Dave Waiting Patiently
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Happy New Year - Selamat Tahun Baru 2012
©Sekitar
Fun at Pantai Parangtritis, Yogyakarta
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The 30th anniversary of the introduction the martial law in Poland.
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[Photo ice- marseille]
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Salton Sea After Dark
The annual Black Friday Salton Sea Road Trip.
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Things are looking up at Cardinal Spellman.
Two days after a one-point loss to CHSAA Class A favorite Iona Prep, the Pilots took down Harrison (N.Y.), 59-33, in non-league boys basketball Thursday in The Bronx.
“Every game we’re just getting better,” Spellman coach Fred Opper said. “The younger kids are getting the experience. It’s just coming together.”
Matt Kerrigan continued his big season – “he’s really been terrific,” Opper said – with 26 points and Anthony Williams added 11 points for the Pilots (4-3). Evan Carrillo had nine points off the bench on three 3-pointers.
That tight loss to Iona Prep was something to build on. The Pilots had a chance to win at the end against Iona. Spellman, which meets Salesian on Wednesday, is loaded with juniors up from the JV and could be hitting its stride after falling to St. Edmund Prep last week in league play.
“For a lot of them it’s not knowing what varsity is all about,” Opper said. “It’s a matter when they’re gonna mature enough. It seems like they’re getting there.”
Archbishop Molloy 71, St. John the Baptist (L.I.) 46: Marko Kozul had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Gabe Kilpatrick had 17 points off the bench for Molloy (6-2), which used a 15-2 run to end the first half to pull away. C.J. Davis added 12 points in the non-league game. Kyle Williams had 20 points for St. John the Baptist.
Sacred Heart 58, Stamford Academy (Conn.) 51: Matt Balaj had 22 points and D.J. White had 15 points for Sacred Heart (3-2) in non-league. Shy Dix had 22 points and Mike Catching had 19 for Stamford Academy.
mraimondi@nypost.com
Iona Prep, The Pilots, Fred Opper, Anthony Williams, Archbishop Molloy, Evan Carrillo, Opper, Gabe Kilpatrick, St. Edmund Prep
MEMORIES AND DREAMS
Photograph taken at 04:54am on June 30th 2011 on the beach between the Alexandra and Zanzibar Hotel, opposite Eversfield Place A259, Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Nikon D700 24mm 1/100s f/4.5 iso200
Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED IF. UV filter. Manfrotto 055XPro carbon fibre tripod & Manfrotto 327 magnesium pistol grip ball head. Nikon MC-DC2 remote shutter release. Nikon GP-1 GPS.
LATITUDE: N 50d 51m 6.29s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 34m 6.34s
ALTITUDE: 2.0m
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Dinner with the cuz + a metre long pizza. #pizza #sydneycommunity
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California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris filed suit against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Tuesday, seeking to force the firms to answer a detailed list of questions after the firms' federal regulator sought to block an open-ended inquiry by the state.
See the Lawsuits Against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
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The lawsuits, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, are the latest salvo by Ms. Harris against the mortgage-finance giants and their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Last month, the office issued subpoenas asking the firms to provide extensive answers to a range of questions about the mortgages they purchased and the foreclosed properties they own in California.
The FHFA earlier this month said it had directed Fannie and Freddie not to comply with the subpoenas, calling them "frequently vague and ambiguous," and asked the attorney general to withdraw them, according to a letter included in Tuesday's legal filings.
Among other things, the subpoenas asked for a record of every vacant home owned by the companies in the state and asked the firms whether they were aware of drug dealing, prostitution or the presence of explosives and radioactive material in those homes.
The FHFA said the state appeared to be "engaged in an open-ended exploratory investigation" that would undermine the FHFA's authority while placing an extra burden on the operations of the firms. The effort required to collect the "voluminous amount of information" required to comply "would be nothing short of staggering," the FHFA said in its letter.
Fannie and Freddie were taken over by the government through a legal process called conservatorship more than three years ago, and taxpayers are on the hook for at least $151 billion in losses.
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California Attorney General Kamala Harris's action follows subpoenas.
The lawsuit sets up a battle over whether states can investigate the firms while they are under conservatorship by a federal regulator. In the lawsuit, the attorney general said the FHFA wasn't within its rights to dismiss inquiries against private companies that operate in the state. Representatives for the companies and the FHFA declined to comment.
Ms. Harris has taken a leading role in pushing for greater scrutiny of the mortgage-market collapse. Many subprime-mortgage companies were headquartered in the state, and it has been among the hardest hit by the downturn.
Ms. Harris has also criticized Fannie and Freddie for resisting efforts to modify mortgages by reducing loan balances for borrowers who owe more than their homes are worth. Last month, she called on the FHFA's acting director, Edward DeMarco, to "step aside" if he was unwilling to approve principal write-downs by the firms.
Attorneys general have in the past succeeded in shaping policy by taking action against Fannie and Freddie, which guarantee more than half of all $10.3 trillion in outstanding U.S. home loans. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo used his position as attorney general in 2007 to force the firms to overhaul certain appraisal guidelines that have since become the industry standard.
Ms. Harris remains a key figure in an effort by the Obama administration and state attorneys general to forge a $25 billion settlement with banks over foreclosure-processing abuses, but she has resisted the proposal, calling it "inadequate" for California homeowners.
Tuesday's lawsuits also allege state agencies may have lost money as a result of misrepresentations by Fannie and Freddie over mortgage-backed securities they issue. The firms don't make loans but instead bundle them into securities that are issued to investors, with guarantees to make investors whole if loans default. Fannie and Freddie's huge taxpayer aid ensured that investors in those securities would be repaid.
Write to Nick Timiraos at nick.timiraos@wsj.com and Ruth Simon at ruth.simon@wsj.com
Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, FHFA, D. Harris, Attorney General Kamala Harris, San Francisco County Superior Court, federal regulator, federal regulator, California Attorney General Kamala ebook download, Fannie and Freddie, firms
brooklyn beauty.
Taken with:
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Fujifilm Velvia
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Scanned with Epson V600
Unedited
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BRUSSELS—Efforts to cut greenhouse-gas emissions in the European Union will pay off over the next four decades as they will reduce the fossil fuel bill, but such a scenario hinges on where oil prices are headed, the European commission said Thursday.
The commission released a strategy paper on how the 27 EU countries could achieve their goal of cutting carbon-dioxide emissions by at least 80% in 2050 compared with 1990 levels, analyzing different scenarios. It said that if the union continues with current policies, it could reduce the costs of investing in infrastructure. However, it noted that "we may not have to invest as heavily in infrastructure ... but we face higher fossil-fuel costs as gas and petrol prices are estimated to rise due to an increase in worldwide demand."
According to the commission, the average cost of investments and operational costs, including fuel, related to energy could represent roughly 14% of gross domestic product if the current policies continue unchanged: an increase on the 10.5% recorded in 2005. That is broadly in line with the scenarios envisaged for the 2050 goal.
These numbers, however, hinge on two highly different assumptions for oil prices. The commission used a price of $127 per barrel to develop the scenario that simply projects current policies to 2050. However, it used a price of $70 a barrel in its scenarios that see green policies being developed for the 2050 target. This is because the commission assumes that the EU will implement further, aggressive climate policies if there is a global agreement to do so and that other industrialized countries will aim for similar cardon dioxide cuts.
The so-called business-as-usual scenario doesn't include that eventuality, officials explained.
"The results of the scenarios depend notably on finalizing a global climate deal, which would also lead to lower global fossil fuel demand and prices," the strategy paper reads. The commission believes prices will be lower if there is a global deal to cut carbon-dioxide emissions, which will reduce global demand for fossil fuels.
The document comes just days after an agreement to continue the global fight against climate change was reached at an international summit in Durban, South Africa. But it also comes at a critical moment for the EU, as the sovereign-debt crisis and the economy in general bumped climate issues down governments' agendas.
The commission continued to be cautious over the developments in the international climate negotiations, even though it softened language that in an early draft indicated the 2050 goal could be reconsidered in case of failure at the global talks.
"The EU will need to consider progress, and concrete action, in other countries. Its policy should not develop in isolation but take account of international developments," the strategy paper read. The overall cost of investment depends strongly on the policy, regulatory and socio-economic framework and the economic situation globally," it said.
According to the agreement reached Sunday in Durban, most industrial nations that are internationally bound to reduce emissions under the so-called Kyoto Protocol will extend their commitments beyond 2012, while the U.S., China and India—the three largest emitters of greenhouse gases—pledged to join them in a pact that will take effect in 2020.
In an October draft, the commission's energy department, which wrote the paper, said that "if coordinated action on climate among the main global players fails to strengthen in the next few years, the question arises how far the EU should continue with an energy-system transition oriented to decarbonization."
Write to Alessandro Torello at alessandro.torello@dowjones.com
the European Commission, oil prices, strategy paper, strategy paper, commission, the European Union, Durban, South Africa, climate change, fossil fuel
freeway" border="0" width="580" height="290" />
A tanker truck exploded on the 60 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Demolition has begun on the east side of the bridge damaged in an oil tanker explosion on the 60 Freeway in Montebello, and Caltrans officials expected the freeway to be reopened by Friday evening.
Officials determined that reinforcing steel on that side of the bridge was compromised when the heat of the fire caused the outer layer of concrete to pop off. Engineers were taking core samples to assess damage to the west side of the bridge Thursday to determine whether it will need to be demolished.
If the west side of the bridge does not require demolition, the freeway will be reopened by noon Friday, said Mike Miles, director of Caltrans District 7. If it does need to be taken down, the freeway will reopen by 5 p.m.
PHOTOS: Fiery crash on the 60 Freeway
"We're working 24 hours," Miles said.
Rebuilding the bridge will probably take several months, including the bidding and engineering process, he said.
The Paramount Boulevard bridge was built in the 1960s and has since been repaved and maintained.
FULL COVERAGE: 60 Freeway
"I don't think the age of the structure had anything to do with the extent of the damage," Miles said.
Capt. Omar Watson of the California Highway Patrol said the 60 Freeway serves as a truck route for freight bound from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the Inland Empire. The truck traffic will move to surrounding freeways, adding to congestion over the next day.
The closure made for a miserable morning commute, with the 10, 210 and 5 freeways seeing extra traffic along with major surface streets flowing into downtown L.A. from the east.
The 60 Freeway is closed in both directions between the 605 and the 710 freeways through the weekend, said Officer Ed Jacobs, a public information officer at the California Highway Patrol.
Elijah Quesada, 25, left his Hacienda Heights home earlier than usual to make the 30-minute commute to Vernon. Using GPS and "knowledge of the streets," Quesada said it only took him 45 minutes to get to work after leaving home at 6 a.m.
The X-ray technician expressed patience even after experiencing some delays.
"We live in L.A.," he said. "We live in traffic. You have to learn to work around it."
Brian van der Brug, California Highway Patrol, California Highway Patrol.Elijah Quesada, Los Angeles, Mike Miles, freeway, Caltrans officials
Sing-sing kundu
Celebrating the Bargam New Testament dedication
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BRUSSELS—A new "fiscal compact" designed to mend flaws in the single European currency's framework should be completed in the first six months of next year, European Commission president José Manuel Barroso said Wednesday.
"We are going to hopefully conclude negotiations for a new fiscal compact during the Danish presidency," Mr. Barroso told the European Parliament. "The crisis is not yet behind us, there's a lot of work ahead." Denmark takes over the European Union's six-month rotating presidency from Poland on January 1.
Germany believed that the agreement of new tougher fiscal stability rules in Europe would be enough to calm down the financial markets but not all other countries at last week's EU summit agreed, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said Wednesday in an address to the Italian Senate.
More systematic fiscal rigor is "essential" and the pledges made by 26 EU members last Friday will boost the credibility of public finances in the region, Mr. Monti said.
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José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, speaking during the debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Tuesday.
However, he made it clear he believed that more agreements would be needed, particularly on an agreement to mutualize debt liabilities, for the euro-zone sovereign-debt crisis to dissipate.
He noted that while so-called euro-zone bonds weren't mentioned in the European Council's final statement, there had been an ample discussion of such instruments and there was an agreement that they would figure on the agenda of the EU's March summit.
"The Italian government insisted heavily on euro-bonds, which are not a back-door way to allow fiscal laxity but will boost growth," Mr. Monti said. He added that jointly-guaranteed debt would deepen Europe's capital markets.
In an address peppered with complaints from the opposition, Mr. Monti added that the EU's decisions on boosting the size of so-called firewalls to prevent cross-border contagion of debt woes "fell short" of his hopes.
But they were still "substantial," he said, noting the agreement to add €200 billion in resources via loans to the International Monetary Fund and tasking the European Central Bank with management of the European Financial Stability Facility.
He also lauded the decision to announce that private-sector creditors would no longer be required to participate in losses linked to debt restructuring.
Retreat from that stance, which was agreed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at a meeting in Deauville earlier this year, sent an important signal to EU decision-makers, Mr. Monti said. "Merkel and Sarkozy made a mistake, and now they know they should hold precautionary discussions with others first."
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European Union, Manuel Barroso, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, European Parliament, European Commission, President of the European Commission, Mr. Monti, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy
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Kuvika - Strand in Ryfylke, Norway
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Mitt Romney, left, and Newt Gingrich take part in the Republican debate in Des Moines, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press / December 10, 2011)
Reporting from Des Moines, Iowa—
With Newt Gingrich as their common target, the Republican presidential hopefuls piled on the new party front-runner in a lively debate Saturday night, jabbing him over his political consistency, the sturdiness of his character and the plausibility of his policy proposals.
One after another, rivals portrayed the former House speaker — who looked on stern-faced — as an opportunist who changes his beliefs to suit the political times and his personal ambitions.
"He's been on different positions, you know, on so many issues," said Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, voicing a theme picked up by others on the Drake University stage who each insisted he or she alone was the true conservative who could best take the fight to President Obama.
Gingrich’s history of marital infidelity arose when the co-moderator, George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, asked whether voters ought to consider whether a candidate has been faithful to their spouse when deciding whom to support for president.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is avidly courting Iowa’s social conservatives, responded firmly, saying that a politician who will cheat on his wife cannot be trusted.
"If you will cheat on your wife, if you will cheat on your spouse, then why wouldn’t you cheat on your business partner, or why wouldn’t you cheat on anyone for that matter?" Perry asked.
Gingrich, who is married to his third wife, Callista — with whom he conducted an extramarital affair — seemed ready for the question and agreed that voters ought to consider the matter. “I think people have to look at a person to who they are going to loan the presidency and they have a right to ask every single question,” he said.
Gingrich reiterated his prior statements that he had made mistakes and sought forgiveness and that people ought to consider who he is now: “I'm also a 68-year-old grandfather, and I think people have to measure who I am now and whether I am a person they can trust.”
The candidates initially seemed reluctant to engage. But once prodded by Stephanopolous, they quickly jumped in
Mitt Romney, who has been running at or near the front of polls until Gingrich's recent surge, challenged Gingrich’s call to colonize the moon and to change child labor laws so inner-city students can go to work cleaning their classrooms. Romney contrasted his background in the business world with Gingrich's long career in Washington.
"Let's be candid," Gingrich shot back. “The only reason you didn't become a career politician is you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994.”
The rejoinder — a reference to Romney's unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid before winning the Massachusetts governorship eight years later — was the closest Gingrich came to showing pique.
Acting like the college lecturer he once was, he rebutted his opponents point by point, saying, for instance, that colonizing the moon would inspire students to study math and science and that putting poor students to work was a way to instill a healthy work ethic.
He also glossed over some facts, ignoring his past support for cap-and-trade legislation to fight global warming, and sidestepped others, defending his acceptance of more than $1.6 million from Freddie Mac — the federal insurer he has attacked for causing the housing crisis — by saying it was the sort of private sector work that Romney was extolling.
“K Street's not the private sector,” a laughing Romney responded, referring to the corridor housing the Beltway's major lobbying firms.
Romney, who has struggled to shuck his patrician image, probably did not help his cause with an impromptu proposition made Saturday night.
Perry said that Romney had written in his campaign book that his healthcare mandate “should be a model for the country,” a claim Romney has made in the past but not in the pages of his text.
In response, Romney stuck out his hand and offered to bet Perry $10,000 that he was wrong -- a gesture that is unlikely to play well amongst Iowans, who tend to recoil from ostentatious displays of wealth.
The nearly two-hour session was the 12th of the nominating season and the first since Gingrich rose from political near-death to become the latest candidate to lead the pack, a status confirmed by his front-and-center positioning on stage and the proverbial bull's-eye on his back.
Rep. Michele Bachmann, who enjoyed a brief stint at the top of Iowa polls before falling back, cited Gingrich's past support for a mandate requiring individuals to purchase health insurance, a provision of Obama's healthcare plan that conservatives revile. She noted Romney's Massachusetts legislation had a similar provision and, lumping two together, suggested to voters, “If you want a difference, Michele Bachmann is the proven conservative, not Newt Romney.Ö”
Gingrich defended his support for the mandate, which he now opposes, by saying it was the best way at the time to fight the healthcare overhaul plan put forth in the 1990s under President Clinton. But former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum echoed those questioning Gingrich's consistency, saying he came out against the mandate even then.
The debate came at an important juncture in the turbulent race, with the exit of erstwhile poll leader Herman Cain, the surge of Gingrich and, not least, the impending arrival of Christmas and New Year's, which are competing for voters' attention. (The wall-to-wall TV advertising is unlikely to offer much in the way of good cheer.) Iowa's precinct caucuses, the first step in the presidential selection process, will be held Jan. 3.
The candidates will meet again Thursday night at a second Iowa debate, scheduled for Sioux City.
Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Des Moines, Iowa, Rick Perry, Iowa, Michele Bachmann
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Cruise 2011 - Grand Caymen
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2011 Cruise - Jamaica
Cruise 2011 - Jamaica
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Si me preguntaran como veo mi futuro..slo querra que se pareciera a este instante..
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