Richmond man believed to have been fatally stabbed
0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Dec 2, 2009 | by Roman Gokhman
RICHMOND — Police are investigating a homicide in the 1700 block of Virginia Avenue this evening.
Officers responded at 8:30 p.m. to a report of an injured man and found the victim, a 46-year-old Richmond resident, in the doorway of a house. The victim died at the scene of injuries, which appeared to be stab wounds to his upper torso, Richmond police Lt. Mike Gormley said.
The victim did not live at that house. Several people were inside the house at the time and police were interviewing them at 9:50 p.m
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Do Bankers Have a Conscience?
The events over these past two years have set me thinking. Just consider what we have seen since the summer of 2007. Starting as an almost imperceptible murmur of thunder beyond the horizon, we have been subjected to a violent tempest which has swept the globe. The worst financial crisis since the Great Depression! And the storm is not yet over. The churning maelstrom that still surrounds the financial system is going to take a whole while longer before it settles down and a reasonable sense of tranquility returns.
As events progressed through 2008 into 2009, many of the surviving icons of the financial world began to revert to their old form of massive profits, ridiculously huge staff bonuses, and a nauseating sense of self importance. All of this thanks to the graciousness of various governments who had squandered vast amounts of taxpayers’ money to keep the “system” afloat. And this to the determent of the real economy.
Just watching some of the goings on, such as the announcement of massive bonuses to staff or the pronouncement of Goldman Sachs’ boss that his organization was “doing God’s work” prompted the question; “Do bankers have a conscience?”
Just consider the facts. Banks are supposed to be financial intermediaries. This means that they take in deposits from those folk who happen to have surplus funds and they then lend this to those folk who are short of funds, be it temporary, like a firm who needs money to cover cyclical fluctuations such as paying weekly wages while they wait for creditor payments. Banks also lend long term such as for mortgages. Either way, before it lends, a bank is supposed to consider the risk that it faces in making the loan. Can the borrower reasonably be expected to be able to meet the loan conditions and repay the loan? Pretty basic stuff.
There is nothing wrong with the theory. Along the way the bank should be able to profit from its activities. A caveat here though; basic economic theory does not see a bank precisely as one sees a firm. Banks are financial facilitators while firms are there to make a profit. Naturally this is all nonsense. Banks are “firms” like any other and are permitted to make a profit, albeit a “reasonable” one.
However, looking back at the events of the past two years, the functioning of many banks was (and still is) absolutely not anywhere near how it was supposed to be.
Banks had “evolved” (degenerated is probably a better word to use), and in the process had created in-house casinos, the sole function of which was to make money by taking dangerous risks. This new type of business had very little to do with the real economy.
For the uninitiated, in the terminology of economics, the “real economy” refers to activities that produce commodities. Commodities are goods and services for household consumption. This is in contrast to the financial sector that does not produce commodities. The financial sector’s role had been to assist the real economy through financial intermediation (the redirection and allocation of money from lender to borrowers). But this had all changed.
As part of this transformation banks turned their traditional view of risk on its head. Traditionally banks were risk averse – riskier loans carried a higher interest rate. Often loans were not made because the risk of the borrower’s possible default was just too high. Under the new “casino” management style, banks started to see risk as an opportunity to make money and not something to be avoided
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Tucson Auto Glass OEM Facts
An OEM windshield just means your vehicle’s auto glass has been manufactured from the original equipment manufacturer which meets the manufacturer specifications for vehicle safety and quality, protecting you, in case of an accident.
As amazing as it sounds, a vehicle’s windshield can vouch for at least 60 percent of the roof support during rollover accidents. Your auto glass is also responsible for supporting your passenger side airbag in front end collisions. You could almost say they’re essential if an OEM Tucson windshield can absorb a 200 mph impact from a passenger side airbag.
Whats more important… a cheap windshield or your safety?
Every day people have cheap Tucson auto glass installed in their vehicles unknowingly jepordizing they’re passenger’s safety
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Study Shows Pine Bark Improves Microcirculation, Retinal Swelling And Visual Acuity In Early Diabetic Retinopathy
PR Newswire, Dec 2, 2009
Research reveals Pycnogenol(R) is effective in visual improvement in subjects
HOBOKEN, N.J., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ — According to the National Institute of Health, 40 percent to 45 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes already have some stage of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy, damage to the retina caused by leaky blood vessels, is a major cause of blindness in people with diabetes and is one of the most feared diabetic complications. In fact, up to 80 percent of all patients who’ve had diabetes for 10 years or more will experience some form of diabetic retinopathy.
A recent study published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics reveals Pycnogenol[R] (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, can improve microcirculation, retinal edema and visual acuity in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy.
“Previous research has shown that Pycnogenol[R] may reduce the progressing advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy,” said Dr. Robert Steigerwalt, a lead researcher of the study. “While previous studies focused on the latent stages of diabetic retinopathy, the aim of this new study was to show the protective effects of Pycnogenol[R] in the early stages of this growing diabetic complication.”
The randomized controlled study, conducted by G D’Annunzio University in Italy, investigated a total of 46 diabetic patients over a period of three months. The Pycnogenol[R] treatment group consisted of 24 patients, with 22 patients placed in a placebo treatment group. Each of the patients had been previously diagnosed with diabetes for at least four years prior to participating in the study and their blood glucose was well controlled by diet and oral anti-diabetic medication. Patients had early stage retinopathy characterized by capillaries in the eye leaking fluid into the retina causing swellings. At this stage only minor bleedings into the retina occur and damage to light-sensing cells may still remain largely reversible.
Subjects were treated with three 50 mg Pycnogenol[R] tablets (total 150 mg. of Pycnogenol[R]) or placebo tablets in the morning after breakfast over a period of three months. Following treatment with Pycnogenol[R], the major positive observation of this study was visual improvement, which was subjectively perceived by 18 out of 24 patients in the Pycnogenol[R] group. Testing of visual acuity using the Snellen Chart (the standard eye chart used by eye care professionals to measure visual acuity) showed a significant improvement from baseline 14/20 to 17/20 after two months of treatment with Pycnogenol[R]. There were no improvements found in the control group.
The retina is considered swollen when the diameter of the macula exceeds 500 micro meters and treatment with Pycnogenol[R] significantly decreased the swellings below that level, as judged by the high resolution ultrasound imaging used in the study. Furthermore, the blood flow velocity in capillaries nourishing the light sensing cells improved. The authors suggest that both effects account for the improved vision of patients. In the control group, retinal edema was not relieved, blood flow velocity remained unaffected and no visual improvements occurred.
In contrast, all 22 subjects in the control group maintained the same diabetic macular swellings as they were diagnosed with at the beginning of the study.
“Pycnogenol[R] has been intensively investigated for decades to stop the progression of diabetic retinopathy and help patients to maintain their remaining eye sight,” said Dr. Steigerwalt. “Our study suggests that Pycnogenol[R] taken in the early stages of retinopathy may enhance retinal blood circulation accompanied by a regression of edema, which favorably improves vision of patients. Pycnogenol[R] may be particularly beneficial for preventing this complication in diabetic patients, based on the large number of individuals who were diagnosed when the disease had already significantly progressed.”
Over the past decade, numerous studies have been published on Pycnogenol’s[R] health benefits for people living with diabetes. Most notably, research results on five clinical studies with over 1,000 diabetes patients showed that Pycnogenol[R] has the ability to seal leaky capillaries in the eye. This capability impedes the progression of vision loss in patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy.
About Pycnogenol[R]
Pycnogenol[R] is a natural plant extract originating from the bark of the maritime pine that grows along the coast of southwest France and is found to contain a unique combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids, which offer extensive natural health benefits. The extract has been widely studied for the past 40 years and has more than 220 published studies and review articles ensuring safety and efficacy as an ingredient. Today, Pycnogenol[R] is available in more than 700 dietary supplements, multi-vitamins and health products worldwide
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OKC Events: December 2, 2009
Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Dec 2, 2009 by Joan Gilmore
Integris Health Center is hosting a “changing of the guard” dinner Friday. Stanley F. Hupfeld, president and CEO of Integris Health, transitions from these roles to become chair of the Integris Family of Foundations. Bruce Lawrence assumes the role of the organization’s chief executive officer. Lawrence has been executive vice president and chief operating officer. The actual transition of power will take place in January 2010. The dinner will be at 6 p.m. at Gaillardia Golf and Country Club in Oklahoma City.
For information, call Brooke Cayot at (405) 951-4821.
Six vintage homes will open for tours
Washington, D.C.’s renowned “Hostess with the Mostest” was Oklahoma native Perle Mesta, who left not only a legacy of lavish entertaining, but also her name to a delightful neighborhood known as Mesta Park. Six of the homes in this neighborhood will be on view for public touring Saturday and Sunday and will offer unique architectural styles during the oil boom of the 1920s. The tour has a holiday theme.
The homes will be on a Candlelight Tour from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and on Sunday will be open from 1 p.m
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Ancestors
Thrasher Magazine, Dec, 2009
ANCESTORS Of Sound Mind (Tee Pee)–These dudes sound like Pink Floyd doing doom metal. Their first release, “Neptune With Fire,” caught me off doom guard; seriously diverse retro avalanche of crushing grungy mannerisms, melodic and well put together. Sounding totally “proto” metal, but in the current day, is kinda hard to ash eve Their use of keys s prominent–the bluesy monster riffs sound like they were on an archeological dig finding their Doom Ancestors.
I’d say the best thing going in the LA “all that’s heavy” scene.
Stepping up the search
Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Dec 3, 2009
THE father of missing York university chef Claudia Lawrence said his family is facing up to the “dreadful” prospect of Christmas without his daughter.
Peter Lawrence, 63, was speaking at the unveiling of a giant, big-screen version of the “Where Are You” poster which has been appealing for help to find the 35-year-old for almost nine months.
Mr Lawrence, who has spearheaded a vigorous campaign to find his daughter, was at Leeds railway station handing out more leaflets to waiting passengers in front of the 10ft high electronic image of his daughter in the concourse.
The solicitor said: “Of course, we’ve had Claudia for 35 years and she’s always been around for Christmas.
“Now, unless there’s a miracle, this year she won’t be. It’s going to be absolutely dreadful. I don’t like to think about it.”
Miss Lawrence was last seen near her home in York on March 18.
Periodontics and restorative maintenance; a clinical atlas
SciTech Book News, Dec, 2009
Periodontics and restorative maintenance; a clinical atlas.
Sato, Naoshi.
Quintessence Pub. Co.
2009
496 pages
$340.00
Hardcover
RK361
This clinical atlas by Sato (a dentist in private practice in Yuzawa, Japan) discusses changes in the periodontium, problems occurring in the periodontal maintenance phase, and their solutions using a case study approach that is intended to give the reader guidance in selecting the appropriate treatment and maintenance methods needed for long-term periodontal and prosthetic success. All of the clinical periodontal and related endodontic restorative-prosthetic, implantological, and occlusal cases presented in the book are drawn from his own practice. Chapters cover maintenance therapy as a vital part of periodontal therapy, selection of treatment method based on long-term outcome, procedures and outcomes in regenerative treatment of infrabony defects, restorative therapy and maintenance of gingival and periodontal tissues, and complications during the maintenance phase and their solutions with special reference to restored dentitions
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No holiday break for tax collectors
0 Comments | Manila Bulletin, Dec 6, 2009
> There will be no Christmas break for thousands of tax collectors of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).Revenue Commissioner Joel L. Tan-Torres instructed over the weekend regional directors and revenue district officers nationwide to continue inspecting businesses during the holidays in their respective areas.The directive, he said, aims to raise more funds for the government and possibly reduce the huge collection deficit during the past months.Tan-Torres, however, instructed the revenue officials not to use the tax compliance verification drive (TCVD) to solicit Christmas gifts from business operators.”The BIR has been inspecting business firms across the country to verify compliance with the bureau’s registration, invoicing and bookkeeping requirements provided under existing tax laws,” Tan-Torres said in a memorandum.He noted that thousands of business establishments have been apprehended in the TCVD campaign for various violations including non-registration and non-issuance of receipts and unauthorized use of cash register machines.It was learned that penalties were imposed against the erring firms including payment of the 25-percent interest and 50-percent surcharge.Also, more than 400 businesses were issued temporary closure orders for under-declaring their sales by more than 30 percent since the start of “Oplan Kandado” in February.Tan-Torres noted that in many other countries cases of tax evasion are very minimal because their citizens consider payment of taxes as a solemn duty.”Clearly, many of our countrymen have ambivalent feeling about their financial obligation to the government which taxes are very much needed to speed up our country’s drive for substantive growth,” the revenue chief said.In the same memorandum, he asked taxpayers in the spirit of Christmas “to do your patriotic share in paying taxes in order to help sustain a life of peace, progress and prosperity for every Filipino.”He stressed that the BIR will continue with the TCVD campaign to make sure that the right taxes are paid to the government.
Research and Markets: For The Wealthy Population Living In Hong Kong, 2008 Was a Particularly Tough Year to Bear Says Report "Wealth Management in Hong Kong 2009"
Business Wire, Dec 01, 2009
DUBLIN — Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2a6426/wealth_management)
has announced the addition of the “Wealth
Management in Hong Kong 2009″ report to their offering.
The global economic crisis has had a major effect on Hong Kong’s onshore
wealthy population, potentially causing them to lose faith in their
wealth managers. To keep clients, wealth managers need to know what this
lucrative customer wants from them, in terms of products, services and
interaction.
Scope
-
HNW demographic and attitudinal attributes based on our Wealth
Management Market Leaders Survey 2009 -
Extensive primary research from 17 wealth management companies
highlights their strategies for revenue growth, acquiring and keeping
clients
Highlights of this title
For the wealthy population living in Hong Kong, 2008 was a particularly
tough year to bear. However, global economic conditions appear to be
heading towards recovery in 2009 and stock markets have bounced back,
helping investors to feel more confident about the future.
Datamonitor believes that Hong Kong HNWs will return to risky assets
over the short-term as economic conditions improve and investment assets
increase in value.
Datamonitor believes that significant potential exists within a wealth
manager’s ability to identify successful investment opportunities in the
recovery. Markets have picked up from their lows in March 2009 and
clients will be looking to recover their losses.
Key reasons to purchase this title
-
Understand the HNW population’s investments by sector and geography,
appetite for risk, and reasons for choosing/leaving their wealth
service -
Assess the threats and opportunities for wealth managers by
understanding how peers are planning to grow revenues, acquire and
keep clients
Key Topics Covered:
- Overview
- Catalyst
- Summary
- Methodology
- Executive Summary
- Hong Kong’s Wealth
- The Hong Kong HNW Investor
- Appendix
- Methodology
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2a6426/wealth_management
Source: Datamonitor