Structured Settlement Market Survey Earns Client 15% More For Her ...

This week provided a great example of why an injured plaintiff and their attorney should ALWAYS utilize their own consultant when contemplating the use of a structured settlement.? Our client was the victim of a horrific sexual assault and as part of her ultimate settlement package, a structured settlement was included.?? One of the liability carriers, a member of the Chartis Insurance family, and their brokerage firm representative, Atlas Settlements, would only agree to fund the annuity through an ?approved list? of annuity providers.? Approved lists are common in the industry and are somewhat understandable if the list is tied directly to a minimum financial rating, such as ?A+? by A.M. Best.

However, the list our client had to choose from was a nonsensical grouping of companies that included ?A?, ?A+?, and ?A++? rated entities.? ?After working with her and her advisors on creating a plan that strengthened her financial future, Delta Settlements found our client could obtain a 15% higher return with a well-known ?A+? rated insurance company that was not approved by Chartis.? It was not enough that our client had suffered traumatic injuries to begin with, but now was getting denied a better financial outcome by Chartis as part of the claim resolution.? As an advocate for innocent victims like our client, this was unacceptable to us.? We pushed back and ultimately gained approval.? If Delta Settlements had not been retained to consult on this case, this victim would have been inevitably victimized again.

If you are thinking about including a structured settlement as part of your settlement terms, please contact us for a full market survey so that you are not taken advantage of by the likes of Chartis and other liability insurers.

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News About Car: Automotive Addicts

The new 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe remains virtually unchanged from last year's model keeping a long-standing traditional approach to offering a large SUV that can handle anything you throw at it. With configurations allowing up to 9 passengers, the Chevrolet Tahoe keeps its conventional versatility and large SUV towing capabilities.

For the 2012 Tahoe, Chevrolet adds a hard-drive based navigation system for improved functional response and internal music storage.? The only other change for 2012 is a heated steering wheel option, which is standard on the top-of-the-line LTZ trim level.

It is hard to believe that the Chevrolet Tahoe is still in its 3^rd generation. Over the years, Chevrolet has added different powertrains along with refinements to better position the large boxed-frame SUV among competition including a growing large-crossover segment.

The large SUV is somewhat of a dying breed, however, the Chevrolet Tahoe, alongside of its close siblings (GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade) attempt to keep this dwindling breed alive. The Tahoe has stood the test of time due to General Motors making improvements in efficiency, easy of drivability and over-all interior comfort. All of these attributes have received notable improvements over the past 5 years within the current 3^rd generation Tahoe.

My 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ test vehicle is at the top of the trim chart. Tahoe's come in 3 different trims, LS, LT and LTZ. All feature a 5.3-liter V8 engine with 320 horsepower and 335 ft. lbs. of torque. Those numbers may seem small on paper but are modest enough to give the Tahoe the ability to tow up to 8,500 when equipped with the towing package. A?Tahoe Hybrid is an excellent alternative for those who wish to better the 15mpg city and 21 mpg highway figures and get up to 20mpg city and 23 mpg highway.

On-road mannerism in the new 2012 Tahoe LTZ is somewhat unexpected but that is a good thing. The new Tahoe LTZ is surprisingly easy to maneuver provided it is equipped with the convenience package (standard on the LTZ trim level) including a rearview camera system and park assist (audible alerts beep faster when objects in the rear get closer), along with remote ignition and power-adjustable pedals. The steering is very light at low speeds with a slight weight added at highway speeds.

The Tahoe LTZ trim is equipped with an autoride system, which incorporates variable dampers and an air-assisted load leveling system proving useful when towing or hauling heavy loads. The variable dampers and air suspension give the Tahoe a smooth ride that is never too harsh or truck-like. I would even go as far as to say my Tahoe LTZ rode much like a large luxury sedan with an active dampening system.

Performance of the new Tahoe is consistent and predictable at best. The 320 horsepower V8 engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission work well together but may start to lack oomph when you load the Tahoe with 7 or more passengers while towing several thousand pounds. An optional trailer brake controller, equipped on my test vehicle, is a nice addition to include if you plan on towing large trailer items.

Stability control and traction control tend to step in early to keep the boxy and tall Tahoe from getting out of line. Braking distance is average for a big SUV but tends to give the body a surprising amount of front-end dive under emergency braking, though ? it still remains controllable pending ABS activation. The Tahoe's off-road prowess is improved with the 4-wheel-drive option but comes at a slightly higher price.

It seems the styling department at Chevrolet took a long hiatus when it comes to the Tahoe's exterior. The sheet metal and design cues on the Tahoe remain unchanged through the current generation and are unmistakable, in a good way.? My philosophy on that is if the exterior styling isn't broke, then why fix it?

Being that aerodynamics is not the Tahoe's strong suit, it is amazing to still get around 21 mpg on the highway. During my time with the new Tahoe, I was able to match the 21 mpg highway EPA figure. The 5.3-liter V8 has a fuel-saver mode that basically deactivates 4-cylinders when under light loads. Although the cylinder deactivation does considerably save fuel, the Tahoe rarely switches to the fuel-saver mode when you are attempting to maintain highway speeds. The only time I took notice to the fuel-saver mode kicking in was coasting and going downhill. However, you hardly notice the transition from fuel-saver 4-cylinder mode to the normal V8 mode ? virtually no vibrations or odd sounds.

Interior quality along with fit and finish is about average until you actually start to touch the dashboard plastics. There are hardly any soft-touch materials used on the dashboard. Possibly, the comfortable heated and cooled leather bucket front seats and heated leather 2^nd row captain's chairs in my Tahoe LTZ made up for the interior's lack of plushness. The new leather wrapped heated steering wheel and bright center-stack LCD touch-screen (intergrates audio, navigation & rearview camera) spruce up the over-all perception of the dashboard's quality.

The 2^nd row seating configuration in my Tahoe LTZ test vehicle only included two bucket seats while the 3^rd row was a 50/50 split removable bench. One downfall of the Tahoe, especially when compared to other large SUVs, is that the 3^rd row does not fold flat into the floor. Cargo space is considerably cut down due to the folding 3^rd row bench unless you remove it completely. Removal of the rear bench can easily become a two-person objective, too. The Tahoe can be had in 7, 8 or a full 9-passenger configuration. To seat 9, the Tahoe uses a 40/20/40 front bench.

The Chevrolet Tahoe integrates all of the expected safety features of any other SUV. The Tahoe received 4 out of 5 stars in overall government crash tests. Frontal and side impact tests received 5 out of 5 stars. An optional blind-spot notification system, standard on my Tahoe LTZ, is beneficial due to the Tahoe's shear size. Other standard safety equipment includes front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and OnStar emergency telematics.

The new 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe, part of a vanishing large SUV segment, confronts today's economic conditions with confidence. Being that there are not many large SUV offerings, the Tahoe firmly stands its ground with a short list of direct competitors. A new 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe can be had for a starting MSRP of just $38,755 while my loaded-up Tahoe 2WD LTZ, with its sun & entertainment package (rear-seat DVD & sunroof), heavy-duty cooling package and trailer-brake controller, comes in at $56,550.

Copyright: 2012 AutomotiveAddicts.com

SPECIFICATIONS

• Price: Base Tahoe LS $38,755 As-Tested Tahoe LTZ 2WD $56,550
• Engine: 5.3-liter V8 320 hp @ 5400 rpm/ 335 ft-lbs torque @ 4000 rpm
• Transmission: 6-speed Automatic w/ tow mode
• Drive: 2WD (rear-wheel-drive)
• Wheelbase: 116in.
• Total length: 202.5in.
• Total width: 79in.
• Total height: 76.9in.
• Track: f/r-68.2/67in.
• Ground clearance: 9.1in.
• Approach angle: 17-degrees
• Departure angle: 21.9-degrees
• Curb weight: 5,448lbs. 4WD
• Headroom: f-m-r-41.1/39.2/37.9in.
• Legroom: f-m-r-41.3/39/25.4in.
• Cargo volume: behind front seats-108.9/behind 2nd. row-60.3/behind 3rd. row-16.9cu.ft.
• Towing: Up to 8,500 lbs. with proper configuration
• Fuel tank: 26.0 gallons
• Turning circle: 39.0ft.
• EPA mileage: 15 mpg city/21 mpg highway

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Facebook IPO Pricing: Investors Brace For Wall Street Debut

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK, May 17 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc is set to raise up to $18.4 billion in its IPO and become the first U.S. company to be worth more than $100 billion at its debut, as investors bet on a big pop in the stock when it begins trading on the Nasdaq on Friday.

Frenzied demand, especially from individual investors hoping to buy into an Internet juggernaut that touches hundreds of millions of people every day, is expected to drive Facebook well above its initial public offering price of $38 a share, which was already at the top end of its target of $34 to $38.

Analysts were divided on how high the price might go on the first day of trade, with some expecting a relatively modest gain of 10 percent to 20 percent while others said anything short of a 50 percent jump would be disappointing.

"It will be bananas tomorrow," said Greencrest Capital analyst Max Wolff. "This is all about the future, so it really
is a lottery ticket.

"The stock could initially rise and then it could go parabolic on a wave of retail investor hope. These shares are
going to trade on hope. I do not know how to value hope," said Wolff.

Facebook is selling an up to 18 percent stake in the company at a valuation of $104 billion, comparable to the market worth of Amazon.com Inc, and exceeding that of Hewlett-Packard Co and Dell Inc combined.

The highly anticipated offering, the largest by a U.S. Internet company and the second-largest in U.S. history after Visa Inc, vaults the eight-year-old Facebook to the front ranks of corporate America.

It will give 28-year-old Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, who started Facebook in his Harvard dorm room, a net worth of
nearly $20 billion.

Enthusiasm for Facebook shares comes despite questions about the company's long-term money-making capabilities, particularly after it reported a quarter-to-quarter revenue slide in April.

Others warn that the price tag, equivalent to over 100 times historical earnings versus Apple Inc's 14 times and Google Inc's 19 times, makes Facebook a risky bet.

"I think they'll make money - it will just take them a little bit longer because they're pioneering new ways for advertisers to reach customers," said Walter Price, a portfolio manager at RCM Capital Management. "It's not like there's a simple formula. They have to try different things."

"It shouldn't be a surprise to people that the growth rate is going to moderate over the next couple of years," he said, adding that he expects the stock to trade at around $42 on Friday, which would be an 11 percent gain.

HAVES, AND HAVE-NOTS

Wall Street's top brokerages fought tooth-and-nail to ensure their wealthiest and most reliable clients got a slice of the IPO. Those with big accounts and a long history as customers likely got first dibs, and would-be buyers who had no such ties were lucky to get any, industry sources said.

A Morgan Stanley Smith Barney adviser based in the northeast said he saw internal figures that showed the firm had more than 60,000 orders for the IPO from 6,600 brokers in over 570 offices - eclipsing a more typical 500 brokers in 300 offices.

The brokerage arm of Morgan Stanley -- the lead underwriter on the IPO and therefore expected to get the most shares -- initially capped the number each retail client account could receive to 500 shares, which was lower than Bank of America Merrill Lynch's ceiling of 2,000 shares.

But Morgan Stanley Smith Barney emailed its wealth advisers late on Thursday afternoon to say that it had raised the cap to 5,000 shares, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"I am sure they were getting calls," said Alois Pirker, research director at Aite Group LLC. "One of the advantages of being a lead underwriter is that you get preferential treatment. I am sure there were some wealthy individuals who were wondering if it would be better to be with Merrill Lynch."

A spokeswoman for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a venture with Citigroup Inc, declined to comment.

For most retail investors, their first chance to invest in Facebook, which has some 900 million users, will be on Friday, when they risk getting trampled by institutional funds.

Financial advisers are warning that if the stock skyrockets, the average person might end up getting orders filled at a price much higher than they wanted and then face the possibility of losses as funds steamroll in and then zip back out, taking the price off its highs.

But these warnings are largely falling on deaf ears.

"A lot of retail investors are not concerned about valuation. That's what is going to drive the first-day pop," said Jim Krapfel, analyst at Morningstar. "I think anything over 50 percent will be considered a successful offering -- anything under that would be underwhelming."

CHALLENGES REMAIN

Facebook shares will begin trading at around 11 a.m. on Friday, when the well-known brand could attract enough interest to exceed the 458 million shares traded the day General Motors went public after emerging from bankruptcy in 2010.

Facebook will celebrate its Wall Street debut with an all-night "hackathon" at its Menlo Park, California, headquarters starting on Thursday evening, a tradition in which programmers work on side projects that sometimes turn into mainstream offerings.

Zuckerberg, fictionalized in the Oscar-winning 2010 film "The Social Network," will control roughly 56 percent of the company's voting shares after the offering.

His majority control has raised flags among some investors, uneasy with ceding so much power to the "hoodie"-wearing
executive who wrote in a letter to potential shareholders that "we don't build services to make money; we make money to build better services."

Facebook also faces challenges maintaining its growth momentum. Some investors worry the company has not yet figured out a way to make money from the growing number of users who access Facebook on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. Meanwhile, revenue growth from Facebook's online advertising business, which accounts for the bulk of its revenue, has slowed in recent months.

One UBS adviser initially received calls from 12 clients clamoring to buy shares of Facebook, but over the past couple of weeks, two have changed their minds.

"A lot of people are thrown off by the recent negative stories in the press," the adviser said, speaking on condition
of anonymity. "One guy was worried about General Motors stopping its advertising on Facebook."

GM said on Tuesday it would stop placing ads on Facebook, raising questions about whether display ads on the site are as effective as traditional media.

Overall, financial advisers are struggling to manage clients' expectations about what the stock will do and in some cases, if they will be able to get any stock for them.

This week, Facebook increased the size of its IPO by almost 25 percent to 421 million shares, or a 15 percent stake in the company -- a day after hiking its target price range about 14 percent.

If a greenshoe option for underwriters is exercised, as expected, the stake sold increases to 18 percent, raising north
of $18.4 billion. More than half of the proceeds of the IPO will go to existing shareholders, including early backers such as Accel Partners and Russia's DST Global.

The more bullish had expected Facebook to price at $40 per share. However, the Nasdaq Composite Index fell by more than 2 percent on Thursday, quelling such optimism.

"I expect it to open at a nice premium, but I don't expect a LinkedIn-type performance because of the sheer size of this IPO," said Scott Sweet of research firm IPO Boutique.

Shares of professional networking company LinkedIn Corp doubled on their first day of trading.

Lee Simmons, industry specialist at Dun & Bradstreet, forecast a 10 percent to 20 percent gain for Facebook on Friday.

"You've got a large offering at an increased price, so a huge pop may be difficult to achieve," Simmons said. "When you're talking about doubling or a pop the size of LinkedIn..., the others were smaller floats, under 10 percent, so you had
this artificial feeding frenzy."

Facebook has 33 underwriters for the IPO, led by Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs.

Related on HuffPost:

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UK agency approves BlackBerry 7 OS for government

Please check the URL for proper spelling and capitalization. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Yahoo!, try visiting the Yahoo! homepage or look through a list of Yahoo!'s online services.

Please try Yahoo Help Central if you need more assistance.

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Business Social Network | Transport App

May 17, 2012 admin Uncategorized

Friday becomes a new edition of the Internet is yours, an event full of lectures in which 20 professional communication, internet, social networks and share marketing knowledge with over 500 attendees at the Mansion of the Duke of Pastrana, Madrid. In addition, the event can be followed by streaming and hope to reach the audience of 22,000 people who overcame last year. This week we attended a panel discussion on CSR EOI applied to online marketing and Advertising Awards Editorial Unit, the day Hi-Media Trends and breakfast with the Association of Marketing. FF English Academy English School shows us in a creative and very original puedejugar how the words and turn them into images. Playing with .. Read m The Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) said Wednesday that the institution or the Central Electoral Board (JCE) block access to social networks, or After questioning the validity of People Meter, because it considers all the hearings, a group of young professionals from the Technical University Federico Santa Maria, created SOCIALMETER.TV, social business social network where you can view, comment and check-in at the favorite television shows, being able to share your favorite with friends and other users through Facebook and Twitter. "The idea came from a reflection on the audience measurement technology and the opportunity to reinvent the way they are measured, for example a TV show (quite popular in social networks) scored zero points rating, even though it was Trending Topic on Twitter and his followers were commenting on the show through Facebook. That's when we asked about how you may not even check rating when more than 30 000 people commenting through social networks. Under this premise we question the validity of People Meter because it ignores all audiences, so was born the urge to create a system that attempts to capture as much of hearings and which in turn is a benefit to viewers, feeling participate and represented in the samples, "said Cristian Correa, Computer Engineer at USM, plus SOCIALMETER.TV CEO and Founder. Today is to be published in the Official Journal, a bill that was approved by the committees on Education and Transport and Telecommunications of the upper house, in which TV channels may not use the traditional people get online, this already which some legislators, the current measurement system harms deliver quality television. "Unlike the current systems of audience measurement, has no limits SOCIALMETER.TV samples hearings, for example, the people meter has a measured sample of 600 households without covering all regions and based solely on socioeconomic variables and groups age to select participating families (the sample does not even represent 0.02% of total population). Unlike this, SOCIALMETER.TV points to a more horizontal audience measurement and holistic, with a higher average audience and not necessarily focus on socio-economic groups or age groups, but rather considers occupational variables, georeferencing, gender and details of tastes and interests of the audience, pointing to a more social television, which integrates the audience, creating a link between the viewer and the environment, creating a relationship participatory, democratic and with quality content, "said Cristian Correa. Once the project is approved, the current measurement system will be received by the television channels the day after their emissions, apart from minute to minute. Today, all television signals use the people meter to measure the response of the audience every minute in different slots, so not to abandon this practice, and based on this new law, the channels may have penalties ranging from a reprimand, fines from 200 to 1,000 UTM, reaching even the suspension of transmissions for a period of time that can reach seven days. "We intend to be an alternative audience measurement and internationalize SOCIALMETER.TV hope, achieving hopefully become the leader in audience measurement," he said Correa. SOCIALMETER.TV is an initiative that is supported by CORFO program StartUp Chile, and is currently finalizing the development stage at which participated in that instance.

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How Personal Capital Wants To Bring Money Management Into The Internet Age [TCTV]

Personal Capital, which launched last year, provides a suite of software aimed at helping people manage all their personal finances -- no matter where they are -- through one central suite of web and mobile apps. Earlier this month Personal Captial was named "Best In Show" at the FinovateSpring, a conference in San Francisco focused on all things financial and technology related, so it certainly seems to be onto something big. So when Personal Capital put out its first iPhone app last week, we asked CEO Bill Harris and product VP Jim Del Favero to stop by TechCrunch TV and give us a hands-on look at the service.

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Joe Arpaio Unbowed By U.S. Lawsuit Leads Arizona Sheriff Race

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, 79, will vie for reelection in November. The five-term Phoenix-area sheriff appears to remain the frontrunner, unfazed by a sweeping federal lawsuit filed against his office last week. But he faces five opponents and emboldened opposition from political and civil rights groups.

?He is kind of a 21st century Bull Connor,? said the Rev. Warren Stewart Sr., pastor of First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix and chairman of the National Immigration Forum, an advocacy group.

Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor served as public safety commissioner of Birmingham, Ala., during the Civil Rights movement and attracted national attention for his pubic support for segregation, defiant refusal to carry out court orders and for turning police dogs and fire hoses on protesters. The spectacle of dogs and fire hoses has been described by historians as a catalyst for the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

?Arpaio doesn?t let dogs out on people," Stewart said. ?But he does go after and target people of color. He goes after Latinos and does it often with a vengeance and an arrogance if anyone dares to question him. It?s ?I?m Sheriff Joe Arpaio and I?m in charge and nobody tells me what to do. I will not back down.??

The Justice Department last week described Arpaio's tactics as ?unprecedented?, "unconstitutional," and part of a "pattern of discrimination" against Latinos. A Justice Department lawsuit filed Thursday accuses Arpio of directing deputies to ?raid? homes, offices and businesses based on occupants limited English skills or appearance. Deputies made so many racially profiled vehicle stops that Latino drivers were five to nine times more likely than others to be the subject of a search, the suit said. Inmates in the county jail who did not speak English were denied access to translators and Arpaio worked to silence judges, lawyers and others he viewed as opponents of his tactics, according to the suit.

Arpaio last week said he would fight federal monitoring of his office "until the bitter end."

"Despite all the best efforts by this Huffington Post and publications such as yours, Sheriff Arpaio is not at all concerned about his reputation or his reelection prospects," said Lisa Allen, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's department. "He is absolutely certain that he will be reelected in November and is proud to be the sheriff of Maricopa County and feels his office is doing a very fine job despite the kind of accusations, unfounded as they are, the Justice Department is making against this office."

Arpaio's supporters describe him as an unapologetic law enforcer who has been unfairly branded a bigot by, ?a small but vocal group of Latinos,? engaged in a witch hunt, said Shane Wikfors, a spokesman for the Arizona Republican Party.

?We?re in one of these moments that is very much Arizona versus the feds right now,? said Wikfors. ?I wouldn?t agree that he?s a Bull Connor-type authority. I think he sees himself as someone pushing back against the fed government?s politicization of not enforcing immigration law. He is the embodiment of the spear in that battle.?

Until now, the major challenge in unseating Arpaio has been the nature of the suburban Phoenix electorate, said Luis Heredia, the Arizona Democratic Party executive director.

About 37 percent of Maricopa County?s voters are registered Republicans, 27 percent Democrats, and 33 percent unaffiliated, according to the county election board. More than half live inside the suburban Maricopa County cities that ring Phoenix and have their own police departments. That means most voters have not had personal contact with sheriff?s deputies, said Heredia. And many have lived in the area for less than five years.

But the Justice Department lawsuit adds to a steady stream of suits against Arpaio and his department. The litigation has a price tag that is political poison, said Heredia.

During the 16 years Arpaio has served as sheriff, the county has paid about $ 58.4 million in legal fees, settlements and judgments related to suits brought against the sheriff and his department, according to county records. Nearly $20 million of that -? or 40 percent -? has been paid in the last five years. Additional costs have been covered by the county?s insurance fund.

In Phoenix, there has been talk for years of federal criminal and civil investigations of Arpaio, said Randy Parraz, co-founder and president of Citizens for a Better Arizona, a political group that spearheaded the November 2011 recall election that removed Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce.

Pearce was the driving force behind Arizona?s controversial SB 1070 law, requiring law enforcement officers to request proof of citizenship from anyone they suspect is undocumented. It also helped to enable Arpaio?s raids. Pearce served as a Maricopa County sheriff?s deputy for more than 20 years.

This year, Citizens for a Better Arizona will organize what Parraz described as direct actions to remove Arpaio from office or ensure his defeat, he said.

?There are a few of us who can't be bullied. But you can still walk around here this week and hear even progressives talking about how powerful Arpaio is, how he?s unbreakable,? said Parraz. Parraz said he counts himself among the Arpaio opponents who have been followed and investigated because of public statements about Arpaio and his activities.

Arpaio?s power grew because many in Arizona were unnerved by people entering the state without legal authorization in the last two decades, said Daniel Ortega, a Phoenix-area attorney who is chairman of the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights and advocacy organization.

?Little by little that house of cards is crumbling, said Ortega. ?It?s crumbling because the public did not say that we need to do something about the people coming into the country illegally by being downright hateful and operating totally outside of the law.?

There is only dated evidence that Arpaio?s popularity is sinking.

County-level polls are infrequent in the Phoenix area. In January 2010, the percentage point spread between people who said Arpaio is doing a good or excellent job and those who said he is doing poorly slipped to 5 -- down from a 38-point spread Arpaio enjoyed in March 2007, according to an independent poll by Behavior Research Center, a nonpartisan Phoenix-based market analysis firm. After giving the sheriff qualified endorsements in 2000 and 2004, the state's largest newspaper, the Arizona Republic, said no to Arpaio's reelection bid in 2008.

The sheriff's campaign fundraising this year appears untroubled, hauling in considerable sums from people living mostly outside the state. In January, he had $3.4 million, after accounting for $2.48 million in expenses, according to his campaign finance records.

Among the five challengers are Jose Waldron, an 18-year-old who said his campaign will not raise more than $500, and Tim Coomer, 40, a Democrat who has done the same. Democrats John Rowan, 48, and Paul Penzone, 45, had not raised any money when the year?s first reporting deadline passed in January. Penzone spent 21 years as a Phoenix police officer, part of it assigned to a special Drug Enforcement Administration task force.

Mike Stauffer, 50, a candidate with no party affiliation, raised a few thousand dollars, mostly from Arizona residents. After expenses, Stauffer had $289 at the end of the January, according to campaign records.

But, the day after the Justice Department lawsuit announcement, Penzone saw the largest one-day surge in online donations to his campaign, said Stacy Pearson, a campaign spokeswoman. Penzone?s campaign war chest topped $100,000, an important milestone because the last Democrat who challenged Arpaio in 2008 raised $160,000 over the entire contest, Pearson said.

?I think that between Penzone?s history of fair and sane law enforcement and the fact that I think that the vast majority of voters are simply tired, just embarrassed by being a national joke, a symbol of crazy, Arpaio is vulnerable,? Pearson said.

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Do you think that i can learn to speak and write ... - Free Articles

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Thunder clobber Lakers 119-90 in Game 1

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace, left, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden (13) jockey for position as they wait for the ball to be inbounded during the first quarter of Game 1 in the second round of the NBA basketball playoffs, in Oklahoma City, Monday, May 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace, left, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden (13) jockey for position as they wait for the ball to be inbounded during the first quarter of Game 1 in the second round of the NBA basketball playoffs, in Oklahoma City, Monday, May 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts to an official's call in the first quarter of Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA basketball playoffs, in Oklahoma City, Monday, May 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, right, dunks over Los Angeles Lakers Andrew Bynum (17) in the first quarter of Game 1 in the second round of the NBA basketball playoffs, in Oklahoma City, Monday, May 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, left, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol, of Spain, right, defends, in the second quarter of Game 1 in the second round of the NBA basketball playoffs, in Oklahoma City, Monday, May 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace, left, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden (13) jockey for position during the first quarter of Game 1 in the second round of the NBA basketball playoffs, in Oklahoma City, Monday, May 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ? For the second time in less than a week, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers must figure out how to fight back after a humbling loss.

Bryant responded the first time by calling out his teammates for lackluster effort.

It might not be so simple this time.

Russell Westbrook had 27 points and nine assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder blasted the weary Lakers 119-90 Monday night in the opening game of the Western Conference semifinals.

This blowout came four days after Bryant's Lakers trailed by as many as 28 in a loss at Denver, then bounced back to win Game 7. They'll need to find some answers before Game 2 in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

"I've seen both sides of that equation and my experience has taught me just to be patient and to think the game through," said Bryant, who tied Andrew Bynum for the team lead with 20 points.

"We can come up with a different strategy and we can do a much better job and have a much better showing in the next game."

The Thunder took a 15-point halftime lead, opened the third quarter with a 15-2 blitz filled with crowd-pleasing 3-pointers and dunks, and never looked back. The final margin ended up being the fourth-largest in the history of the Oklahoma City franchise, including its years in Seattle.

It matched the 12th-largest defeat in Lakers postseason history, and the sixth worst of Bryant's career. Three of those losses came in close-out games when L.A. was done for the series. Once was the start of a four-game sweep. The other two times, the Lakers came back to win the next game ? both during their run to the 2000 NBA title.

"We got beat tonight. You can say anything you want to about a seven-game series and us having a day or whatever," Los Angeles coach Mike Brown said. "The bottom line is this is the playoffs, we've got to come to play and we didn't. We got beat.

"It's one game, so we've got to bounce back for the next one."

The Thunder didn't need any dirty tactics to get even for Metta World Peace's suspension-worthy elbow that gave Oklahoma City's James Harden a concussion with a week left in the regular season.

The league's most turnover-prone team ? committing 16.4 per game in the regular season ? gave it away only four times, a record low for the franchise.

"I think that's huge," coach Scott Brooks said. "Four ? we've had that the first 6 minutes of games at times."

While the Lakers were making a quick turnaround less than 48 hours after ending the first round, the Thunder had eight full days off following their first-round sweep of defending NBA champion Dallas.

That gave starting center Kendrick Perkins time ? but apparently not enough ? to rest a strained muscle in his right hip after he hurt it in the final game of the Dallas series. He limped out of the game after dunking just after halftime and did not return ? although coach Scott Brooks said he could have. He will be re-evaluated Tuesday.

The possibility of rust had been a concern for Brooks, and he fought it by alternating light days with demanding, training-camp style practices.

"There's no question we have a team full of gym rats. They want to play basketball," Brooks said. "That's all they want to do: They want to play basketball. They're basketball players. They probably don't have much of a life off the court."

All that pent-up energy came flowing out just after halftime, in highlight-reel fashion.

Durant lobbed the ball to Westbrook for a two-handed slam, then connected on a 3-pointer from the left wing to draw a timeout from Brown.

That still didn't slow Oklahoma City, which got what could have been a costly two-handed dunk from Perkins on its next trip and then another 3 from Durant before Thabo Sefolosha swiped the ball from Bryant and ran out for a layup that made it 74-46 with 8:39 left in the period.

"From then on, it was cruising for us," said Westbrook, who had nine assists against one turnover.

Both coaches started going to their benches with 8? minutes left, and Los Angeles reserve Devin Ebanks ended up getting ejected with 2:18 to play after walking up to a scrum for the ball after the whistle. Official Greg Willard said at the scorer's table that he was ejected for "what he said" in drawing a technical foul.

"Obviously, they're more well-rested than we are, but I don't think it made that much of a difference for us," Bryant said.

"We could have had the same amount of days off. They're just younger and faster. And tonight, what you saw is them executing extremely well."

The buildup to the game focused largely on it being the first meeting between the teams since World Peace got a seven-game suspension for elbowing Harden. He returned just in time to help L.A. win Game 7 against Denver.

A sold-out crowd at Chesapeake Energy Arena wasn't happy to see him back, although World Peace ? who changed his name from Ron Artest ? was hardly fazed by the chorus of boos that greeted him during pregame introductions or again whenever the ball came his way.

World Peace knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key amid boos the first time he touched the ball, set up a two-handed jam by Bynum and drilled another 3 within the first 2? minutes.

The boos continued throughout the game whenever he got the ball.

"Right now, it's about basketball," World Peace said. "After the season we can talk about that but right now it's more about basketball."

Notes: Bryant tied former teammate Shaquille O'Neal for the third-most playoff games in NBA history with 216. ... Perkins was called for a lane violation in the first quarter after arguing with Willard about a call and then walking up to his spot along the lane while Bynum was shooting. Bynum made both foul shots when awarded the extra chance. ... Toby Keith's daughter, Krystal, sang the national anthem.

Associated Press

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Happy Mother's Day! What I Learned about Motherhood by Being an ...

My family has been formed in many ways. My first child was adopted from the foster-care system as an infant. My second two children came the old-fashioned way. My last child was adopted at nearly 4 years old from an orphanage in Haiti.? I?ve been blessed to experience the beauty of childbirth, as well as the joy of meeting an adopted child for the first time.? Each experience was equally emotional and life-changing.? However, the experience of adopting has given me a unique perspective on motherhood, teaching me some new truths, and reinforcing what I believe to be true about parenting.

Blood does not determine a family.
Probably the most common concern I hear from people who are considering adoption is whether or not they will be able to love a child that isn?t ?their own?.? I can tell you, though, that the moment my first son was placed in my arms, he was very much my own. My love for my children is not dependent on our biological connection.? Adoptive families, step-parents, and blended families know well that family bonds transcend biology, and that family connections can be formed in many ways.

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Small Business Pinterest Starter Guide

Now hailing 11.7 million unique visitors a month, Pinterest has become the fastest standalone site to pass the 10 million visitor mark since, well, ever. But even more impressive than that are what those 11.7 million visitors are doing once they land on Pinterest ? they?re staying and they?re engaging. Reports say that the average Pinterest user spends 89 minutes interacting, sharing, and posting on the site. And that could be your content they?re interacting with, but only if you?re taking the steps to leverage Pinterest.

If you?ve heard the buzz surrounding Pinterest but weren?t quite sure how to jump in and take advantage of it, keep reading. Below are some handy starter tips that every small business owner can use to build an audience via Pinterest.

Getting Started

If you don?t currently have a Pinterest login, you?ll have to request one as the site is still invite-only. Luck for you, it shouldn?t take more than a few days for Pinterest to send you an invitation to join. Once you get it, you?ll be asked to log in with either your Facebook or Twitter account. Don?t worry too much about which to choose as you?ll have the option later to switch it or to have your account tied to both.

With your account created, go into your Settings and take some time to fill out your profile. You?ll want to set your email settings, fill out your About section, include a Web site and then decide how you want Pinterest to interact with your other social media accounts.

Do you want all of your pins to sync to Facebook? Do you want to link your Twitter account? Depending on how you plan to use the site, this will change. If you?re not sure yet how you want your pins displayed, don?t worry too much. You can always come back and edit these settings.

Create Unique, Interesting Boards

Life on Pinterest starts here. When you start creating boards, focus on putting together boards that show off the lifestyle and beliefs behind your brands, not your actual products or services. The key to mastering Pinterest is to realize that it?s less about promoting your products and more about promoting how you do what you do and how you see yourself in your market. That means creating boards to show off your company beliefs and culture, not your inventory.

For example, maybe you?re a local catering company. If so, you may want to have boards related to:

• Healthy Eating
• Buying Organic
• Going Local
• Green Living
• Family Picnics
• Dinner Recipes
• Holiday Recipes
• Food Mentors

These types of boards are related to what you do in your day-to-day business, but they also go a step further to show people what you believe and what you represent. That?s what users are looking for.

Do your best to come up with creative and compelling board names, as these will get shared when people pin your content. Similar to titling your blog posts ? putting something eye-catching in there will help your content spread faster.

Assessing Your Pin-able Assets

This is where many business owners start to freak out. Don?t! It?s easy to think that if you?re not in the business of pretty or quirky pictures that Pinterest can?t work for your brand. But it absolutely can! Every site has visual assets that they can take advantage of. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box. For you, pinable content may come in the form of:

• Infographics or other data visualizations
• Video stills that link off to media where you appear
• Covers of books or eBooks you?ve written
• Eye-catching visuals for blog posts
• Images of customers using your products
• Images of how your product could be used

Take a look through your site to identify assets you already own. Once you do that, think forward to brainstorm new ways to incorporate visuals into your Web site. For example, you?ll want to make sure that you?re using images in every blog post or newsletter article you?re creating so that you (and your readers) will have something to pin. Maybe you?ll want to build more data visualization into your content strategy or focus on creating things that lend themselves to visuals. Build the assets you?ll need later.

Get Your Team Involved

One of the fun features Pinterest offers is that you can add contributors to any of your boards to help keep them updated and engaging. As a small business owner there are a lot of neat ways to take advantage of this. You can:

• Add employees as contributors to boards about company culture
• Add frequent blog commenters/community members to boards related to content/ industry finds
• Add your executive team as contributors to charitable pursuits.

The more people you get involved, the more life you?ll add to your Pinterest account and the more others will want to follow what you?re doing. To add board contributors, go to the board you want to add a contributor to and click Edit. On the board?s settings menu, select ?Me + Contributors.? You must follow at least one board belonging to a user in order to add him/her as a contributor. Once you?re there, start typing his/her username into the text field. Once potential matches begin to load, click Add when you see the person you want to add as a contributor. Then save your settings.

Build Followers

The best way to build new followers is to become an engaged Pinterest user. That means following other users, pinning content, repining content others share, etc. Each time you follow someone or engage with their update on Pinterest, by default, they?ll receive a notification email letting them know. This is a good way to build up your followers because, if you have good content, they?ll check you out once they see the email and follow you back. It?s also a good way to show others that you?re interested in the community and what other people are sharing.

If you?re looking for potential people to follow OR simply looking to understand what type of content you should be following, try going to http://pinterest.com/source/yoursitehere. This will show you what content on your domain has already been pinned and whose pinning it. You can also do the same for competitor URLs to see who is pinning and sharing their content.

Promoting Your Account

Once your account is set up, you want to do your due diligence and promote it so that your audience knows it exists. This may include adding a Pin It! button to your blog posts so content can be easily shared, syncing your Pinterest account to Twitter and Facebook, encouraging people to subscribe to your Pinterest RSS feed, mentioning your account in company promotions/emails, etc. The more ways you can make Pintest part of your marketing efforts, the bigger the account will grow and the easier it will be to make content spread.

The above tips are designed to help any small business get involved with Pinterest. How are you using the site to market your business? Any lessons you want to share?

About the Author

Lisa Barone is a noted writer, content marketer and social strategist. She has been a trusted voice in the search world since 2006 and is most known for her brutally honest search observations. She has been featured on sites like The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, PBS, Duct Tape Marketing, Copyblogger and many others. Lisa blogs irregularly at VoiceInterrupted.

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Weary warriors favor Obama (reuters)

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The World's Largest Wood Stockpile Is Absolutely Insane [Video]

On January 8, 2005, a huge cyclone as strong as a Category 1 hurricane hit Sweden and Denmark. Its name was Gudrun and it blew at sustained speeds of 78.3mph (126km/h) with wind gusts of 102.5mph (165km/h). It killed 22 people and struck down 75 million cubic meters of trees. More »

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