Luke Judge

The astute investor should have exposure to gold today. I identify many of the reasons in other articles I have written here on Inside Futures as well as in my full report, "The Power of Gold," which is available by request.

The higher the price of gold goes, the more obvious the reasons will become; particularly as the mainstream investment world and mass media are compelled to explore the fundamentals despite their clear bias against investing in commodities in general and gold in particular (it is much harder to produce commissions with commodities than stocks). that is just how markets work. Rising prices attract attention while falling prices make people lose interest.

So, what is the best way to gain and manage exposure to gold? you could buy physical gold and either store it in a warehouse or place it in a safe deposit box or some safe place in your home or office (gold is very easy to hide). I recommend this and I do help people buy physical gold for a small fee.

But if you want a more sophisticated option that allows you to not only buy gold that is available for physical delivery, but also manage your exposure to price fluctuations in order to reduce portfolio volatility and enhance gains, consider the following strategy I have developed over ten years of trading precious metals in the futures markets:

The first step is to open a futures account, of course. you should then fund it with a minimum of one third of the value of a full sized (100 ounce) COMEX Gold contract. Today the full value is approximately $166,000 (100 ounces x $1,660 per ounce). So, your minimum funding would be approximately $55,000. this is more than the exchange requires to hold a contract, but you need some additional equity for a cushion and for the margin required for the rest of the strategy.

The next step is to select a point at which to buy the contract. Look for an entry where the market is either oversold in an uptrend or close to the bottom of a recent trading range (as is the case today). As you are doing this, think of yourself as taking the position as an investment as opposed to a trade. think of it as of you were buying the physical metal without the intention of selling it any time soon.

Now, if you have bought well, you should not have to wait long for gold to begin to rise. over the past decade, gold has increased in value by between 10 percent and 45% per year with only one year when it was essentially flat  (2008). A typical upside move is between 15 percent and 30 percent followed by corrections between seven percent and 20 percent. there has only been one correction of 30 percent–again in 2008–and that followed a nearly uninterrupted 60 percent rally from $650 to $1050.

So, you are now long of 100 ounces of gold and, in our scenario, let's say the price begins a 15 percent rally over the next three months to challenge the $2000 level. It is fairly likely that this round number "par" level will provide stiff resistance resulting in a likely correction.

Here is where the mini contracts come into play. Each mini gold contract is 33 ounces, one third of the main contract. As gold approaches $2000, you could sell one mini contract. you now have exposure to only 66 ounces in the long main contract. As the price begins to stall–and it can help to look for additional signs such as divergences in indicators like RSI and MACD–you sell a second mini contract. you now have exposure to only 33 ounces of gold.

Keep in mind that you have a profit of $33,000 dollars on the 100 ounce contract since gold has climbed $330 per ounce. not a bad return on your $55,000. Selling the two mini contracts protects two thirds of that profit.

Continuing our scenario, gold then commences a 10 percent correction, sending the price down $200 to the $1800 level. Since you only have exposure to one-third of your full position, you only experience this as a three percent correction. you only see your equity decline by about $7,000 instead of $20,000. you are still up $26,000 on your original investment.

I am sure that several question immediately arise regarding this strategy:

Why not just sell the 100 ounce contract if you think gold is going down? there are a couple of reasons:

First of all, you don't know it's going down. Gold has been setting very strong trends. what if it blows right through $2000? If you have sold two mini contracts, you still have the benefit of being long 33 ounces. what if it goes up another $100 before correcting? Well, you have still made an additional $3300 that you would not have if you simply sold the 100 ounce contract.

Then, it is very important to remember that 100 ounce COMEX contracts are deliverable. If you carry a contract through to expiration–provided that you have enough equity in your account to cover the original price at which you bought the contract–you can take delivery of that 100 ounce bar; initially to a warehouse where it maintains the chain of integrity, and then to your person of you choose (keeping in mind that you must have the bar assayed if you wish to return it to the market after it has left the chain of integrity).

And there are a couple of ways to get enough money in your account. One way is to deposit the additional funds. Another way is to have the market pay for it. If you buy a contract and the market doubles by expiration, you have made enough to take delivery.

Don't say that cannot happen. In 1979, gold more than quadrupled in one year. If you bought a contract in January of 1979, in the very first quarter the price doubled and you could have taken delivery.

Additionally, what if you bought three 100 ounce contracts and catch only a 30% move? you would then have enough profit to take delivery of one bar and still have your margin available for another campaign.

Why would you want to take delivery or at least have the option available? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are some real problems with our economy today. And they are getting worse. The main causes are inflation of the money supply, onerous government regulations and wars that are started with no plans for winning.

Don't look for this to change if Romney is elected president, either. The fix is already in with George Bush's Sarbanes-Oxley bill and Obama's Dodd-Frank as well as a tripling of a monetary base by the Federal Reserve over the last decade. even if Romney rolls back regulations (which I doubt he would in any significant way) the inflation is still there and I think the wars are going to heat up as well. having a few hundred ounces of physical gold on hand could come in really handy five years from now, if for no other reason than the peace of mind it would bring.

One thing that has become crystal clear to me after 15 years of trading: No matter how strong a trend may be, there is always a correction coming. Particularly when you are using leverage, they always sting. The strategy I have outlined here can help you take full advantage of trends while protecting yourself from the inevitable downside.

Now, I will tell you that this is only a basic discussion of the strategy. there are ways to enhance it that offer you the ability to take full advantage of upside moves while actually producing additional profits on downside moves. these are more complex and nuanced and demand an experienced hand. If you would like to discuss how my 10 year of futures trading experience can help you to achieve this, email me at

popular Culture & Media investment world, mainstream, power of gold, safe deposit box

By Gillian Tan

Australian private equity fund Anacacia Capital is poised to raise up to 150 million Australian dollars (US$156.5 million) for its second fund.

The second fund, Anacacia Partnership II, follows the footsteps of the group’s maiden fund which has US$55 million under management.

Research firm Preqin, which ranked firms on funds raised during the period 2006–2008, named Anacacia Partnership I as the world’s best-performing private equity fund in 2011. That fund–achieving a 58% annual gross internal rate of return-has six remaining investment companies, including language services provider Appen Butler Hill, audio service provider Norwest Productions and baby food supplier Rafferty’s Garden.

Anacacia has made two exits to date including selling lab chemicals and consumables provider Lomb Scientific to new York-listed ThermoFisher, which delivered a return of 4.3 times the group’s initial investment owing to earnings growth of 35% during the global financial crisis.

Anacacia’s founder and managing director Jeremy Samuel spoke to Deal Journal Australia about his intentions for the second fund, the merits of taking six months to do due diligence and the types of businesses Anacacia targets.

WSJ: What will your second fund seek to do and how will it attempt to match the returns of the first fund?

Mr. Samuel: We’ll again target well-managed established, profitable small-medium enterprises based in Australia but with links to Asia that need equity to fund succession or growth. We’ll continue our strategy of injecting minimum to modest debt into our portfolio companies so we can collect dividends along the way.  Some of our high growth businesses have 0% debt but for more mature companies, we might include debt of between 1 to 2 times earnings. Debt can be helpful in amplifying returns but it can be harmful if you hit a road block. We’d rather give up returns and build business for long-term sustainable growth. We like to back strong management and let them get on and run the business but we are active non-executive directors and speak with our CEOs several times a week to support them achieve our strategic growth plans.

WSJ: Why aren’t you looking to raise more given strong demand from the outset?

Mr. Samuel:  We’re not trying to raise the world’s largest fund; we want to keep it small and tight. Australian superannuation funds have less capital to invest in private equity so they’re being choosier and benchmarking Australian funds against global funds. International investors are also looking at how Australian managers stack up against global managers but we don’t have anything to fear given we’re ranked in the global top quartile.

WSJ: How do you find your investee companies?

Mr. Samuel:  We do around six months of due diligence before making an investment because we’re very focused on business risks.  Of our 8 primary investments and 4 follow-ons to date, all have been exclusive transactions because we like to go directly to the entrepreneur who isn’t looking to sell, rather than an intermediary. Investing is very much a relationship marathon, not a transactional sprint.

WSJ: Which of your investee companies have a particularly global appeal?

Mr. Samuel:   Appen Butler Hill derives more than 95% of its revenues from overseas as a language services providers and supplies the software behind the speech recognition function for clients such as Nokia, BlackBerry and other smartphone providers. Its text and search analytics functions are behind Microsoft Office’s Spell Check and Thesaurus as well as global search engine providers.

Another of our businesses that is competing on a global stage against names like Nestle’s baby food brand Gerber is Rafferty’s Garden, which has more than 30% share of Australian baby food market. it is now exported to South East Asia and revenues have quadrupled in the past two years despite the high Australian dollar.

Norwest Productions has done the audio engineering – which includes ensuring speakers and microphones are perfectly functioning — at most of the Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies since Sydney 2000 as well as a number of Commonwealth Games, the 2011 Rugby World Cup in new Zealand and Australian concerts for acts like Neil Diamond and the Wiggles.

WSJ: What are your thoughts on exits?

Mr. Samuel:  We aim to exit typically either by a trade sale or a secondary buyout [a sale to another private equity fund]. in any given month we’ll get approaches. lately, there’s been a trend of multinationals looking for an Asia Pacific hub due to challenging growth environments in the U.S. and Europe.  Oven and range hood retailer Home Appliances, which posted fiscal 2011 sales growth of 30% despite the tough retail environment, has attracted interest from global appliance distribution companies.

Anacacia CapitalA hamper of baby food supplier Rafferty’s Garden products

thesauri butler hill, global financial crisis, management research, mr samuel, rafferty

Rabobank’s Luis Leen Sanchez won for the second day in a row to take the leader’s yellow jersey from Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de Romandie.

Team Sky duo Wiggins and Michael Rogers are now second and third respectively heading into Sunday’s concluding time trial in Switzerland.

They both finished in a reduced front group of around 40 riders as Spaniard Sanchez notched a clear-cut triumph in the sprint from Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R) and Branislav Samoilav (Movistar) at the end the 184km fourth stage from Bulle to Sion .

He will take a nine seconds advantage into the undulating 16.5km time trial around Crans-Montana, with world TT silver medallist Wiggins and three-time world champion Rogers breathing down his neck.

It sets up an absorbing finale, with only 28 seconds separating the top 20 riders on the general classification.

Team Sky’s had once again produced a strong display to defend Wiggins’ yellow jersey on what was the queen stage of the race.

A group of six riders had escaped from the peloton after 25 kilometres on the ascent of the Col des Mosses and, despite a block headwind, Team Sky made sure their advantage never went much above three minutes.

Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas, winner of the opening prologue, did much of the work on the front and with their job done they dropped out of the race before the final 50km which featured two category one climbs.

Their team-mates had to be vigilant throughout that testing finale and they reacted quickly when a dangerous-looking group of four riders broke clear of the main group just as the original escape group was splintering.

That quartet forced Team Sky to really put the hammer down between the 40km and 30km mark, with Danny Pate, Kanstantsin Siutsou, Chris Froome and Rogers combining to reel them in ahead of the final climb up to St-Martin.

The pace meant that only 50 riders or so were left by that point and a succession of attacks off the front were kept under control by Richie Porte who set the perfect tempo at the front of the main group.

Heading down the sweeping descent before the flat run-in to Sion, Wiggins was perfectly positioned in a 12-man selection up front and he was soon joined again by Porte and Rogers who helped keep it all together.

Rabobank were also there in numbers and they were rewarded with the stage win thanks to another strong sprint from Sanchez.

It’s now all about the final 16.5km on Sunday which includes a 4.3km drag up to Aminona which is graded as first category.

cycling Maps & Guides crans montana, front group, time trial, wiggins

Last Wednesday Cox Communications honored nearly 40 Acadiana students, grades K-12, who are leading meaningful and productive lives while overcoming great personal adversities. the 2nd Annual Cox Inspirational Heroes Awards & Recognition Program was held at River Oaks Catering and Event Center on Kaliste Saloom Road. Cox Inspirational Heroes, from the parishes of Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion, were accompanied by their parents or guardians, teachers and school administrators. Local superintendents were also in attendance.the public, private and parochial schools in Cox’s six-parish Acadiana footprint were invited to submit the name of one student who has met special challenges or overcome some sort of adversity. They were honored as unsung heroes, inspiring both their peers and teachers through their actions.“We know that each of our Cox Inspirational Heroes has overcome obstacles in their young lives and have done so with determination, courage and a positive attitude. That’s a winning combination,” Cox Acadiana’s Director of Operations Julie Simon-Dronet said in a press announcement. “Education has always been Cox’s cornerstone initiative, so recognizing students is a natural partnership for us. the founder of our company, James Cox, began his career as an educator, and he was also a great public servant. Mr. Cox’s legacy lives on through programs such as Cox Inspirational Heroes,” she continued.a short bio was read aloud for each hero as he or she was honored on stage. Each student received a certificate of achievement and a commemorative Cox Heroes plaque.“Although this event is to recognize some amazing students, we would also like to recognize their teachers, school administrators, parents and guardians. we know that they’ve helped shape the lives of these children by offering them words of encouragement and praise, and by helping to lift them up when they were down,” Dronet added.Below is one sample of these students’ stories. the Elijah Evans StoryWritten by Dawn Gary, Elijah’s teacher at Youngsville Middle School I met this young man when he was in the 6th grade. His smile was infectious. I could only imagine that his life was great. I quickly noticed his happy mood and that made him more likeable and a pleasure to teach. He energized me, joined the chapter I advise – the Family, Career & Community Leaders of America – and became active immediately. For a while I was unaware of Elijah’s history. His limp was all that was slightly noticeable. Then, on his own, he shared a booklet he had made in elementary school about himself. It documented the tragic incident of child abuse. Elijah told me that his biological mother had placed him in a tub of scalding water at three years old. He lost his toes, was burnt on lower parts of his legs and almost lost his life. I would come to learn that Elijah had grown up with the attitude that there is a bigger plan for him.Within the three years I have known Elijah, I have been privileged to learn part of that plan. since Elijah was eight years old, he has dreamed of hosting a Christmas party for children in foster care. Having been in foster care for 2 to 3 years himself, he knew that it isn’t always easy for foster parents to provide. Elijah not only wanted to have a party, he wanted to raise money to provide presents for each of the children in attendance – not just any presents, but the presents that the children had wished for.Beginning in July of 2011, Elijah began his crusade and spoke before many family agencies, church groups and family advocate meetings, including judges. He covered the Southern part of Louisiana promoting the need for child abuse prevention and his message was hope. Elijah, 14, is brave enough to share the severity of his abuse with his peers, adults and policy makers and has not allowed the burns that are visible to hinder his dream of making a difference.He has tirelessly sought sponsors to help him in this endeavor and received donations in-kind and monetary. Elijah designed a T-shirt, “No use for Abuse,” and wrote a “rap” to further promote his message, sold raffle tickets, and held a Cutz against Abuse event where he sought additional donations. Elijah has not only worked on this project while in school, but also volunteers for children’s camp as a counselor and works with his church.Elijah surpassed his goal of raising $3,000 by raising almost $5,000 and was able to have his party for foster care children and their families, feeding them lunch and presenting 72 children with $50 worth of gifts each from their own Christmas wish list.the coolest thing that day was overhearing a little boy who was tossing his brand new football say, “I can’t wait to get home to play with this!” I stopped and asked permission to talk to him and asked what he thought about this event that what Elijah was doing. the little boy startled me when he said, “I liked that he said there was hope.” Cox Louisiana’s Jacqui Vines, Youngsville Middle School’s Elijah Evans, and Cox Acadiana’s Julie Simon-Dronet

At the end of the event, Jacqui Vines, senior vice president and general manager for Cox Louisiana, made a surprise presentation to Evans, who is now 14 and an eighth grader at Youngsville Middle School. “Eijah,” Vines said, “I would now like to present to you a check in the amount of $1,000 for the Elijah Evans Fund at Youngsville Middle School. Please continue the work you are doing for foster children. It is truly God’s work, and you are an inspiration.”Click here for a story KATC did on this amazing young man’s ongoing efforts to fight child abuse.

Here’s the list of heroes by parish:

Acadia – Ashana Chentel Delafoisse, Church Point High School and Alyce Camille Bertrand, St. Francis School. Iberia – Kaiden Reed, Daspit Road Elementary; Quentin Lavergne, Epiphany Day School; Ashley Mason, Park Elementary School; Laura Lipari, St. Edward School and De’Jahn Lewis, Sugarland Elementary School. Lafayette – Jacob Brown, Acadian Middle School; Deiondre Williams, Alice Boucher World Languages Academy; Ashley Reynolds, Broussard Middle School; Rylan Shay Flugence, Carencro High School; Blaize Smith, Duson Elementary; Job Hammond, Early College Academy; Callie Hanchey, Green T. Lindon Elementary School; Hailey Shanae Batiste, Holy Family Catholic School; Kiiurstin Davis, J.W. Faulk Elementary School; Brittni Smith, L.Leo Judice Montessori School; Jalon Compton, Live Oak Elementary School; Derrian DeRouen, Northside High School; Wyatt Louviere, Ossun Elementary School; Ray Broussard, Lafayette High School; Blair Minnard, Ridge Elementary School; Markus Richmond, Westside Elementary School; Charleston “Terrance” Neal, Woodvale Elementary School and Elijah Evans, Youngsville Middle School. St. Martin – Shae Stelly, Cecilia High School; Hunter Collins, Cecilia Primary School; Chloe Broussard, St. Martinville Primary School and Aleyah Richard, Breaux Bridge Elementary School. St. Mary – Cody Ashley, Centerville High School; Bronson Kleles, Hattie Watts Elementary School; Tyler Spinella, Morgan City Jr. High School and Devon Charles, West St. Mary High School. Vermilion – Raven Nicole Myers, Delcambre High School; Haylie Mouton, Forked Island-East Broussard Elementary School; Halle Theall, J.H. Williams Middle School and Da’Savion Thompson, Seventh Ward Elementary School.

inspirational Works Books adversities, natural partnership, press announcement, productive lives, river oaks, simon dronet

Center for Community by the numbers

$84.4 million the cost of the building

317,000 square feet the size of the building

900 the number of seats in the dining hall

5,500 meals served daily

2 number of buildings on campus with a LEED platinum designation

8 number of buildings on campus with a LEED gold designation

1 number of buildings on campus with a LEED silver designation 30 percent the amount the building is more energy and water efficient than modern code-compliant buildings of the same size and function

20 number of average-sized houses the solar panels on the roof could power

Solar-reflective shingles are atop the University of Colorado’s Center for Community building.

Inside, cafeteria workers in the 900-seat dining hall collect food waste for compost instead of tossing it down the garbage disposal. and much of the sandstone for the building — which is consistent with the campus’s Tuscan vernacular architecture — was transported just a short distance from Lyons, helping reduce CU’s carbon footprint during the construction process, said campus architect Paul Leef.

Those are some of the features that make CU’s Center for Community building eco-friendly. the campus on Friday announced that the building has been awarded a LEED platinum rating, which is the highest possible designation from the United States Green Building Council.

The $84.4 million, 317,000 square-foot Center for Community building, which opened in fall 2010, is about 30 percent more energy and water efficient than modern code-compliant buildings of the same size and function, according to Moe Tabrizi, campus sustainability director.

CU’s Boulder campus now boasts two buildings with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum rating: the Williams Village North dorm tower, which opened to students last fall, also earned the distinction. eight buildings elsewhere on the campus are LEED gold rated and another has a silver designation.

Elements of the building that contribute to its efficiency include the use of LED lights, a large number of energy-saving kitchen appliances, shingles that reflect sunlight and low-flow water fixtures. the building is cooled with an evaporative cooling system, which uses less energy than traditional mechanical systems. also, the installation of a solar array with a 100-kilowatt capacity was recently completed. the panels are enough to power 20 average-sized houses.

In the campus’s early days, there was a railroad line that ran from Lyons to a stop near Norlin library that was used to shuttle sandstone from quarries to the campus, Leef said. the sandstone was used for CU’s traditional Tuscan vernacular architecture style, which also features red-tile roofs.

More than 50 percent of construction materials for the Center for Community came from sources located no more than 500 miles away. and more than 75 percent of construction waste was recycled, diverting it from landfills.

Leef said the building is exemplary of both the traditional architectural style of the campus as well as state-of-the-art technology and design.

“It’s a perfect blend of functionality, timeless architectural design and 21st-century engineering,” Leef said.

He also said the red tiles have a long life span, lasting up to 75 years.

CU’s Center for Community is anchored by a dining hall that serves more than 5,500 meals every day. About 20 percent of the food prepared and served there is local and is natural or organic.

The center also is home base for 12 student-support offices, including Career Services, the Center for Multicultural Affairs, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Office of International Education and the Office of Victim assistance.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at 303-473-1132 or anasb@dailycamera.com.

environmental Engineering Books cafeteria workers, campus architect, compost, shingles, solar panels

Courtesy of Hannah Dorsey

Instagram filters were used to process this image, taken by an iPhone.

By Meredith Birkett

Texans were active on a variety of social networks today, tracking and commenting on the tornadoes ripping through the Dallas area. on Instagram, the photography social network for iPhone, iPad and just released for Android, the hashtag #tornado was busy with pictures of tornado damage, funnel clouds, TV screens and self portraits ranging from goofy “oh no!” faces to genuine concern as they braced for the worst.

Several users posted pictures from schools where students and faculty gathered in hallways, locker rooms and maybe even a bathroom to try and stay safe from the storms. Hannah Dorsey’s image, above, and her “Tornado lockdown…” caption caught my attention, so we asked her about the experience of having tornadoes near her school, Bishop Lynch High School, located in Dallas, Texas.

Hannah writes to msnbc.com:

“I was in third period doing assignments online for my class when the Dean of Students came over the intercom, issuing a tornado warning. he instructed us to quietly evacuate the classrooms to the nearest hallway or safe place and assume the safety procedures that we had practiced just yesterday.

My teacher followed us into the hallway and shut the door behind us. all the students sat along the walls with their faces turned towards the lockers, with hands over their heads. we were told to remain quiet and to listen for instructions. I was nervous but I knew we were safe. our other Dean of Students entered my hallway and announced that the weather conditions were becoming increasingly worse and that the power will most likely go out. As he walked away murmurs arose and the teachers began to hush everyone, saying it would be fine. we sat there for about an hour after that. The lights flickered a few times but never went out and we did a few fun things to pass the time and keep everyone calm.

At one point we could see the rain through the window at the end of the hall and the rain was being blown hard enough to make it seem the rain was falling horizontally. we were given an update on the weather about every twenty minutes and were told that the tornado was very close, only a block or two over. we remained there until we were given the all-clear. our principal told us to return to our third period class until we would be dismissed for fourth period.

Throughout the day we had a total of two evacuations, the second being very similar to the first. At the end of the day we were not allowed to leave the building unless our parents signed us out in the main office. Those who were driving themselves had to wait until the weather conditions were better. I was on lockdown until about 4:15.”

Texans crowdsource the news

Follow msnbc.com’s continuing coverage

Photojournalists use Instagram and other photography apps on the campaign trail

design & Commercial Art Books birkett, genuine concern, intercom, iphone

Courtesy of Eastern Standard

The Flip Royal features ginger liqueur with a house-made rooibos tea syrup and Angostura bitters — along with the egg, of course.

By Justine Sterling, Food & Wine

A little known fact is that, like rhubarb and ramps, farm fresh eggs are also in season during spring, when they’re a staple of the Easter table. Besides hard-boiled pastel eggs and quiche on the buffet, flips—drinks made with whole eggs—can make fantastic holiday cocktails.

Boston’s Eastern Standard dedicates an entire “Oeuf” section of its extensive cocktail menu to eggs. “Eggs add a lot of texture,” says bar manager Kevin Martin. “they can add body and froth.”

Traditionally defined as a spirit mixed with sugar and egg, flips are taking on a more modern edge. Eastern Standard’s spicy Flip Royal blends the King’s Ginger liqueur with a house-made rooibos tea syrup and Angostura bitters. the Bourbon Derby Flip strays into eggnog territory by adding cream to the bar’s blend of five rums, sherry, egg and four Roses bourbon from its whole barrels of the great whisky. Surprisingly, according to Martin, the hefty-sounding cocktail “drinks pretty light.”

Creating a new flip is not a foolproof endeavor. “A lot of times egg drinks can come out smelling like delicious raw cake batter,” Martin says. “they can also come out smelling like a wet dog, which why nutmeg or grated cinnamon is often put over the top—not only does it complement the drink but it sort of masks the odor.” Needless to say, fresh eggs are imperative, which is why Eastern Standard gets daily deliveries from local farms. Keeping the cocktail balanced is also important. Though eggs may seem easy to work with because of their neutral taste, they shouldn’t be thrown willy-nilly into any cocktail. “when you put an egg into something, it really expands the drink faster than you can imagine, but you’re putting volume into the drink without adding any flavor to it,” Martin warns. “you need to use intense flavors.”

Bar guide:L’Artusi, new York: L’Artusi bartender Jorie Morales’s Triple Crown was inspired by his three favorite things: eggs, bacon and bourbon. Smoky bacon-washed bourbon is shaken with egg, a black cherry reduction, fresh lemon juice and Demerara sugar syrup and topped off with Angostura bitters.

Red Medicine, Los Angeles: known for its whimsical Vietnamese cuisine and unusual cocktails, the Beverly Hills restaurant shakes Hennessy VS and Rittenhouse rye with orgeat (almond syrup), lemon, orange, old-fashioned bitters and an egg to make the #64, a.k.a. Whitney’s Flip.

The Highball, Austin: Along with eight lanes of bowling and private karaoke rooms, the Highball features fantastic fried chicken and a menu of old-school cocktails like a Ramos gin fizz. A lesser-known classic, the Saratoga Brace up comes from Jerry Thomas’s 1887 Bartender’s Guide: Cognac, lemon, sugar, a dash of absinthe and a whole egg.

The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Philadelphia: the understated subterranean bar serves a frothy and boozy Elephant Flip with amaro, rum, bourbon, Dogfish Head IPA, Demerara sugar, pomegranate molasses and a pinch of salt—finished with Angostura and Bitter Truth Xocatl Mole bitters and served with the extra beer on the side.

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food & Drink Books egg, fresh eggs, froth, strays

NEW YORK, March 13 (UPI) — The top reason couples fight is not sex and money, but that neither member feels important or valued by the other, a U.S. survey indicates.

A survey of counseling professionals from YourTango.com — a digital media company that provides advice on love and relationships — indicated communication problems ranked second among couples, followed by money. Sex came in a distant fourth.

The survey of 1,100 psychotherapists, counselors, coaches and other professionals, used a questionnaire about the habits and behaviors that couples address in and outside of therapy.

Infidelity was not the top reason couples breakup, but it was cited by the experts as the most toxic from which to recover. Two-thirds of the survey respondents agreed the presence of kids in a relationship did not influence the likelihood of cheating.

Most agreed the top cause for failure in therapy is the lack of effort from one or both partners.

The survey indicated therapy might be good for couples’ sex lives — 80 percent of the respondents said therapy leads their clients to have more sex.

Fifty-seven percent of the experts said preoccupation with sports can have a negative effect on relationships, the survey said.

“These results are not just fascinating but also very encouraging,” Andrea Miller, chief executive officer of YourTango. “With most clients seeing improvement from therapy in four to 10 sessions, there’s a good chance couples can quickly benefit by simply seeking professional help!”

sex & Sexuality Books questionnaire, relationships, survey respondents, two thirds

twitter.com/claudiasgvn

Photo gallery: Students at Nativity School in El Monte Take Advantage of Ten Extra Days to Curriculum

Extra days mean extra fun for students at Nativity Catholic School in El Monte.

From March 12 to 16, Nativity students were able to take part in various elective classes, from breadmaking to rocket launching, to take advantage of extra school days this year.

On Friday, March 16, fifth- through eighth-grade students in Elizabeth La Dou’s breadmaking class were finishing up frosting their freshly-baked brownies as their Irish soda bread and chocolate chip cookies baked in the ovens of the school kitchen.

“I’ve baked since I was 6,” said seventh-grader Ana Reyes. “The cinnamon rolls were tough (to make) but a good challenge.”

While many public schools were reducing their number of school days due to budget cuts, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles responded by suggesting Catholic schools extend their school year and many have, including Nativity.

“We added 10 school days and decided to use 5 of those in a creative way,” said Sister Stacy Reineman, Nativity principal. “We looked at our gifts and hobbies and what we can offer.”

Students in kindergarten through fourth grade were kept together as a class and were able to experience five different electives – Spanish, drama, music, literary workshop and nutrition/fitness.

Students in fifth through eighth grade chose three electives, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours at each, from 20 different classes such as Spanish language and culture, boot camp/fitness, healthy eating, painting a huge stencil of the U.S. on the ground, arts and crafts, pilates and kick boxing, football camp and more.

“This has been exhausting but worth it,” said La Dou, a reading teacher. “(The students) get to try new things. This is a different side of teachers the students get to see.”

La Dou also taught embroidery and art during the week. Her breadmaking class decided to sell their goods during recess to raise funds and donate them to Holy Childhood Association, to help underprivileged children in foreign countries.

Sixth-grader Anissa Serna took advantage of Electives Week to better herself.

“I took public speaking,” she said. “I’m kind of scared to speak in public. I’m better now.”

Serna said she would like to try the popular Science is Eggcellent class if she had a chance to.

The class taught by science teacher Valerie Rosa was so popular, she had to open it up to two sessions.

“On Monday, we did chalk with egg shells,” said seventh-grader Jurhandi Molina. “We crushed them and put food coloring in them.”

Rosa also taught anatomy and virtual dissections.

“I’d like to do anatomy again,” said eighth-grader Steven Nava.

Students in the anatomy class broke in the school’s new iPads and used apps to learn anatomy and dissection.

The apps showed them the names of each bones and muscles in the body as well as giving step-by-step instructions on how to virtually dissect a mouse and learn its organs. the apps also offered quizzes to help refresh students on what they learned.

“We learned there are three bones in your ear,” said Nava. “I didn’t know that.”

Rosa has a doctorate in molecular and cellular biology and after working in various scientific fields she missed teaching and decided to return.

“We’re providing them with experiences they may not have at home,” she said. “There’s also a lot more personal interaction.”

In Jessica Leyva’s drama class for upper grades, students wrote their own stories and directed their own skits. Students even created their own props to present their plays on the stage in the school’s cafeteria.

“It’s really cute,” said Reineman. “(Leyva) told them it was like her television, if they slowed down or froze up, she would tell them, `I’m changing the channel’.”

Reineman even used her hobby to offer a photography class. the students took photos on campus as well as at home. on Friday, students were finishing making a video montage of their photos set to music as a gift for mother’s day.

“I think she’ll like it,” sixth-grader Dominic Tran said confidently of the video DVD he was creating for his mother. “It took about six hours to make.”

The school’s maintenance man Dave Earl shared his hobby of rockets with the students.

“Students learned all about propulsion and how to read the weather (to help when launching the rockets),” said Reineman.

Eighth-grader Juan Perez was excited about what he learned in the gardening class offered by Marcie Enriquez, who is in charge of the school’s lunch program.

“If children grow their own vegetables, they’re more likely to try the vegetables,” said Enriquez, who also runs the school’s garden club. “In the garden, you can also teach math, science, nutrition…”

Enriquez taught the students about the maintenance of the garden, about beneficial bugs, worms, composting and more.

“We’re learning about pesticides, the nutritional benefits of (what we planted),” said Perez. “Every day was fun. I want to join the garden club now.”

The garden class helped spruce up the school’s garden with decorations as well as plant lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries and more.

“This week has been really interesting,” said Enriquez. “It’s been a fun experience for the kids, and teachers too.”

Danae Gardea finished her big mustache man in embroidery class.

“I love mustaches,” said the sixth-grader. “It’s hard (to embroider) though because you poke yourself.”

Gardea said her favorite part of the week was in the musical theater class.

“We danced to `Thriller’ and dressed like zombies,” she said.

626-962-8811, ext. 2110

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Rugged Bear, which for years had successful stores in West Hartford Center and Canton before closing abruptly in the first quarter 2011, is rising from the ashes of bankruptcy under new ownership and no retail store component — for now.

TRB Acquisitions of New York acquired the rights to Rugged Bear shortly after its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization for an undisclosed amount. its parent company is now known as Cutie Pie Baby inc. both it and TRB are led by President Eli Yedid.

The classic, New England-style clothing brand has built its name on quality products and affordable price points. Stemming from what started as an outer-wear brand for children in 1980, Rugged Bear has since become a full-line seller of children’s apparel including newborn, infant, toddler, and children’s apparel as well as footwear, cold weather accessories, pajamas, underwear and hosiery.

Chelsea Kunkel, product and social media manager for Rugged Bear, said the brand resumes this summer in time for back-to-school sales with a heavy emphasis on boys, which she described as an underserved segment when it comes to children’s clothing.

“It’s mainly a boys line,” she said. “We’re focusing on ages 4 to 7. There’s a real need for clothing for boys that age.” but, she added, Rugged Bear is going to have something for both genders from infants up to size 18.

The Rugged Bear clothing line has expanded by enlisting the following licensees to help continue the name: iApparel, LLC for outerwear; Cutie Pie Baby for newborn, infant and toddler apparel; Eastman Group for footwear; FAB/Starpoint for backpacks; CNY Apparel for underwear and pajamas; and Gina Group for hosiery and crib shoes.

The new clothing line is going to rely on a mixture of social media like Facebook and Twitter and traditional outlets like newspapers to increase awareness of the brand, which is not being sold online through its own website. instead it will be sold through retailers, both in-person and online like Lord& Taylor, Nordstrom’s and Amazon.com.

“We’re still courting stores,” Kunkel said.

The initial marketing push this summer will be through print media, Kunkel said. most of that will be focused on the New York market but could expand to other areas like Connecticut, which was once home to nine Rugged Bear locations.

Rugged Bear was once a strong regional brand but its leadership wants to move beyond the Northeast. “we want to become a more national brand than a Northeast brand,” Kunkel said, adding that she doesn’t the brand will be hurt by its absence from the market. its more than 30-year reputation for quality should ease its re-entry into the marketplace.

The possibility for a return to retail outlets exists, according to Kunkel. she said Yedid has an eye turned to that possibility but not before 2014 at the earliest. He wants to see how the brand does before making the investment in brick and mortar locations. The previous owners of Rugged Bear had 39 stores in New England, New York and New Jersey when it closed.

Kunkel said the stores that used to be located next to Rugged Bear stores have expressed an interesting in carrying the clothing line. “We’re interested in working with people who know the brand,” she said, adding that people interested in selling the clothing line can go to RuggedBear.com for more information on carrying the line.

Sweet Nest opens

The West Hartford Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Sweet Nest to 968A Farmington Ave., West Hartford. The store is owned by Amy Valente. Sweet Nest provides tween-age customers with items to create one-of-a-kind bedrooms. Sweet Nest is open Monday — Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. find the store at sweetnestkids.com and on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

• • •

Valentine’s Day numbers

Now that Valentine’s Day has passed, curious about how much was spent and how?

According to PriceGrabber, an online shopping site with more than 23 million unique shoppers monthly, 68 percent of shoppers showed their love for less than $100 in 2011. its Valentine’s Day shopping survey other key findings include:

• 42 percent of Valentine’s Day shoppers will use a daily deal site to purchase a gift;

• 56 percent of consumers will spend the same on Valentine’s Day this year as in 2011;

• 68 percent will spend their money on a spouse;

• 35 percent will purchase a greeting card;

• 43 percent will shop one week in advance.

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Dieter Seltzer passed away on Tuesday. Police have not determined the cause of his death.

Virginia Tech sophomore Dieter Seltzer was entertaining ideas for the future Monday night as the free-thinking philosophy major sought to chart a course toward political and academic achievement.

But the next day, Michael Seltzer found his son Dieter lying on the floor of their Manassas, Va., home. Police investigation and an autopsy by Prince William County officials have not determined what caused Dieter’s death. Family members said Thursday that Dieter had been openly seeking treatment for depression, but police have assured them the death was almost certainly not a suicide.

“the detectives are 99.9 percent sure it was not suicide,” Michael said. “there is no evidence to suggest that he took his own life.”

Related: a letter by Dieter Seltzer

Dieter was found in a small hallway outside the family’s kitchen. a small abrasion on his head indicated he fell down or passed out, but Michael said the fall would not have been enough to contribute to his death.

“he was lying down on the floor on his back, and he looked really peaceful. he had his legs crossed, like he was resting,” Michael said.

Michael speculated that his son most likely died as a result of a drug reaction that aggravated an unknown existing health condition or caused averse effects in combination with another drug. he said Dieter had seen a doctor three times in the past month.

“it wasn’t intentional,” he said. “he wasn’t trying to kill himself. he was just trying to feel better.”

A final determination will depend on toxicology reports and other tests that could take weeks to complete.

Dieter had been at home in Manassas since January. he decided to take the remainder of the current semester off to deal with depression that had been worsened by a series of recent events, including the sudden departure of his stepmother.

“a whole bunch of things happened at the same time,” Michael said. “My wife left in August — just abandoned the marriage, the family. That was kind of hard on everyone.”

Gabi Seltzer, Dieter’s sister and a Tech senior philosophy major, said her brother was particularly affected by the separation from their younger half-brother.

“when she left our family, she moved to Alabama,” Gabi said. “And with her, she took our 11-year-old brother. They had always shared a room together, and they had been very close. he wanted very much to mentor our younger brother, Paul. so even though he didn’t show it, I think it was very difficult on him.”

Gabi said Dieter became noticeably distressed, but was taking time to correct the issue.

Continue Reading: 12 Next » 

A version of this article appeared in the Feb 17 issue of the Collegiate Times.

philosophy Books academic achievement, family members, hallway, michael seltzer

Photo Gallery: Rosary service for former Sen. Ruben Ayala

CHINO HILLS – it was a celebration of his life rather than mourning for the late Sen. Ruben Ayala during his memorial service on Thursday.

More than 150 gathered in the multi-purpose room of Ruben S. Ayaya High School listening to multiple speakers describe Ayala as an “American first and Democrat second,” someone who lead by example, a citizen’s politician, a man of many accomplishments and “a giant among giants.”

But above all, Ayala was always described as someone who not only cared for his community but for his family.

“As long as the memory of Ruben remains, all of us are going to be a little stronger, a little braver and a lot prouder. Senator, we respect you, we thank you, and via con dios,” said Glenna Ramsay, who was Ayala High’s first principal when it opened its doors in 1990.

Ayala died Jan. 4 of natural causes at the Inland Christian Home in Ontario. He was 89.

A rosary service also was held Thursday at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church.

Both services were attended by family, friends, local and state officials.

Born and raised in Chino, Ayala graduated from Chino High School in 1941. After serving in the Marine Corps, he was elected to the Chino school board.

Ayala was also Chino’s first elected mayor in 1964 and was a member of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and for more than 20 years he served as a state senator.

When Ayala was elected to the Senate in 1974, he was the first Mexican-American to serve in the chamber since 1911.

In addition to Ayala High, parks and streets are also named in his honor and in 2005 Ayala wrote an autobiography, “Up From 2nd Street.”

More recently, he was recognized by members of the Chino Citizens Recognition Committee as the 2011 Hall of Fame Recipient.

The award was presented to his youngest son, Gary Ayala, at the Tuesday Chino City Council meeting.

“When I was teaching government (to seniors) at Chino High School he would come into my classroom and talk to the kids about what his daily duties were and Irene, his wife, would always be in the back of the room signing up kids to vote, that is if they could,” said Laurentine Gates, who met Ayala in 1965 when she was serving on an advisory board.

She said Ayala was a frequent to her classroom in the late 1970s.

“It’s one thing for the students to hear it from me, but it’s another when they were hearing it from a man who was living that job, day to day, it was great,” Gates said.

During the service, Ayala’s youngest granddaughter, Amy, shared one of her stories that made the whole room laugh.

“One time we were eating candy with him, they were Pop Rocks which are these sugar candies that pop in your mouth. He took it and we were waiting for his reaction, we were waiting and we waited maybe 30 seconds and he said, ‘What’s supposed to happen?’ Apparently he swallowed it …so that was my grandpa and I was his little girl …his life was my grandma, and the people the he served and with out them he really didn’t have as purpose, except for the USC versus UCLA games,” said Amy Ayala, 20.

Ruben Ayala was born March 6, 1922, in Chino and was the fourth of six children. He attended elementary school in the city, attended Chino Junior High and graduated from Chino High School in 1941.

He is survived by his children, Bud, Maurice and Gary Ayala, and his grandchildren, Danielle, Sarah and Amy, and great-grandchild, Luke. his wife died in 2008.

A private family burial service will be held today at Holy Cross Cemetery in Pomona with six marine pallbearers who will be accompanied by a traditional Marine Color Guard and Marine rifle squadron will salute the senator.

“I think that everyone who knew him was a little better for having experienced him,” Ramsay said. “He was special and he an energy about him.”

Reach Canan via email, call her at 909-987-6397 ext. 425, or find her on Twitter @ChinoValleyNow.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Atlanta Beat selected UCLA forward Sydney Leroux with the top pick Friday in the Women’s Professional Soccer draft.

Sky Blue FC took Notre Dame forward Melissa Henderson with the second pick, and the Boston Breakers selected University of San Diego forward Stephanie Ochs third.

Camille Levin, a defenseman who helped Stanford win the NCAA title, went to Sky Blue FC with the fourth pick, and the Philadelphia Independence took Wisconsin-Milwaukee forward Sarah Hagen fifth.

The Western new York Flash completed the first round by taking Stanford forward Lindsay Taylor sixth and Cardinal midfielder Teresa Noyola seventh.

The league will open its fourth season in April.

West Ham signs U.S. defender John

LONDON (AP) — West Ham has signed American defender George John on a two-month loan from FC Dallas. The second-tier London club says it has brought John to Upton Park “with a view to a permanent signing.”

John says on West Ham’s website that he wants to “understand about English football and just adapt my game.”

John hasn’t played a competitive match since Oct. 26, saying it could “take two or three weeks to give me some time to develop and get back in the swing of things.”

League Capsules

Manchester City looks to avoid third straight loss

LONDON (AP) — Manchester City’s first back-to-back home losses since the petrodollars began to pour in have started to erode the club’s air of invincibility.

Although the setbacks both came in cup competitions, City had won only one of its last three Premier League matches before losing to Manchester United on Sunday and Liverpool on Wednesday.

“No one expected us to continue winning games without having a difficult moment,” City assistant manager David Platt said Friday. “We can’t accelerate the season by four months to see how it is going to turn out.”

Going into Monday’s match at Wigan, City still leads the league, although United and Tottenham are only three points behind.

Despite the FA Cup defense being ended by United, City is still in the hunt for the League Cup after only losing 1-0 to Liverpool in the first leg of the semifinals. That marked City’s second straight loss at its stadium for the first time since 2008.

“We are still in the Carling Cup semifinal (with the second leg on Jan. 25) and our players are quite capable of turning the situation around, and 19 clubs would like to be where we are in the championship,” Platt said at the weekly media briefly usually attended by manager Roberto Mancini. “It is not a bad position to be in — some crisis.”

While City is still missing suspended captain Vincent Kompany, midfielder David Silva is due to have recovered from an ankle injury in time to face Wigan.

City could go into the match level on points if United beats Bolton or Tottenham overcomes Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

United’s cup victory at City on Sunday was a welcome distraction from its own troubles following losses to Blackburn and Newcastle.

“We need a good performance against a team that will battle for everything,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “Any team near the bottom of the table will do that, as we experienced at home to Blackburn.”

Ferguson must decide whether Paul Scholes is fit enough to start against Bolton after the 37-year-old midfielder’s shock decision to come out of retirement to help injury-hit United last weekend.

Tottenham is the form team, having picked up more points than both City and United since beginning the season by losing to the Manchester rivals.

“Spurs are not third in the Premier League because someone has walked through the door at White Hart Lane and slapped a bundle of money on my desk,” Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said. “City can pay players 200,000 pounds ($307,000) a week, it’s unbelievable.”

United, City and Tottenham have formed a chasing pack, with Chelsea now eight points adrift in fourth and Arsenal a further point behind.

Chelsea hosts Sunderland on Saturday and Arsenal is at Swansea the following day when Thierry Henry will be hoping to get a chance to repeat his goal-scoring exploits on Monday when he clinched a 1-0 victory over Leeds in the FA Cup.

Arsenal’s 34-year-old top scorer has returned to north London on a loan deal from the new York Red Bulls during the Major League Soccer offseason.

“If you asked 10 legends whether they would come back, I am not sure they would have been brave enough,” said Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who was rested against Leeds. “I am sure he will get loads of games because I have seen him in training and I don’t want too put too much pressure on, but he is looking really good.”

Things are not looking good for Blackburn, which is last going into Saturday’s match against Fulham. but Blackburn’s Indian owners are backing manager Steve Kean despite fan protests.

“Most of the time the club, the board and the owners will give in after a couple of weeks and we, the managers, are gone,” Fulham manager Martin Jol said. “But they have stuck with him and you get a different situation. I think this could be the first time probably in the history of the Premier League that a board stuck with their manager (under such pressure).”

Blackburn is a point behind Wigan and two behind Bolton in the relegation zone.

With Queens Park Rangers just a point and a place from danger, manager Neil Warnock was fired and replaced by Mark Hughes this week to stop the promoted club’s decline, starting Sunday at Newcastle.

Also Saturday, Aston Villa hosts Everton, Liverpool takes on Stoke and West Bromwich Albion faces Norwich.

Madrid, Barca focus on league as clasicos near

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid and Barcelona will have to try their best to overlook their upcoming cup clasicos and focus on this weekend’s league matches first.

Madrid and Barcelona meet for the eighth time since April come Wednesday’s Copa del Rey first-leg quarterfinal, but have league matches against Mallorca and Real Betis, respectively.

Coach Jose Mourinho warned his team of looking beyond Mallorca, calling the championship a “priority” with Madrid having opened up a five-point lead over Barcelona.

“Last year we lost two points in Mallorca and it could happen again. It’s a very dangerous game,” Mourinho said on Friday. “We’ve got a game against Mallorca first, there’s no point in talking about Barcelona now.”

Captain Iker Casillas doesn’t want his team to “obsess” over Barcelona, with the onslaught of clasicos saturating the magnitude of one of world football’s biggest derbies.

“Last year we played four Real Madrid-Barcelonas in 20 days. we have already played the Super Cup, the league and now the Copa del Rey, and we’ll play the two-legged series looking to reach the next round,” Casillas said.

“But, in my opinion, with so many games, sometimes this series seems a little less than full strength, like decaf.”

Madrid will be without injured players Angel di Maria and Sami Khedira for Saturday’s game at Mallorca. Fabio Coentrao could start, with the Portugal fullback yet to prove himself since a €30 million ($38 million) offseason move from Benfica.

Barcelona, meanwhile, returns to the Camp Nou where it has won eight of nine games and outscored opponents 39-0.

“We can’t throw away the league,” Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano said on Friday. “There are still 63 points available and many things can happen.”

Forward Pedro Rodriguez is a doubt for Sunday’s game with Betis after injuring his left leg in Thursday’s cup win over Osasuna, while defender Andreu Fontas damaged ligaments in his right knee in the victory and is set for surgery. Fullback Daniel Alves missed the match as a precaution and could return at the Camp Nou, where Xavi Hernandez is set to make his 400th league appearance for the club.

Coach Pep Guardiola may have to call on some of the club’s younger players to reinforce the squad, with Andres Iniesta also missing the match at Osasuna to rest an ankle knock.

“The youth team players will have to be prepared because we’re going to have to call them up to fill the spots in the first team,” Guardiola said.

Villarreal is desperate for its first victory in 10 games as the club sits 18th in the last drop spot traveling to Atletico Madrid on Sunday in a matchup of new coaches seeking their first victories. Atletico’s Diego Simeone returns to Vicente Calderon for the first time since his playing days while counterpart Jose Francisco Molina also earned a draw in his debut last week.

In other 19th-round matches, it’s: Zaragoza vs. Getafe; Granada vs Rayo Vallecano; Sevilla vs. Espanyol; Valencia vs. Real Sociedad; Osasuna vs. Racing Santander; Athletic Bilbao vs. Levante; and Sporting Gijon vs. Malaga.

Elsewhere

Grant takes over as Partizan Belgrade coach

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Partizan Belgrade appointed former Chelsea manager Avram Grant as its new coach on Friday, hoping he could lead the defending Serbian champions to the Champions League next season.

Partizan did not specify the terms of the deal, saying on its web site that the Israeli coach will be paid “in line with the club’s realistic limits.”

Local media reported that Grant will receive €900,000 ($1.1 million) for a one-year deal, plus a €400,000 ($500,000) bonus if the team qualifies for the Champions League.

“The managing board is convinced that with Avram Grant in charge, the club will achieve what its army of fans expects him to do,” Partizan said.

Grant, who led Chelsea to its only Champions League final, was fired from relegated West Ham last may. he previously led relegation-bound Portsmouth to the FA Cup final.

Partizan said that coach Aleksandar Stanojevic, who led the team to the Serbian league title last season, was fired following his clash with the club management that was triggered by the team’s failure to reach the Champions League this season.

“The breach of his contract and the clash with the board was such that his further stay at Partizan was no longer possible,” the club said in the statement.

At the midseason break, Partizan leads the Serbian league standings, 10 points ahead of Belgrade rival Red Star.

Brandao set to make Marseille return against Lille

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Brazilian striker Brandao is set to return for Marseille after being included in the squad to face defending champion Lille in the French league on Sunday.

Coach Didier Deschamps said on Friday that Brandao was a little short of match fitness but has looked sharp in training since joining on loan from Gremio this week.

“He’s not at his peak, but he’s in decent shape,” Deschamps said. “He’s full of motivation and determination.”

Brandao scored 24 goals in 90 games for Marseille and helped it to win the league title and League Cup two seasons ago. he scored four goals in 14 league games with Gremio, but is coming back to help Deschamps cope with a shortage of forwards.

Brandao was loaned out to the Brazilian club until June, but Deschamps was forced to recall him because of a lack of funds, injury and losing players to the African Cup of Nations.

Marseille forwards Andre and Jordan Ayew will represent Ghana at the African Cup, which starts next week, while center-forward Andre-Pierre Gignac is recovering from a groin injury.

In March last year, an investigating judge filed preliminary charges of rape against Brandao but released him from custody pending further investigation. he was authorized to leave France but required to attend any judicial hearings.

A woman alleged she was raped by Brandao after they returned from a nightclub. Brandao denies the accusation, saying they had consensual sex.

PSG coach Ancelotti says Pato turned down move

PARIS (AP) — AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato turned down a move to big-spending Paris Saint-Germain, according to PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The day after the Brazilian made an official statement pledging his future to Milan, Ancelotti said Friday that there is no hope of persuading Pato to change his mind.

“It was Pato’s decision to stay there, we have to respect that decision,” Ancelotti said. “We have to look forward now. I don’t think it can be reopened. It’s finished.”

Despite missing out on Pato and on signing former England captain David Beckham, PSG has already spent close to €90 million ($116 million) on players this season.

Ancelotti expects more signings before the end of the month as PSG bids to win the league title for the first time since 1994, and to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in eight years.

“We want to bring great players to PSG, and the transfer window is still open for a long time,” Ancelotti said.

Ancelotti takes charge of his first league game at home to Toulouse on Saturday when the French league resumes after its winter break.

Ancelotti’s first game as PSG coach was a scrappy 2-1 win against amateur side Locmine in the French Cup last weekend.

Nigeria postpones friendly with Liberia

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria has postponed a friendly international against Liberia after a nationwide strike this week paralyzed Africa’s most populous nation.

With demonstrations and related violence in Nigeria over fuel subsidies, football federation general secretary Musa Amadu said both countries had agreed to put back Sunday’s game in the Liberian capital of Monrovia to the end of January.

Amadu didn’t refer to the strike action directly, citing “certain circumstances” as the reason why the Super Eagles didn’t travel.

He said in Friday’s statement that the game would be delayed by two weeks, “after which circumstances that have necessitated the shift would surely have normalized.”

Nigeria didn’t qualify for this month’s African Cup of Nations.

FIFA cuts Jack Warner’s son from development staff

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA has cut another tie to disgraced former Vice President Jack Warner, ending his son’s job as a Caribbean development officer.

FIFA says in a statement that Daryll Warner is not on its staff but did not elaborate, citing “employment confidentiality.” His father resigned last June to avoid investigation for alleged election bribery.

FIFA’s website shows that it doesn’t have a Caribbean development office. Daryll Warner formerly worked from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. a FIFA-appointed emergency committee is managing Caribbean soccer.

FIFA’s 12 development officers worldwide are responsible for “identifying and implementing future projects” in their regions.

Miljanic, ex-Real Madrid coach, dies at 81

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Miljan Miljanic, a Serb who once coach Real Madrid, Yugoslavia and Red Star Belgrade, died Friday. he was 81. His death was confirmed by the Serbian soccer federation. Belgrade media said he died after a long battle with cancer.

Miljanic, known for his defensive tactics and reliance on experienced players, took the Yugoslav national team to the 1974 and 1982 World Cups.

He won four league titles and three cups with Red Star between 1966 and 1974 during the glory days of Yugoslav soccer. he then captured back-to-back Spanish titles and a Copa del Rey trophy with Real Madrid between 1974 and 1977.

Miljanic later coached at Valencia but was fired after poor results during the 1982-83 season.

Japan striker Lee to join Southampton

HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Japan striker Tadanari Lee has signed to join English League Championship side Southampton. Lee’s former J-League team Sanfrecce Hiroshima announced the transfer on its website Friday after the 26-year-old received his work permit from British authorities.

Lee scored 15 goals in 32 league games last year for Sanfrecce. In his career so far, he has 42 goals in 147 J-League first division appearances.

South Korean by birth, Lee became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 2007 so he could play at the Beijing Olympics. he scored the winning goal last January as Japan beat Australia to win a record fourth Asian Cup.

Winnipeg player convicted of assaulting goalie

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — a Winnipeg soccer player has been sentenced to one year probation and ordered to pay $1,500 in medical costs to a goalie he assaulted during a game.

Greg Adamiec, 25, was convicted of assault causing bodily harm for the July 2009 incident. Scott Keast, 34, was kicked and stomped in the head by Adamiec during the Manitoba Major Soccer League match. Keast had jumped on a loose ball that Adamiec was pursuing on a potential breakaway.

Witnesses say Adamiec became irate when Keast wrapped his hands around both the ball and his leg while making the save.

AC Milan extends contract of coach Allegri to 2014

MILAN (AP) — AC Milan says it has extended the contract of coach Massimiliano Allegri for two years through June 2014. The 44-year-old, who joined Milan from Cagliari in 2010, said Friday he was glad “to have the opportunity to work for Milan for another two years.”

Milan won the Serie a during Allegri’s first season in charge, currently is tied for first with Juventus and has advanced to a second-round matchup with Arsenal in the Champions League. The contract extension was announced two days before Sunday’s high-profile derby against Inter Milan.

France to host Germany in friendly in 2013

PARIS (AP) — France will host Germany in a friendly match next year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty. The French football federation says the match will be played on Feb. 6, 2013, without saying where it will be held.

On Jan. 22, 1963, French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signed the treaty to mark a lasting reconciliation between the countries. France will play a friendly against Germany in Bremen next month.

Injured Barcelona forward Pedro sidelined 10 days

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez will miss three games because of a muscle injury in his left leg. The Spanish champions say Pedro was injured during Thursday’s 2-1 Copa del Rey victory at Osasuna.

Pedro will miss league matches against Real Betis and Malaga, plus the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals against Real Madrid on Wednesday. The Spain international has scored six goals in 19 appearances in all competitions this season.

Everton signs midfielder Gibson from Man United

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Everton says it has signed midfielder Darron Gibson from Manchester United. The 24-year-old Ireland international, a product of United’s youth system, is joining Everton on a 4½-year deal. Financial details were not disclosed.

He is Everton’s first permanent signing of the January transfer window, with the club 11th in the English Premier League. Gibson scored 10 goals in 60 appearances for Premier League champion United.

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• After reading this article you have to ask yourself if Scott has a handle on the reverse mortgage market, the legislative challenge before us, and the negative changes we face even if HUD receives the HECM appropriation requested. Scott states: “I am bullish on reverse mortgage lending in 2010 and 2011 as compared to 2008 and 2009.” His optimism seems unparalleled in the industry. I hope he’s right and so many of us who are just wondering how many years it will be before seeing volume at 2008 levels are wrong.

  One wonders if Scott did the interview to shore up the troops or what his motivation was. it was an odd interview.

• Good for you Scott Stern.

  The unfounded adverse publicity is spreading panic through out the industry but more so to our senior citizens. to think we are depicted as the next sub-prime industry. This has turned out to be a media field day with no justification behind it. The reverse mortgage industry has done so much good for our seniors over the years. The future need is even greater. Sure, the reverse mortgage has costs involved in it. The MIP is probably the largest single cost. However, if this is explained in detail and the senior understand the costs involved, it is still a great program for our seniors as long as it still achieves the goals they are looking for.

  Senators like Clair McCaskill is obsessed with destroying the program. she thinks by eliminating the originator of the product is going to cure what predatory lending is occurring out their. she and politicians like her are so much out in left field that they are the the one's who are the predators. They are scaring seniors out of reverse mortgages, which are driving them to other alternatives that are a risk to them.

  Some how we need to be heard, we, the professionals in the industry. The loan officers and people that are devoting their lives to seniors. we get very little recognition for the good we do and how many seniors are smiling today because of our love and devotion to them and our industry. we are the majority, the predator in sheep's clothing is the minority. The majority must start taking an active vocal roll in defending the reverse mortgage.

• I generally concur; however, I do not understand why people like Scott are not speaking out about the injustice our seniors will endure if the HECM program does not get the meager subsidy which has been requested. after all, all it is a bookkeeping entry unless the OMB projections turn out to be correct (or worse understated) and there is no other surplus to pay off the predicted net losses.

  The problem with our industry is our size. May total endorsements were less than 5,000. If full-time originators averaged1 loan endorsed last month that means there are less than 5,000 full-time originators. those who support operations full-time are far less than half that number.

  I live directly across the street from a Community College with an enrollment exceeding 27,000 students with waiting lists for most traditional academic courses. three miles down the road is the largest state university in California with well over 37,000. and I live in a hamlet of LA County with a population of less than 500,000. we have over 16,000 high school students and many more in other grades.

  The point is, this hamlet has a small voice in county, state, and national politics. our industry is much smaller yet. This is why every full-time member of our industry must actively speak out to their national representatives about the importance of our program. If we don't speak out who will? to believe that the MBA will do the job was proven wrong last year in the appropriations process. AARP is not going to spend its political capital if we won't.

  While NRMLA does a great job in our behalf, they are small. They are in fact asking for our help. So the question is, in the midst of this downturn and slowdown in activity with maybe 2-3 loans per month at most by the vast majority of our originators, why aren't we investing the time and expending the energy to at least speak out? NOW is the time.

  I know you agree and do speak out but we need all originators to do their part to put a personal message in front of their representatives. it is horrible to read originators complain about how little NRMLA achieves. That is because those who complain are not taking up the banner to speak to their representatives about the program, what is needed, and why it is so important to our seniors to have this program blossom.

  Collectively our voices are stronger than our leaders by themselves. it is time that we follow the request of NRMLA and do our small part to get Congress to appropriate the $250 million subsidy and agree that the annual rate for ongoing MIP can be increased to 1.25%.

  I just got off my soap box and wish you a good afternoon.

• You were not on a soap box. What you said was very interesting and right on target. I am infuriated like you are. you are right, we need all originators to do their part to put a personal message in front of their representatives. we have been to quiet of a group, we must change our philosophy and get off our duffs and start doing something about what is happening.

  It is pretty late in the game but we need to start forming committees to take action with our legislators. Another approach may be with Peter Bell/NRMLA. see if we can form a stronger lobbyist group made up of us who know the business and have the passion for it. you made a lot of sense in what you said, I think you and I have said similar things in the past. we also need to start getting ourselves in the media. we need to change this perception of the reverse mortgage industry being the replacement for the sub-prime industry. I will be willing to participate in anything that can turn this down hill roll we seem to be on.

  We are no different than what has taken place in our great nation. The people sat back for years, complaining but doing nothing. we have done the same thing, now look at what is happening to our country and to our industry. I have said this many times, we that are the professionals in the industry are going to suffer a great deal more than what we have experienced over the past 18 months. However, the senior citizen we have serviced with pride and devotion will suffer the most!

  Thank you James for your, as usual, logical statement packed with good old common sense.

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Inspirational Hawes woman with months to live produces charity recipe book

8:50am Saturday 31st December 2011 in News

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AN inspirational cancer sufferer with only months to live has struck on a winning recipe to raise money for charity.

Sue Iveson has already sold 200 copies of her cookery book, Family Favourites from the Dales and beyond.

“I had the surgery, I had the chemotherapy and it wasn’t doing any good, so I decided I wanted to make the best of what I had.”

Sue Iveson

the 59-year-old from Hawes, North Yorkshire, has sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, and has been told by doctors that she will not see another birthday.

despite the devastating prognosis, Mrs Iveson was determined to do something positive and raise money for research into cancer and charities that ease patients’ suffering.

She said: “I had the surgery, I had the chemotherapy and it wasn’t doing any good, so I decided I wanted to make the best of what I had.”

With the help of friends, she held a pie and peas supper in Hawes in may, raising more than £5,000.

It was then that a friend suggested she used her love of cooking, which she used to teach, to produce a recipe book.

Mrs Iveson, who together with her husband, Roger, runs a television and audio shop, said: “You’re sitting there and you’re full of booze and you think, ‘Yeah, I’ll do a recipe book – no problem’.

“I said to all our friends, family and customers what I was doing and asked them to help.

“We’ve got all sorts of recipes – desserts, biscuits, bread, starters, meat, fish, soup – and for most of them you don’t need any fancy ingredients.”

In total, 120 recipes were put forward for inclusion.

the first 200 copies of the book were printed by Mrs Iveson’s brother, Nigel Jackson, who works in the publishing industry.

These proved so popular that another 1,000 have been ordered.

Proceeds from the book will go to four charities – Marie Curie Cancer Care, the Yorkshire Cancer Centre, in Leeds, Herriot Hospice Homecare, in Northallerton, and Sarcoma UK.

to order a copy of the cookery book, send a cheque made payable to JR and SA Iveson for £9, plus £1.50 postage and packaging, to JR Iveson, Main Street, Hawes, DL8 3QL.

Copies are also available in several shops in Hawes, including the Mulberry Bush.

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