stop it! Dupont and Hearst knew then that not many Americans understood the difference between Hemp and Cannabis. So they used it against the Americans by claiming Cannabis will make you rape and kill your sister if smoked, illustrating the dangers of inhaling by using grim reapers in their newspapers with joints. And people believed it! Time and Time again they would use this propaganda through the New York Journal, claiming that Mexicans bringing Marijuana across the border would sleep with White Wives and take White Jobs. They were also saying this about Black Americans who took up smoking and started the Jazz movement. Dupont’s banker was Andrew Mellon, Mellon bank of Pittsburgh (5th largest bank at the time). Andrew Mellon had a Nephew, Harry Anslinger. Andrew Mellon financially backed Anslinger and threw all of his weight into convincing the U.S. treasury that Marijuana is dangerous and it should be heavily regulated by way of taxation and prohibition. The treasury could use a program that would generate that much income for the government so in June of 1930 the treasury gave birth to the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Ansligner hated Mexicans, Blacks, and Cannabis. He was on a mission to eliminate all of them. Immediately Ansliger waged war on Cannabis regurgitating claims made by Hearst in his Newspapers. (Success stories followed in the New York Journal). Then, in 1937 Anslinger approached congress with intent to fully regulate all Cannabis. The entire meeting was comprised of Ansliger making emotional outbursts and attempting to offer evidence, all of which was newspaper clippings out of Hearst’s Newspapers. With the exception of one congressman, all agreed and the act passed, Marijuana became criminal giving birth to the Drug War. Not to mention Hearst, Dupont, and Mellon were all filthy rich now and had their hands in official pockets. But the story doesn’t stop here. Andrew Mellon had to study the enemy, He saw what happened with Alcohol Prohibition and he knew it wouldn’t be long before the public caught on. Mr. Mellon then financed Pharmaceutical companies through government grants and private equity to try to create a synthetic substitute for the over 60 different medicinal properties Cannabis contains. (They have yet to accomplish this goal) If you look into the history you will find that fossil fuels would have never existed if it wasn’t for this intervention in the market place. CANNABIS CAN SUPPLY THE ENTIRE NATION WITH ENERGY ON ONLY 1% OF U.S. LAND. ALL CARBON CLEAN. (AND REMEMBER IT GROWS EVERYWHERE) This is where the Federal Reserve comes in. The Federal Reserve System does not want to see the decentralization of resources towards localism because if that were to happen the Fed would lose a stronghold on the liquidity pools it artificially creates. It would also mean they couldn’t use the Carbon Tax to consolidate wealth across the world. With Cannabis being legal and having over 25,000 uses there would be no way to compete against local and more sustainable banks. So, the Federal Reserve uses banks like the Mellon to fund the DEA and keep money flowing and keep marijuana illegal. The Fed knows that with Cannabis being legal our GDP would boom but not in favor of large monopolies like the FED, but quite the contrary. This is why I always say...the day we legalize it is the day we end the FED! Thank you for your answers in advance. more

Voting Question: Math problem! if you could explain to me how to solve this that would be great:)?

You are the business manager at a local movie theatre. Based on past ticket sales, you kow that the theater averages 5,000 customers per day. The current ticket price for all show times is $5 per person. The general manager of the theatre wants to increase prices in order to increase profits. However, if he increased the price too much, he may end up loosing money. He has asked you to determine how much he should raise the price in order to maximize his profit. the current profit is $2 per ticket. youve surveyd customers and found that for every 50 cent increase, 800 customers would be lost. for example, if you increase the ticket price to $6, you would loose 1600 customers. What new ticket price would lead to a maximum profit? more

Resolved Question: Can the program "ACT" be used over an internet connecting so different locations can share data?

We own a small business and we have a several locations. I want the managers to all be able to access and edit the same data ( customer prospects, sales records, etc) from an internet connecting. In other words, even if it is a desktop program, can it pull data from a server so that multiple users can all see and edit the same stuff? if not, what CMS system can do this? We are at different places but all need to access and edit the same data. For instance if a new lead comes in at one location, they add the info to the cms system and then the other locations can see and update the same data. We do have a web hosting account that supports mysql etc. and full ftp access, if this helps to determine what we can use. more

Resolved Question: Why does New Hampshire have such a low unemployment rate?

Compared to the rest of the nation? Is it primarily because it has zero income taxes, zero sales taxes and few government regulations on businesses? http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2010/02/02/scarborough-shows-low-taxes-low-unemployment-new-hampshire Is Scarborough, a former Florida Republican congressman, correct when he explained that if other states were to follow New Hampshire's lead, particular states that border large metropolitan areas, they would reap the rewards of people fleeing higher taxes? Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2010/02/02/scarborough-shows-low-taxes-low-unemployment-new-hampshire#ixzz0eU2aE3B2 Just wondering. more

Resolved Question: I am a distributor of promotional products. Anyone who can help me how I can get warm leads/customers? Thanks.?

I need new customers for my promotional products business. The problem is that, I really need some warm leads to stay in the business. I have been researching most of the time. A warm lead that I need, which would not cost me. Please help. Thanks. more

Resolved Question: With “Red State” Governors like Mitch Daniels, it is any wonder most people in Indiana voted for Obama?

He was once part of the Bush Administration (Heading up the New “Department of Budget and Management”. His first order of business as “Governor” was to create a “Department of Budget and Management”. (Making bigger government) He publicly denounced the Obama Stimulus Package as; “Funny Money” while privately accepting $500 million in “Funny Money” earmarked for “Education” and then promptly diverted those same funds to his state’s “general fund” and cut his “Education budget” by $350 million. He leased his state’s “Interstate” to a non-US corporation leading to massive lay-offs for toll-road workers in his state. He STILL proclaims that his state has a surplus of $1 billion (for a rainy day), when many of his counties have 15% un-employment rates. Should Indiana voters “Ditch Mitch? more

Resolved Question: Can you name this State’s “Governor”?

He was once part of the Bush Administration (Heading up the New “Department of Budget and Management”. His first order of business as “Governor” was to create a “Department of Budget and Management”. He publicly denounced the Obama Stimulus Package as; “Funny Money” while privately accepting $500 million in “Funny Money” earmarked for “Education” and then promptly diverted those same funds to his state’s “general fund” and cut his “Education budget” by $350 million. He leased his state’s “Interstate” to a non-US corporation leading to massive lay-offs for toll-road workers in his state. He STILL proclaims that his state has a surplus of $1 billion (for a rainy day). If you can’t name this Governor, can you guess his Party affiliation and or his State? more

Resolved Question: John Lennon fam: What do you think about this?

Ok, this is a serious question and is in no way meant to be chatting. Please don't report me. Today I was cleaning my bedroom and the first thing I wanted to organize was my bookshelf. Anyways, I remembered that I had a book about ghosts in New York City. I've had the book for a while and I never really read it except the 1st page. When I took it off the shelf something told me that there would be something about John in it. So I opened it up and looked at the table of contents. Sure enough there it said The Dakota pg 73-74. I looked at it and here is all it had to say about John: When John Lennon and Yoko Ono bought into the famous building in Robert Ryan's old apartment on the seventh floor, some of the more traditional residents were put off. Soon in spite of John's sporadic shenanigans, the couple's sometimes curious clothes and the never - ending attempts of fans to invade the well guarded gate of the Dakota, they proved to be rather unexceptional neighbors. Immediatley after settling in, John and Yoko hired a psychic to "read" their apartment. The medium was said to have communicated with the ghost of Ryan's former wife, who died in the apartment. Lennon was killed by a deranged gunman in the 72nd street entrance doorway on December 8th, 1980. A New York Daily News article mentioned that, earlier in the day fellow Dakota resident Lauren Bacall had alerted security that there was something amiss about waiting autograph seeker Mark Chapman, who later that night took Lennon's life. Lennon's spirit materalized at the foot of the bed of many leading psychics and parapsyhchologists in the weeks after he died. Accounts of Lennon's manifestations by disc jockeys and other people in the music business frequently take place on the anniversary of his death. Psychics maintain that Lennon epitomizes an enormous supply of positive energy in the beyond. In addition, a lamenting specter refuses to leave the Dakota. Over the years, many workers and inhabitants have described noticing a spectral girl in a nineteenth century yellow silk dress bouncing a red ball. She keeps repeating, tearfully: "Today's my birthday." And with that, wearing a sheepish grin and uttering a soft cry, she vanishes. It has been said that she is a harbinger of death and was spotted the night that John Lennon was murdered. During a seance with Lennon, he corroborated that the Dakota was haunted. In that conversation with Lennon's specter, he stated that his supernatural body does "visit" his old apartment. Lennon's spirit has been spotted crossing from the 72nd street entrance of the Dakota, across Central Park West to the "Imagine" mosaic at Strawberry Fields, a memorial to him. This is from a book that is supposed to be true stories of ghost hauntings in New York City. I'm not sure if this story is real or not. So, what do you all think about this? Do any of you know anything about it? BQ: Imagine or Love? more

Resolved Question: when is a police state not a police state?

According to the liberal tradition, as it runs through Locke, Hume, Mill and Hayek, everyone has—or should be regarded as having—an equal right to his life, liberty and property. This means that everyone should be equal before the law. A married woman should not lose the right to own property, unless she agrees in advance. A Roman Catholic should not be prohibited from inheriting under his father’s will. An atheist or Jew should not be denied justice because he will not swear as a witness on the New Testament. Everyone should have the same right of access to the courts. Everyone should have the same rights to freedom of thought and speech and faith, and to freedom of association, and to freedom from arbitrary fine or imprisonment. If the owner of a business puts a note in his window advertising that he will not deal with Jews or homosexuals, or the disabled, that is his right. As a libertarian, I would regard this kind of announcement with distaste, and I might refuse, because of it, to deal with that business. But that is the limit of proper disapproval. It is not a matter for interference by the authorities. Since 1997, we have had a bewildering 4,000 new criminal offences created—many dealing with censorship of speech and publication. They are usually enforced by a summary—and often arbitrary and even corrupt process. The traditional courts and their procedure have also been transformed, so that no one whose legal education ended before 1997 has the faintest idea of how to enforce his rights. We have been made formally subject to the European Union. The country has been deliberately flooded with immigrants, as former Blair speechwriter Andrew Neather recently boasted. And the purpose of mass immigration has been to break up the solidarity of the ruled. I was born in a free country. People could speak as they pleased and live without constant supervision. If a policeman knocked on my parents’ front door, their only worry was that he might have bad news. I now live in a police state. Recent legal reforms have completely displaced common law protections and all offenses are now arrestable. If I am accused of so much as dropping a sweet wrapper on the ground, I can be arrested and taken to a police station. There, I shall have my fingerprints and a DNA sample taken. Even if I am released without charge, these records will be kept indefinitely. They will also be shared with several dozen foreign governments, who will often regard presence on a DNA database as evidence of a criminal record. The natural response is that sensible men do all that is needed to avoid any police attention. That means prompt obedience to commands that may have no legal basis. And what is that but a police state? I now live in a country where I have to be aware that private meetings and even private conversations are subject to paid informers and can lead to prosecution and professional ruin. So when is a police state, not a police state? more

Resolved Question: Wanna hear some great Holy Humor?

HOLY HUMOUR A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, 'I know what the Bible means!' His father smiled and replied, 'What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means? The son replied, 'I do know!' 'Okay,' said his father. 'What does the Bible mean?' 'That's easy, Daddy...' the young boy replied excitedly,' It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.' ======= There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country. 'Is there anything breakable in here?' asked the postal clerk. 'Only the Ten Commandments.' answered the lady. ======== 'Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, 'Good morning, Lord,' and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, Good Lord, it's morning.' ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: 'I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses.' When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note 'I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation.' ======== There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: 'I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets.' ======== While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humour, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... 'Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust.' ======== A Sunday school teacher began her lesson with a question, 'Boys and girls, what do we know about God?' A hand shot up in the air. 'He is an artist!' said the kindergarten boy. 'Really? How do you know?' the teacher asked. 'You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven.... ' ======== A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend.. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. 'Reverend,' said the young man, 'I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip.' The minister chuckled, 'I know what you mean. It's the same in my business.' ======== People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the center of attention. ======== Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. The daughter answered, 'Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt.' Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about. He said 'Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming.' ======== The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play 'Here's a copy of the service,' he said impatiently. 'But, you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances.' During the service, the minister paused and said, 'Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up'. At that moment, the substitute organist played 'The Star Spangled Banner.' And that is how the substitute became the regular organist! ========= Give me a sense of humour, Lord, Give me the grace to see a joke, To get some humour out of life, And pass it on to other folk! more

Resolved Question: Why does the Obama administration want to punish the banks? Is it Constitutional?

Ex Post Facto: The tax attaches to banks that took TARP funds that were offered by the government to shore up the financial system. This was—and remains—perfectly legal. Yet now banks are being penalized for participating in the government program. Severe: The tax is expected to confiscate hundreds of billions of dollars from the banks, which surely qualifies it as severe. Courts have found that to be the punitive confiscation of property. Punitive Intent: Obama’s remarks introducing the tax proposal sounded very vindictive to almost everyone who has heard it. Joe Biden emailed Coakley supporters in Massachusetts that Scott Brown's opposition to the tax was "a perfect opportunity to show where his loyalties lie -- with working families in Massachusetts or with the bankers on Wall Street who helped lead us into the mess we're in -- guess who he chose?" That's the language of punishment for the financial crisis. No Legit Purpose: There’s no other legitimate purpose to the tax but to punish banks for being bailed out. It will probably be argued that the tax will reduce risk at banks—but if that were anything more than a pretext the tax would be permanent rather than expiring when the TARP is fully repaid. And the government cannot argue that the purpose is the collection of revenue—that would be an absurdly broad rationale that would exempt any confiscation, fine or tax from the ban on Bills of Attainder. Targeted: The tax is obviously targeted at the large banks that took TARP. No one expects the list of banks that qualify for the tax to grow, and Obama’s proposal actually exempts the automaker TARP recipients. The courts have ruled that corporations count as individuals who cannot be targeted in this way, so there’s no getting around it by saying Bank of America isn’t a person. And just because there are dozens of banks that will be taxed doesn’t mean it is too broad to qualify—the Supreme Court once ruled that a law aimed at the entire membership of the communist party counted as a Bill of Attainder. Unavoidable: There’s nothing the banks can do to avoid the tax. No management changes or better risk controls will exempt them. There is literally no new regulation to comply with in order to avoid the penalty. They’re stuck with the taint of TARP. http://www.businessinsider.com/obamas-bank-tax-is-unconstitutional-2010-1?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+businessinsider+(The+Business+Insider)&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher I thought he was a constitutional professor. Shouldn't he have known this? And why does he want to punish banks for what the government forced them to do? He was even an attorney in lawsuits against banks who tried to refuse to make bad loans to people. more

Resolved Question: Texas. Why does everyone think it is the worst state in the U.S.?

Here's an example of what America thinks: 1. Texans. Socially retarded acts of bravado. Lack of self awareness. Isolationistic in thought. Kind of like someone who was raised under a rock, but the rock was big, so they boast about how big the rock was. There's more, but, man, it's so sad - and they don't even know it! 2. Texas politics. I am a conservative who votes republican. Texans are rednecks who vote republican. should I buy an "I'm with stupid" T-shirt? 3. Tx is a Mexican border state. Complete with roads traveled by drug cartels feeding the increasing violent crime rate, drug use, and ever expanding prison population in Tx. That isn't nice and I don't have this problem in my state. 4. Is EVERYONE in Tx chewing tobacco?? 5. Leading state for hate groups. There are more known hate groups in tx then any other state. They all hate different groups for different reasons. When you get right down to it, no one is safe in tx - not even texans. Testament to tx long tradition of nice, down to earth, clan members and level-headed cult fanatics. 6. There are Two seasons in Tx, hot and hotter. There is a third if you count the hurricane season. A fourth if you count squirrel season. 7. Texas' branding of Tex-mex. Uh, we all know it's just Mexican. Maybe Kansas should capitalize on Cantonese food and call it Kan-Can. It's catchier, and doesn't sound like a gas station when you say it. 8. Over industrialization of undesirable industries. Yes, when you visit tx, you get the full impact of what a cesspool they've made out of their state with factories, oil refineries, and chemical plants. Don't get me wrong, it is good somebody is manufacturing this stuff out there, but, man, you've got to be six flags short of a theme park to live amongst the stench-filled, chemical run-off, heat-fest that is tx. 9. Texas as a state ranks in the top 5 of all states for all major pollutants. Go figure. The EPA says you can't breathe the air for fear of carcinogens, can't drink the water for fear of toxins, can't eat the seafood for fear of mercury poisoning, and the Taiwanese plants spill high levels of run-off into the neighborhoods. That isn't good either! 10. "Clampet" stereotypes which aren't all together untrue. I've never seen any other collective bunch unwittingly living up to negative stereotypes. Perhaps some t-shirts can be air dropped to them. You know, t-shirts that say something like, "thank god i struck oil, cuz my double-wide needs a fixin" 11. Texan's general confusion between pride and reason. there is a healthy pride, and then there is a texan pride. actually, a texan is proud of his state like a branch davidian is proud of his cool-aid. 12. "DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS". Why would I need to mess with Texas when it's already messed up? What's wrong with the old standby: Yeeeeeeehaw!!!!..and other inane slogans that demonstrate an inability to articulate one's self. 13. Corrupt institutions of business. Enron was a great. But, no one can beat the oil companies for blood money, environmental destruction, greed, and corruption. a texan would tell you that corruption only exists in zip codes outside their magical state. is this true? 14. Cults and fundamentalists. Kind of self explanatory. Apparently, tx is the perfect place for those who like to organize and be merry while preying on kids. Gotta love tx. 15. Backwards thinking. State first? Country second, or is there something between state and country like, i don't know, socks or peanut butter? You gotta love state first mentality. If the country is attacked, would tx try to side with mexico just to save their own state? Kind of like, if the house was burning, you'd only save your favorite bathroom. Lots of reasoning there. wait a minute! i'm going to start a new one. it's called home owners association first! Hey tx, do you shoot people in the back too? Buncha anti-american secessionist quitters! just kidding, only 20% of you are the American Taliban. 16. Worst humidity and dew point. Yes it is true. Houston/bay area is tied with annual averages for the worst humidity and dew point in the united states per NOAA. In a nutshell, it's like a sauna. a constant sauna for 7 months out of the year. so is hell. 17. Hurricanes. you got it. more of my tax dollars go to natural disasters like hurricanes in tx. nothing like every hurricane season fearing the wrath of god upon your family and home. 18. Tornadoes. this must have to do with the fact that tx leads the nation in the amount of trailor homes as a percentage of all homes. the good thing is, tx is flat and has nothing around for 100's of miles. so, not many people should get hurt except those who ask for it. you know, texans. 19. Trailer trash. "T" stands for trailor trash, tornadoes, truck stops, terrible, tacky, terrorist, taliban, travesty, and one more...uh...dang, i forgot. 20. Prison over population. tx just can't kill 'em fast more

Voting Question: Where should I look for a job?

I am a high school senior this year. I turned 19 back in November. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a part-time jobs. I live in South New Jersey. STEPHANIE MARIE WILLIAMS crystalwing4466@yahoo.com Objective I intend to apply for a part-time job;to apply to CVC to become a sign language interpreter. .Summary 1.Good communication skills. English or American Sign Language(ASL). 2.Pays great attention to detail to make sure work gets done and on time. 3.Has been a team player all of my live. Eight years of cheer-leading for an in-town team and one year of winter cheer-leading for high school; nine years of in-town softball; Two years of color guard/marching band;one year of field hockey; one year of basketball; five years of dance and gymnastics. 4.Great lister and pays great attention to people. 5.Willing to do any task giving. .Additional Information I am a very organized person. I keep a list of times and dates of when things are. I make sure things are done by their deadline. I am a very kind and thoughtful person. I like to write do photography and working with children. I enjoy working with people who has disabilities like deafness hard of hearing mental disabilities and physical disabilities. .Work Experience May 04 - Present Co-Cleaner Grades 7,8,9,10,11,12 From time to time I help my aunt with her cleaning business. . Jun 06 - Present Co-Selling Hand-Crafted Jewelry Grades 9,10,11,12 I help my Godmother sell her hand-crafted jewelry at craft fairs and other fairs.This can range from being done from once a month to once every two to five months. .Sep 04 - Present Babysitting Grades 7,8,9,10,11,12 Hrs/WeekTotal Hours: 24 I babysit for my family or friend's of the family. I babysit three to six days a week. The numbers of hours range from two to five hours each day. .Education Sep 06 - Present OverBrook High School 12 I have gone from being Special Education classes from the time I was in elementary school to being in just one inclusion class and regular classes my Senior year. .Extracurricular Activities Aug 00 - Mar 07 Cheer-leading Grades 6,7,8,10 I cheered from the time I was eight years old until I was sixteen for my in-town team. I also did winter cheer-leading my tenth grade year for my high school. .Apr 00 - Jun 04 Softball Grades 6,7,8 I played softball from the time I was four until I was fourteen years-old.. Jul 08 - Present Color Guard/Marching Band Grades 11,12 Spinning and working with flags. Learning and preforming dances and work for the show and the music the marching band plays. .Awards/Certificates Jan 06 Pine Hill Rams Cheerleading Grade 8 Commissioner's award which is giving for good spirit, sportsmanship, leadership, and being ready to do what is needed. .Music/Artistic Achievement Sep 03 - Jun 06 Pine Hill Middle Schoo lGrades 6,7,8 Alto.Sep 06 - Present OverBrook High School Choir Grades 9,10,11,12 Alto. more

Voting Question: Why do missionaries and evangelicals ignore this verse?

1 Thessalonians 4:11 (New International Version) 11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, more

Resolved Question: What do you think of this song i wrote?

The perentais "( )" are the screamo parts and the "|( )|" lead sings with screamo YOu got a life BUt instead you torture me with it Whats up with you? (Do you even know how 2 live your own life) Just listen already I'm threw with you You burst out stuff (Even if its not even true) Theres a new you (What heppened to you?) Go and hate on other people, and me for no reason Waitin' till you get ripped apart by someone else but me Do you know how many feeling u took away from me! (Dealing with you) It even hurts Tearing up inside Feeling the pain burning up inside of me The trash is full of bashing Tears and tissues But empty from the joy and happiness Guessing you were never the right friend The things you said Found out that they're all lies |(Made a big deal of me and you not being friends anymore)| Sick of the things you (Do) Seems like youre killing me eachday In the halls Pushing me down to the ground and to the walls (I'm all alone) It's all youre fault Everyone hates me! (Your fault) Looking at you Makes me wanna bleed out and shout at you (AHHHHHH!!) Leaving me behind Getting people to think Im disapointing Less addicting (Lost hope from you) .... .... (Life with you will never end) All you care about is yourself Tearing up my life Getting into my business And spreading it all over here and there Damn it! WHy dont you .leave me alone? Im not messing with you Never did Youre the one who started this mess But i know running away from it isnt going to help anything Im bringing down all the time *Softly* (Yeah) |(Made a big deal of me and you not being freinds anymore)| Sick of the things you (Do) Seems like youre killing me eachday In the halls Pushing me down to the ground and to the walls (Im all alone) Its all your fault! Everyone hates me! (Your fault) (AHHHHHHHHHH!) (Guitar solo) Yahhh. more

Voting Question: What would doing a degree with Psychology and Advertising lead me to?

I'm doing a double degree in Business and Psychology. I need to choose my major between Advertising and Human resource. After my degree I am aiming to do a Master in INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATION PSYCHOLOGY. I am HIGHLY interested in alot of career fields but anyway. I'm a graphic designer re-studying at uni again for 2 new degrees and my creative side think I should do Advertising because it has some creative side in to it too but my 'I-like-to-help-listen-and-advise-people' side is saying, 'Do human resource, it will be interesting'. If I do advertising I might come out with 2 available career pathways where as if I do human resource as my major it will be one strong pathway (I.O.psychology and human resource is quite similar). What do you think and also the question i asked above? Thanks! more