Beyond Structured Settlements: Structured Settlements in 2012 - 4

Executive Life of New York

At one time or another, each of us may have become acquainted with individuals who have overcome personal injuries and successfully transformed their disabilities and special needs into special lifetime accomplishments. Kyle Walsh, profiled in a 2012 S2KM blog post, is one such individual. The late Randy Snow, featured in a 2008 S2KM blog series, was another.

Structured settlements are supposed to provide economic security for people with serious injuries and disabilities - to help them rebuild their lives and, in many cases, to achieve special lifetime accomplishments. Instead of an all-cash personal injury settlement, structured settlement recipients accept a promise of future periodic payments.

What happens, if and when, that promise is broken? What happens when a structured settlement funding company, and the regulators and guaranty system responsible for protecting the structured settlement recipients, fail to make and/or insure full payment?

These questions are highlighted by the Executive Life of New York (ELNY) liquidation - the dominant structured settlement story of 2012 and one of the most important developments in the history of the United States structured settlement industry.

The story of ELNY, as well as its affiliate Executive Life of California (ELIC), and their parent company, First Capital Corporation (FEC), is long and complex. For background of events prior to ELNY's 1991 receivership, S2KM recommends Gary Schulte's 1992 book "The Fall of First Executive".

Significantly, neither the 1991 ELNY Rehabilitation Order nor the 1992 Order approving the ELNY Rehabilitation Plan declared ELNY to be insolvent. When then New York's Insurance Commissioner Salvatore Curiale seized control of ELNY on April 16, 1991 and placed it in receivership, he stated: "The company is currently neither in an insolvent or impaired condition. . . . I have not petitioned the Court to make a finding of insolvency. ELNY is a company well able to meet its current obligations."

Exactly twenty-one years later, on April 16, 2012, following 11 days of hearings at the Nassau County New York Supreme Court, presiding Judge John M. Galasso approved an Order of Liquidation and a Restructuring Agreement for ELNY as proposed by the Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services (Superintendent), as ELNY's Receiver, and the National Organization of Life and Health Guaranty Funds (NOLHGA).

The result of the ELNY Liquidation Order and Restructuring Plan, even following contributions from state guaranty funds and voluntary life insurance company contributions, is a $900 million shortfall allocated entirely (and arguably inequitably) to more than 1400 ELNY payees out of a total of approximately 9700 current ELNY payees. The remaining ELNY payees expect to receive 100 percent of their promised future payments. The average individual shortfall is estimated to exceed $600,000 present value. Although an ELNY Hardship Fund has been created, it has not yet been funded.

An appeal was filed May 30, 2012, on behalf of 18 ELNY structured settlement shortfall payees, challenging the ELNY liquidation order and restructuring agreement on the basis of due process. The appeal also alleges that immunities and injunctions granted under the liquidation order are improper. Oral arguments occurred on November 15, 2012 in Brooklyn before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Second Department. No decision has been announced.

Another legal challenge to the ELNY liquidation order occurred June 14, 2012 when attorneys for several liability insurers filed a Motion asking Judge John Gallasso to "clarify and/or correct" his April 16, 2012 ELNY Memorandum Decision. The motion indirectly raises the issue of whether qualified assignments extinguish the liability of defendants and/or liability insurers for shortfall payments resulting from the ELNY liquidation? Judge Galasso denied the Motion without further explanation.?

In a subsequent development, somewhat related to the liability insurers' motion, the ELNY website announced an ELNY Facilitation Plan to assist owners of ELNY structured settlement annuities (SSAs) make supplemental payments to ELNY SSA payees and to coordinate those payments with the ELNY benefit payments scheduled to be made by the Guaranty Association Benefits Company (GABC) under the ELNY Restructuring Plan approved by Judge Galasso on April 16, 2012 as part of the ELNY liquidation order.

The same attorneys who filed the ELNY appeal, Edward Stone and representatives of the Christensen & Jensen law firm, filed a class action lawsuit November 8, 2012, on behalf of ELNY shortfall victims, against Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of Financial Services of the State of New York, and his predecessor ELNY Rehabilitators, as well as MetLife and Credit Suisse. The class action allegations provide a critical litany of mismanagment and non-disclosure during the 21 years ELNY's estate was being supervised by these defendants.

In response, attorneys representing Benjamin M. Lawsky, in his capacity as ELNY's Receiver, filed a Notice of a Motion with the Nassau County New York State Supreme Court requesting oral argument on January 4, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. or as soon thereafter as the parties may be heard:

• to enjoin three ELNY structured settlement shortfall payees and their legal counsel from proceeding with a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court Southern District of New York;
• to hold in contempt of court the shortfall payees' legal counsel; and
• to require their payment of the related costs and attorney's fees incurred by the Superintendent.

Although the ELNY liquidation has so far received limited coverage in the mainstream media, specialty insurance experts and analysts have not been silent. Examples:

• Peter Bickford - In his article titled "The Elephant in the Court Room" (summarized here by S2KM), Bickford argues New York?s receivership system has failed ELNY, its policyholders and beneficiaries, as well as the insurance industry and its customers due to a lack of basic accountability standards. Although the ELNY restructuring plan may solve the immediate ELNY problem (at the expense of the remaining ELNY shortfall victims), Bickford maintains it does not address the broader, underlying systemic defects inherent in the New York life insurance receivership system. Without an act of the New York legislature, according to Bickford, "there will be no life insurance guaranty fund coverage in New York" following ELNY. Bickford's article also provides succinct summaries of objections raised by ELNY shortfall victims and ELNY legal issues which he states "could linger in the courts for years"
• LifeHealthPro - In an article titled "The Complete ELNY Saga: 21 Years of Mismanagement, Corruption, Broken Promises and Shattered Lives", (summarized here by S2KM), the authors assign primary blame for ELNY insolvency to the NYLB which they describe as "a rogue agency known for its codes of secrecy and characterized by many who spoke for this story as ineffective and mismanaged at best, and a snake pit of corruption at worst". In a companion article (reviewed here by S2KM), writer Warren Hersch asks: "is the structured settlement process in need of reform"?? In a follow-up oped article titled "Governor Cuomo I'm Calling You Out", (summarized here by S2KM), Bill Coffin, LifeHealthPro's Group Editor, charges New York Governor Andrew Cuomo with personal responsibility to clean up the "ELNY debacle".

The final results of the ELNY liquidation will depend upon the outcome of the continuing litigation highlighted in this article. It also remains to be seen what reforms, if any, will result from the failed ELNY receivership process.

In conclusion, it should also be noted that ELIC-related litigation continued in 2012 (Garamendi v. Altus Finance S.A.) when a federal jury in Los Angeles rejected a claim by California's Insurance Commissioner that, but for a conspiracy by French investor group Artemis S.A.:

• ELIC's original conservator (then California insurance commissioner John Garamendi) would have accepted an alternative bid in 1991 by state insurance guaranty associations; and
• The alternative bid would have retained profits from ELIC's junk bond portfolio for the benefit of policyholders including ELIC structured settlement recipients.

For S2KM's complete and continuing reporting about the ELNY liquidation, see the structured settlement wiki.

This blog post completes S2KM's series "Structured Settlements in 2012":

• Part 1 - Primary market
• Part 2 - Settlement planning
• Part 3 - Secondary market
• Part 4 - Executive Life of New York

Source: http://s2kmblog.typepad.com/rethinking_structured_set/2012/12/structured-settlements-in-2012-4.html

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New Year's Eve Contest Extravaganza!

Win one of 11 remaining Google Play Gift Cards - or a bonus Nexus 4!

We had the best of intentions, really. Thirty-one days in December, 31 days of contests. But -- surprise, surprise -- holidays and birthdays and sick days caught up with us. We've already given away some 20 Google Play Gift Cards worth $10 each. And now, with but hours to go before we here in the U.S. tip over into 2013, we're finally going to wrap this contest.

Those of you who made it a little further in your math studies than we did might note that we've got 11 Gift Cards to go. And since tonight is the party night of the year, let's just get it all done in one last major contest, shall we? 

First, a quick reminder that all 31 winners are also in the running for a free 16GB Nexus 4, courtesy of us. If you've won one of the daily contests, or win one of the final 11 Gift Cards, you're automatically in the running. 

But let's sweeten the pot, shall we? We're going to give away a second Nexus 4, and we're going to do it in this final contest.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/MF6A0hc-h5I/story01.htm

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London, the Holidays, and the Rolling Stones

I took off from California to see the Rolling Stones' first 50th anniversary concert, the only one with a confirmed appearance by the band's original bassist Bill Wyman, and along the way I discovered London at one of its most dazzling times of the year.

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The Rolling Stones' kick off show at the mighty O2, a 20,000 seat indoor arena located at the edge of the city, happened to coincide with the start of the holiday season. I assumed that the land of figgy pudding and the Ghost of Christmas Past would be festive from November through the first week of January.

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But I thought my days around the Stones' concert would involve an excursion to the edgy East End and a couple days at the British Music Experience, the interactive museum within the O2 complex that tracks the roots and cultural history of the major British rock 'n' roll movements.

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Instead, the frothy excitement of London's holiday spirit all but hijacked my attention and lured me into different neighborhoods and activities. Many of the festivities continue through January 5, which is the twelfth day of Christmas. (Typically, the twelve days of Christmas begin on December 25 or December 26, which is Boxing Day.) Given that Christmas and New Year's land on a Tuesday this year, a four or five day trip to London is actually doable this holiday season. And it is worth the trip.

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Urban Dazzlers: London has stationed extraordinary light and ornamental displays around town. These giant installations arch over streets, hang over major thoroughfares, and border buildings, railings, walls, windows and just about anything nailed down, it seems. Each of the Twelve Days of Christmas, as described in the traditional folk tune, is illustrated on huge golden plaques bordered by massive illuminated sprigs of holly and suspended over Regent Street. Covent Garden is nearly a blur of illuminated color, especially around the central square. Pedestrians walk amid and through blue arches of light over South Molton. Marylebone, Oxford, Bond and other areas also are aglow with holiday bulbs.

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My favorite installation, keeping with the major theme of the trip, is on Carnaby Street. The Rolling Stones set up a pop up shop there and overhead are huge disks with photos of Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ron and the band's trademark red lips and tongue logo. The street displays continue through Jan. 5 and they cost the price of a Tube ticket, if that. (Ok, I took a taxi back to the hotel.)

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Some hotels, like the uniquely elegant Milestone across from Kensington Palace, and the Stafford Hotel are ablaze with light. Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland, with its ice rink, 500 ice sculptures and 100,000 bulbs a blazing, offers a full immersion holiday experience, although some of the activities cost and some are free. And, of course, shops and department stores, most famously Harrods and Harvey Nichols, have fashioned their own sort of spectacle. The latter even throws a couple of New Year Eve parties on its 2nd and 4th floors this year.

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Holiday Theater: London is one of the foremost theatre destinations in the world. But of the plays and musicals currently occupying stages in the West End, "Constellations", which runs through Jan. 5 at Royal Court Theatre, has an inadvertent end of year spin. The two person play by Nick Payne lacks any hint of holiday trappings. No December/January setting. No heart-warming message. This is a play about string theory and parallel universes of different possible outcomes to human actions. This theme is carried out through an especially clever dramatic device that tells the story of a relationship. Seeing it at this time of year, "Constellations" encourages a reconsideration of what New Year's resolutions can really mean and how our choices -made and not made-- shape our lives.

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The Three Days of London's New Year: First there's New Year Eve, with the free fireworks display on the South Bank of the River Thames, the hotels' and restaurants' special dinners and a myriad of club parties. Then, on New Year's Day, London hosts a parade with 10,000 performers from multiple countries. Then, comes the inevitable --Detox Day.

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One of the places to shed the excess is the ESPA at the relatively new Corinthia Hotel, which manages to be classic and chic at the same time. (Some of the Rolling Stones' entourage stayed here during the London shows). The hotel boasts a magnificent location near Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the River Thames. But its spa, occupying four floors, is hidden in the lower recesses of the building. It serves as a hermetic womb of healing waters and pools, body and facial treatments and a fitness room with personalized instruction and advice. This is a post-holiday haven and one of London's best places to recover from 2012 and reload for the New Year.

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Letting a concert's location determine a travel itinerary is not typical-- unless you follow jam bands, of course. But participating in London's holiday revelry was an unexpected benefit to attending the Rolling Stones' 50th anniversary show.

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Let's see if the band takes the show on the road in 2013 and where those may lead.

Source: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-903658?ref=feeds/latest

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Clippers score 15th straight NBA win

LOS ANGELES, California - The Los Angeles Clippers routed the Boston Celtics 106-77 on Thursday to stretch their franchise-record NBA winning streak to 15 games.

The Clippers are the first team to win 15 in a row since the Celtics racked up 19 games straight in the 2008-09 season.

They improved to a league-best 23-6, staying atop the Western Conference ahead of Oklahoma City - who improved to 22-6 with a 111-105 overtime victory over Dallas.

Matt Barnes led the Clippers with 21 points, making five of their 12 three-point shots.

Jamal Crawford added 17 points and Blake Griffin contributed 15 points and eight rebounds for the Clippers, who last lost on November 26.

Kevin Garnett scored 16 points and Paul Pierce added 12 for the Celtics, who lost for the fifth time in seven games.

The Clippers seized control early, making nine of their first 13 shots to jump out to a 21-6 lead.

The Clippers were up 82-67 going into the fourth quarter and opened the period on an 8-0 scoring run.

Source: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=221342

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Online Used Car Auctions Versus Live Used Car Auctions | Internet

As it pertains to purchasing an used car from an used car market, you will see that you?ve numerous different options. Two of your most popular options includ?

Are you enthusiastic about buying a car or truck? Have you ever considered purchasing a car from an auto auction, if you?re? Purchasing an used car through a car auction an car auction, that is also commonly referred to, is a superb method to find a large choice of quality, reliable, yet affordable used cars on the market.

In regards to purchasing an used car from an used car auction, you will discover that you?ve a number of different choices. Two of your most common choices contain attending an used car auction or playing an on line used car auction. If this really is your first time trying to buy an used car from an auto auction, you could be unsure regarding which type of used car auction you must choose. It?s best in the event that you first take the time to familiarize your self with both on the web auto auctions and live auto auctions, when it concerns making a choice.

As you probably already know just, online car or truck auctions are car auctions that take place over the internet. These auctions, themselves, are available in several different forms. For example, it is possible to purchase an used car from an on line auction internet site. In the last several years, the acceptance of on the web market sites has increased. That?s what has led many car owners to record their used cars on the market online. The only disadvantage to doing so is that you actually know nothing about the car owner. It can be difficult, if perhaps not entirely impossible, if they have even the on the market car in their possession to tell. Also, online auction internet sites let car owners from throughout the country sell vehicles online. It can make the distribution expensive, while this does give a greater selection to you of vehicles to select from.

Another kind of online auto auction that you need to be able to find online is auto deals that are controlled by old-fashioned auction houses or organizations. As a result of reputation of the internet, a significant number of auction owners are rethinking the way which they conduct business. Many are now starting to change their live auctions with on line auctions and many are also deciding to accomplish both. When an house or company chooses with an on the web used car auction, they often achieve this right on their very own webpage. What is good about taking part in this type of auction is that you ought to manage to locate a local auction company. This would make the supply of the vehicle in question easier and it could give the opportunity to you to prevent by and examine or inspect the vehicle that you?d want to consider bidding on.

While on the web auto auctions do sound appealing, mostly because of their benefit, there?s nothing can beat attending an actual, live auto market. In reality, it is often suggested that those who desire to get a car from an used car auction attend a live one. Live vehicle auctions are good as you are in a position to choose which auctions you would like to attend. This means that if you are now living in a particular area, like the Chicago area, you may elect to attend a local car auction, as opposed to one that?s located too much away. You also have the option of choosing to attend a totally free used car auction or one which requires the payment of an entrance fee; your choice is yours to create.

Probably, the greatest good thing about buying an used car from a live used car market is the proven fact that you?re able to see the car yourself. Actually, it is possible to often do significantly more than just start to see the car. Several car auction houses or businesses have planned examination periods. These sessions are where you are able to check each car that you could be interested in buying, inside and out.

Of course, your choice as to whether you?d prefer to buy a car from an used car auction or an online used car auction is yours to produce, but you should know that many car owners report achievement when buying from a live car auction. For starters, you may want to check out the live car auctions published by North Shore Auto Auction. Should you maybe not find what you are looking for, you may then continue to examine your other options; choices that may include online car or truck auctions.

To check out more, please go to: ducati 1098 for sale critique

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Source: http://www.im-steps.com/online-used-car-auctions-versus-live-used-car-auctions/

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The web is vital ? but let's not miss its broader lessons for our politics

During the 2010 general election campaign, and for a year or so leading up to it, a standard issue question fired off by the media was, ?What impact will the internet have on the outcome of the general election??

Iain Dale and I discussed it for an hour at the BBC College of Journalism, hardly ever in disagreement in spite of the differences in our politics.

I also discussed the matter on Sky News with Tim Montgomerie one blurry Saturday morning. Again, we echoed each other closely: the web would not ? would never ? be the deciding or even defining factor in determining the outcome of a general election.

Those big elections, we tended to agree, would always hinge on key issues and, to a slightly lesser extent, personalities. Jobs, schools, hospitals, wages, foreign policy ? those things matter. Strength, trust, clarity, resilience in leadership ? these attributes will always be important too.

While the internet was a still a new-ish tool to understand and to harness in electoral politics in 2010, most people felt it would not set the tone of debate, nor would it alter the general course of a national election.

So it proved.

And yet, two and a half years later, the still rapid development of the web is again playing a role in our national, and indeed global, discourse about how we conduct our politics.

After the impressive innovation of the 2012 Obama campaign, the role of digital engagement in politics is firmly back on the agenda.

Google and CNN recently hosted a discussion on how the various presidential campaigns built digital tools to improve their fundraising and Get Out The Vote operations. Forbes published analysis at the end of the cycle calling 2012 ?the first digital election?. The Harvard Business Review also got stuck into the mine of data. And Time magazine?s summary provides all the numbers you need on Obama?s digital mobilisation: ?690m raised online; 45 million Facebook likes; 358,000 real world events organised through the Dashboard technology; and more.

At LabourList, too, Mark has been diligent in championing the need for Labour to continue to improve its online organising and its emails, suggesting Brewer Street could do with a big beast like Alastair Campbell to beef up e-communications.

More recently, he?s highlighted the role of Matthew McGregor in directing Obama?s rapid response team in the US and called on the party to hire him to run digital operations. Anyone who knows Matthew will know he?s one of the most impressive campaigners out there. His involvement would unquestionably be a boon for Labour.

All of this debate is well and good. Political parties should be looking to improve their digital communications. There is a huge opportunity for individual politicians, in particular, to harness the open nature of the web to interact with members of the public, to answer their questions, to recruit and mobilise volunteers ? as Stella Creasy has done so effectively over the past eighteen months.

What concerns me, though, is that in the haste to think about how the internet can inform and inspire our politics specifically, we are missing some of the broader cultural and social trends that underpin why the internet has become such a powerful tool in the first place.

First, and most obviously, many people have lost trust in the large, often faceless and remote institutions that once were the backbone of our establishment.

As YouGov?s recent ?Trust Tracker? showed, there is diminishing trust in every former pillar of our society ? from family doctors, to judges, to news journalists, to politicians on both sides ? except for people in large businesses who were already at a very low bar.

This is significant in understanding the role of the internet in society and in politics because Web 2.0 generally, and social media in particular, are self-selective ? that is, people choose their own digital content, news, politics, and even social networks based on their pre-existing views, interests and relationships.

This is a good and a bad thing.

Self-selection allows individuals to bypass many of those remote institutions that have done so much to destroy trust in our society. People are now free to choose to access information, commerce and even public services from those organisations or individuals with whom they already have a relationship of trust, leading to potentially even stronger bonds.

But for people in politics, self-selection can lead to a dangerously closed culture that cuts many campaigners off even further from the people they seek to serve, exactly because they gain information and views from too narrow a cross-section of society based on their pre-existing interests. In practice, digital media can therefore entrench closed political networks and mindsets, rather than open them.

As I wrote in a long-ish piece in the last edition of Total Politics, this can lead to a dynastic, self-preservationist and even somewhat timid culture that shuns innovation and new voices. That is not how the rest of the country operates, and it is dangerous for our politics.

These frustrations are also articulated in Joe Hayman?s book British Voices. There, I rambled:

?there?s still the same group-think that there was when people were meeting in smoky pubs in Westminster. I follow Westminster journalists and they all follow each other ? they don?t follow John who lives in Stockport. Until [the internet] leads to a revolution in housing or social care, it is not going to be the great democratising tool it?s held up to be. Until it translates into people feeling like they?ve got more power in their life, they?ll continue to be angry.?

As the Labour Party promises new policies in 2013, it should also seek to apply some of these broad cultural lessons to improving its organisation. There are three things the party can do right away.

First, CLPs around the country, as well as the party centrally, should seek to better understand supporters. How would they like to contribute? What unique skills do they have that they can bring to the table? What type of political or social events might they like to attend, or host? Digital engagement is key to learning more about the people the party seeks to bring on board, and then keeping them motivated.

Second, they should remove as many of the practices that are prohibitive to involvement as possible, and encourage autonomy and expression, online and off. That means losing some of the stuffy GC meetings and giving members the tools and templates to run their own campaigns, street-by-street, in the communities they know best and on the issues that matter most to them.

Third, they should remove some of the politics from their digital communications. The party?s Facebook page, for example, is bannered by an image of young people knocking on doors. Great, but that?s a very niche thing to do, even for the politically motivated. How about a photo of people laughing and interacting, or a visualisation of what the party stands for or has achieved for the country? How about some behind-the-scenes photos and unique invitations?

Elements of the party?s digital output have improved immensely over the past few months, but a text, email or phone call from a volunteer when I?ve personally been affected by government policy, and at a time other than election time, would enthuse me more than a seemingly random missive which is in fact in response to a remote statement in parliament. That?s the sort of user-led approach that only an organisation in touch with its people can adopt.

These changes are relatively minor, but each might do a little to help make the party more open, more accessible to people who don?t already share our obsession with politics. They would apply learning from cultures and sectors away from politics that are better at understanding their target users. And they would help achieve something everybody wants: making the weird world of politics more relatable, more real, to people.

Source: http://labourlist.org/2012/12/the-web-is-vital-but-lets-not-miss-its-broader-lessons-for-our-politics/

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Pets' Fountain of Youth | Steve Dale's Pet World

By Steve Dale, Friday at 9:41 am

"I firmly believe our pets can live longer," says Dr. Kerri Marshall, executive director of customer?experience?and chief veterinary officer of Trupanion says preventive care and?preparation?can extend pets lives. Listen HERE for my interview with Dr. Marshall from Steve Dale's Pet World.?

Preventive care means visiting your veterinarian twice a year, ideally....which can help to catch illness early - and that can save your pet's life as well as save pet owners money.

By preparation she means, getting pet insurance, or do something to prevent potential economic euthanasia. It's so sad when pets are euthanized just because the family can't afford treatment.

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Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/steve-dales-pet-world/2012/12/pets-fountain-of-youth/

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Improve Your Business's Branding with Private Label Water - Water ...

Last updated 5 hours 33 minutes ago

No matter what type of business you run, it is important to ensure that your clients have a pleasant experience every time they see you so that they will be more likely to come back in the future. A simple offering of refreshment with company branded water bottles makes a great impression on your customers and has many benefits that are well worth the time it takes to create your custom labels. Here is a look at the big impact that details such as private labeled water can make for your business.

Your customers have something to take home
When you give customers a bottle of water with a custom branded label, they will have a piece of your branding to take home with them. This will increase the exposure of your logo to each customer who takes a water bottle and also serve as a small offering of a positive customer experience. You might encourage customers to reuse these custom labeled bottles to save plastic, so they will keep making an impression while reducing waste.

You can create a more professional reputation
Everything you put your brand on relates to your customer relationships, and bottled water is something that anyone can take with them. All people drink water, but not everyone is drinking water with your logo on it. When customers see that you have made the effort to reach out with more logo exposure, they may have a higher perception of the professionalism of your business. Plus, the label design is completely customized to your requests, so it will reflect your business in the exact way that you want it to.

If you choose Water Event in Dallas for your customized private label water, you can expect your order to be ready in about two weeks so that you can start branding your business more effectively. Get started on your label design by calling us today at (214) 431-3253 or visiting our website.

Source: http://www.watereventdallastx.com/618429/2012/12/28/improve-your-businesss-branding-with-private-label-water.html

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Former President George H.W. Bush remains in intensive care

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Former President George H.W. Bush remained in the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital on Thursday, but his longtime chief of staff issued a reassuring message, urging the media and the public to "put the harps back in the closet."

Bush, 88, a Republican who during his one term in office led a coalition of nations that ejected Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991, was admitted to Methodist Hospital November 23 for bronchitis.

He was transferred to intensive care on Sunday after setbacks including a persistent fever, family spokesman Jim McGrath has said.

"I don't have any guidance so far today except to say no news is good news," McGrath said on Thursday. Hospital spokesman George Kovacik added that the former president remained in intensive care on Thursday.

But in a statement addressed to the "national media" on Bush's condition on Thursday, chief of staff Jean Becker sought to strike an upbeat tone.

"Yes, President Bush is in ICU where he is getting the best medical care in the world," she wrote. "Is he sick? Yes. Does he plan on going anywhere soon? No. He has every intention of staying put.

"He would ask me to tell you to please 'put the harps back in the closet,'" she said.

On a more serious note, Becker said her boss was expected to remain in the hospital for "a while," adding, "He is 88 years old, he had a terrible case of bronchitis which then triggered a series of complications." She did not elaborate.

McGrath on Wednesday described Bush as alert and talking to medical staff.

On Thursday evening, McGrath released a statement from Bush mourning the death of retired Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the U.S. and allied forces that routed Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein's military from Kuwait during a six-week war in 1991.

He said the four-star general, who died at age 78, "epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises."

Bush has lower-body parkinsonism, which causes a loss of balance, and has used wheelchairs for more than a year.

The 41st U.S. president and father of former President George W. Bush, he served as a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, envoy to China, CIA director and vice president for two terms under Ronald Reagan during a political career spanning four decades.

(Reporting by Corrie MacLaggan; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Paul Thomasch, Phil Berlowitz and Paul Simao)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-president-george-h-w-bush-remains-intensive-011223514.html

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Last ditch effort to avoid fiscal cliff under way

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The end game at hand, the White House and Senate leaders took a final stab at compromise Friday night to prevent middle-class tax increases from taking effect at the turn of the new year and possibly prevent sweeping spending cuts as well.

"I'm optimistic we may still be able to reach an agreement that can pass both houses in time," President Barack Obama said at the White House after meeting for more than an hour with congressional leaders.

Surprisingly, after weeks of postelection gridlock, Senate leaders sounded even more bullish.

The Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said he was "hopeful and optimistic" of a deal, adding he hoped a compromise could be presented to rank-and-file lawmakers as early as Sunday, a little more than 24 hours before the year-end deadline.

Said Majority Leader Harry Reid: "I'm going to do everything I can" to prevent the tax increases and spending cuts that threaten to send the economy into recession. He cautioned, "Whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect."

Officials said there was a general understanding that any agreement would block scheduled income tax increases for middle class earners while letting rates rise at upper income levels.

Democrats said Obama was sticking to his campaign call for increases above $250,000 in annual income, even though in recent negotiations he said he could accept $400,000.

The two sides also confronted a divide over estate taxes.

Obama favors a higher tax than is currently in effect, but one senior Republican, Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, said he's "totally dead set" against it. Speaking of fellow GOP lawmakers, he said they harbor more opposition to an increase in the estate tax than to letting taxes on income and investments rise at upper levels.

Also likely to be included in the negotiations are taxes on dividends and capital gains, both of which are scheduled to rise with the new year. Also the alternative minimum tax, which, if left unchanged, could hit millions of middle- and upper-income taxpayers for the first time.

In addition, Obama and Democrats want to prevent the expiration of unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless, and there is widespread sentiment in both parties to shelter doctors from a cut in Medicare fees.

The White House has shown increased concern about a possible spike in milk prices if a farm bill is not passed in the next few days, although it is not clear whether that issue, too, might be included in the talks.

One Republican who was briefed on the White House meeting said Boehner made it clear he would leave in place spending cuts scheduled to take effect unless alternative savings were found to offset them. If he prevails, that would defer politically difficult decisions on government benefit programs like Medicare until 2013.

Success was far from guaranteed in an atmosphere of political mistrust ? even on a slimmed-down deal that postponed hard decisions about spending cuts into 2013 ? in a Capitol where lawmakers grumbled about the likelihood of spending the new year holiday working.

In a brief appearance in the White House briefing room, Obama referred to "dysfunction in Washington," and said the American public is "not going to have any patience for a politically self-inflicted wound to our economy. Not right now."

If there is no compromise, he said he expects Reid to put legislation on the floor to prevent tax increases on the middle class and extend unemployment benefits ? an implicit challenge to Republicans to dare to vote against what polls show is popular.

The guest list for the White House meeting included Reid, McConnell, Boehner and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

The same group last met more than a month ago and emerged expressing optimism they could strike a deal that avoided the fiscal cliff. At that point, Boehner had already said he was willing to let tax revenues rise as part of an agreement, and the president and his Democratic allies said they were ready to accept spending cuts.

Since then, though, talks between Obama and Boehner faltered, the speaker struggled to control his rebellious rank and file, and Reid and McConnell sparred almost daily in speeches on the Senate floor. Through it all, Wall Street has paid close attention, and in the moments before the meeting, stocks were trading lower for the fifth day in a row.

The core issue is the same as it has been for more than a year, Obama's demand for tax rates to rise on upper incomes while remaining at current levels for most Americans. He made the proposal central to his successful campaign for re-election, when he said incomes above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples should rise to 39.6 percent from the current 35 percent.

Boehner refused for weeks to accept any rate increases, and simultaneously accused Obama of skimping on the spending cuts he would support as part of a balanced deal to reduce deficits, remove the threat of spending cuts and prevent the across-the-board tax cuts.

Last week, the Ohio Republican pivoted and presented a Plan B measure that would have let rates rise on million-dollar earners. That was well above Obama's latest offer, which called for a $400,000 threshold, but more than the speaker's rank and file were willing to accept.

Facing defeat, Boehner scrapped plans for a vote, leaving the economy on track for the cliff that political leaders in both parties had said they could avoid. In the aftermath, Democrats said they doubted any compromise was possible until Boehner has been elected to a second term as speaker when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.

Further compounding the year-end maneuvering, there are warnings that the price of milk could virtually double beginning next year.

Congressional officials said that under current law, the federal government is obligated to maintain prices so that fluid milk sells for about $20 per hundredweight. If the law lapses, the Department of Agriculture would be required to maintain a price closer to $36 of $38 per hundredweight, they said. It is unclear when price increases might be felt by consumers.

______

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/last-ditch-effort-avoid-fiscal-224121739.html

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Bumper Pack Of Goal Setting/ Self Improvement Plr ? Video ...

Bumper Pack Of Goal Setting/ Self Improvement Plr
ll4.me Bumper Pack Of Goal Setting/ Self Improvement Plr Bumper Pack of Goal Setting Information- 2 PLR eBooks and PLR articles! All you need to start marketing to the profitable personal development/ self improvement niche. Book 1- Your Guide to Successfully Setting Goals- 60 page eBook Contents include; How to choose the right goals to focus on Key points to goal setting How things can go wrong Setting health/ fitness goals Setting relationship goals Getting motivated to achieve your goals- and much more Comes complete with sales page, cover image and product source files in Word and PDF format. Rights; You are free to resell this ebook and change it as you see fit. The only restrictions are that you may not give it away. Book 2- Goal Realization- 156 page eBook Contents include; Dating and goal realization Achieving in life Self help guide in goals Fighting to win Motivation leading to goal realization- and much more Comes complete with sales letter, all images and source files in Word and PDF format. Also includes list of keywords and a set of PLR articles (approximately 50) Rights; YES Sell Private Label Rights YES Claim Full Copyright YES Sell Master Resale Rights YES Edit/Alter the Sales Materials YES Added to Paid Membership Sites NO Added to Free Membership Sites YES Can be Broken Down Into Articles YES Can be Packaged with Other Products YES Sell at Auction Sites (priced at $9.99 and up) NO Offered Through Dime Sale Events YES Offered as Free Bonus NO Given Away ?From:ClintonPaigeViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:15More inPeople Blogs

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Blast in Ukrainian university kills one, wounds two

Randi Zuckerberg, the former marketing director of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg?s sister, was not happy at the end of her Christmas day. A photo she posted to her Facebook account of her family, including the Facebook CEO, playing around with Facebook?s new Poke app, ended...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blast-ukrainian-university-kills-one-wounds-two-131614248.html

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Gold Stocks Investing 2013 Guide :: The Market Oracle :: Financial ...

Commodities / Gold and Silver Stocks 2013 Dec 27, 2012 - 11:26 AM

By: Money_Morning

William Patalon writes: Gold bullion, gold stocks or no gold at all?

I put that question to Real Asset Returns Editor Peter Krauth last week.

You see, there's a lot of interest in investing in gold right now. Or perhaps I should say that there's a lot of interest in what gold might do.

And you can certainly understand why.

From its November 2008 market lows, the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) - the No. 1 proxy for the "yellow metal" - rose as much as 158%, reaching its peak in September 2011. But it's down about 13% since that time (though it's up 5% year to date), and a lot of folks are wondering what gold is worth, and how they should play it.

Wall Street has grown more tepid on gold, with many of the investment banks ratcheting back just a bit on their target prices. But most also see prices heading up to and beyond the $2,000 level in 2013, meaning they see a potential gain of 22% or better.

Peter's target price is a bit more aggressive: He sees gold trading as high as $2,200 an ounce - 34% above current prices in the $1,640 range.

I've worked with Peter for several years now, and admire the way he works.

He based himself in resource-rich Canada in order to be closer to the many companies that he covers. And he's made a number of truly superb market calls: In September 2010, for instance, when silver was trading at $19 an ounce, Peter told investors the metal was a "Buy" - and we then watched it soar to a high of $48 (a 153% windfall).

So when I decided to bring you the latest insights on gold - and some recommendations, as well - I went to Peter.

Insights on Investing in Gold
His answer: Physical bullion remains a top play; the physical metal is a vehicle for profit, and will serve as an excellent hedge against inflation and the many problems that remain in both the global and domestic U.S. economies.

But gold miners are so cheap that they, too, deserve a look.

Well, at least some of them do.

"Bill, you'll see statements from some of Wall Street's big guns that gold miners are cheap right now," Peter told me during a telephone chat last week. "And that's true. They are cheap on a numerical [fundamental] basis, especially compared with historical valuations. But gold miners are cheap in another way, too - a way that Wall Street's either not telling us about, or just doesn't understand."

Needless to say, that last statement grabbed my attention. And I told him so.

Peter laughed, and then went on with his commentary.

"Over the last decade or so, the best of these companies have aggressively expanded their reserves. They've done so organically - that is, developed properties themselves. And they've done so by purchasing small development-stage, or production-stage players," Peter said. "Investors don't realize just how much it costs to add reserves - especially if a company is doing so by itself. That's particularly true today, with all the regulations and public protests boosting environmental and compliance costs."

Statistics Peter provided bear this out. In 1991, there were 11 gold discoveries. Twenty years later - in 2011 - there were three. And companies spent $8 billion looking for new strikes that same year.

"So you see, Bill, that the miners that already added reserves had tremendous foresight," Peter said. "Having spent a number of years just growing their reserves, all it will take to reap the payoff will be some event that kicks off a mania in gold prices. And we're not talking about longshot odds for that to happen. All you need is the "right' set of events, either domestically or globally, to cause gold prices to rise. When that happens, gold-mining stocks will be off to the races."

Gold prices have suffered of late because of a strong U.S. dollar. That surprising strength (in the face of the whole "fiscal-cliff" mess) stems from the fact that worries about Europe have transformed the dollar into a "safe-haven" investment.

Gold and the dollar are negatively correlated because gold is priced in dollars, but most of the buyers aren't in dollar-based economies. (Because these buyers are Swiss, Indian or Chinese, just to name a few, they look at the price of gold in Swiss francs, Indian rupees or Chinese renminbi. And if the U.S. dollar is strong, the price of gold in dollars is weak - even if the native currency price remains the same.)

So the rise we've seen in the dollar has been accompanied by a sell-off in gold.

Investing in Gold Stocks
Naturally, that sell-off in gold has affected gold stocks.

Over the past three months Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM) is down about 21% and Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX) is down about 20%, but the SPDR Gold Shares ETF is down only about 5%.

Looking ahead, the U.S. Federal Reserve's plan to continue printing money (and that of the European Central Bank (ECB), or the new stimulus plan we're likely to get from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) should be very good for gold.

And a jump in gold prices will be even better for gold miners.
The reason for that is called "leverage."

When gold prices jump, a gold-producer sees its earnings accelerate at a faster pace than the price of the actual metal.

I saw a hypothetical in a recent edition of USA Today that explains this perfectly.

For example, if you own a mine that can produce gold for $1,100 an ounce, but gold is trading at $1,200, you're making a profit of $100 an ounce.

But what if gold jumps from that $1,200 price level to, say, $1,500? That's a price increase of $300, or 25%. For the gold miner, however, profits have jumped from $100 to $300 - a 200% gain.

Two miners to consider are Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM) and Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX).

"One of the ones that I like is Newmont," Peter told me. "It has a very good dividend yield of nearly 3.2%. It's well-diversified geographically. The stock has gone sideways for a very long time and now the company is making a very concerted effort to keep its costs down."

Then there's the Toronto-based Barrick, the world's biggest gold producer.

"Barrick, like other miners, has seen that investors are not exactly thrilled with the performance of their shares," Peter said. "The reason for that is that the company spent a number of years just growing its reserves. But it did so by using its own stock as currency to buy the smaller companies that we talked about earlier. That was very dilutive."

But Barrick has suddenly gotten religion - of the shareholder variety. In June, it fired CEO Aaron Regent after less than four years on the job: Board members were apparently peeved that the company's share price didn't move during that period, despite the huge run-up in gold prices.

"Going forward, just from the signs or evidence that I've seen, the company has adopted a much more investor-attentive attitude - and the ouster of the CEO is just one bit of that evidence," Peter said. "The company is trying to focus on keeping its costs in line. And it's trying to produce the hell out of what it already has in the ground. The odds are high that we'll have a pretty good six to 12 months to come."

Barrick's 2.4% dividend isn't bad either - especially because of the current "zero-interest-rate-policy" (ZIRP) environment.

If you want the full lowdown on what's to come in the natural-resources sector - which we believe will have a big year in 2013 - take some time to see everything that Peter is looking at by clicking here.

Source :http://moneymorning.com/2012/12/27/your-2013-guide-to-investing-in-gold/

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Disclaimer: Nothing published by Money Morning should be considered personalized investment advice. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized investent advice. We expressly forbid our writers from having a financial interest in any security recommended to our readers. All of our employees and agents must wait 24 hours after on-line publication, or after the mailing of printed-only publication prior to following an initial recommendation. Any investments recommended by Money Morning should be made only after consulting with your investment advisor and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

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Source: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article38232.html

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PFT: Gronkowski practicing, but?still 'not ready yet'

Reuters

Well, it?s officially over.

With an eight-game gap and one week of games left, MDS and yours truly disagree on only five games.? Which means that, even if MDS sweeps, I?ll still be three games ahead.? (Math continues to be my strong suit.)

Of course, if I sweep I?ll finish with a 13-game lead.? And based on the five disagreements, I think I will.

Read on to see our picks and our takes for the final week of the regular season.? It all re-sets to 0-0 for the playoffs, at which time MDS will have a chance to exact revenge.? Or to fail again.

Last week, I was 11-5 and MDS went 10-6.? For the year, I?m now at 157-82-1, good for 65.4 percent.? MDS is 149-90-1, which keeps him at 62.0 percent.

Buccaneers at Falcons

MDS?s take: The Falcons wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but they say they?re playing to win in Week 17. They shouldn?t have much trouble winning against the Bucs, who have collapsed at the end of the season.

MDS?s pick: Falcons 34, Buccaneers 13.

Florio?s take:? The Bucs haven?t been the same team since they nearly beat the Falcons in Tampa.? The Falcons are still trying to prove that they?re one of the best teams in the league.

Florio?s pick:? Falcons 27, Buccaneers 17.

Jets at Bills

MDS?s take: Football fans, the Greg McElroy-Ryan Fitzpatrick quarterback matchup you?ve all been waiting for is finally here. Fitzpatrick will throw a couple of touchdown passes in what may be his final start in Buffalo.

MDS?s pick: Bills 20, Jets 10.

Florio?s take:? The Jets have folded the tents, even though the circus is still in town.? Buffalo celebrates the news of a new lease with a home win to end the season, just in time for plenty of changes.

Florio?s pick:? Bills 27, Jets 14.

Ravens at Bengals

MDS?s take: At first glance this might look like a big game, matching up two playoff teams. But with the Bengals locked into the No. 6 seed and the Ravens highly likely to end up with the No. 4 seed, neither of these teams has a lot to play for. I think the Ravens, however, will be a little more motivated to build on the momentum from last week?s win over the Giants and will take this one.

MDS?s pick: Ravens 21, Bengals 14.

Florio?s take:? This meaningless game has plenty of meaning for the Bengals, who need to convince themselves that they can beat the Ravens, in order to obtain the confidence that they can do something else they haven?t done in an even longer time ? win in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? Bengals 27, Ravens 20.

Bears at Lions

MDS?s take: In 2000, the Lions were 9-6 heading into Week 17 and needed only to beat the 4-11 Bears to make the playoffs. Instead, the Bears pulled the upset and Lions owner William Clay Ford cleaned house and began the disastrous Matt Millen era. This year it?s the 9-6 Bears who need to beat the 4-11 Lions to have a shot at the playoffs. I?ll take the Lions to get their revenge in an upset.

MDS?s pick: Lions 28, Bears 24.

Florio?s take:? Rodney Harrison declared while watching the Lions lose to the Falcons that Detroit?s body language suggests the Lions have quit.? The Bears haven?t.? Sometimes, it?s that easy.

Florio?s pick:? Bears 24, Lions 10.

Texans at Colts

MDS?s take: The Texans are playing for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Colts are already locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC. Houston has more to play for and is a better team and will win this one going away.

MDS?s pick: Texans 36, Colts 17.

Florio?s take:? The Texans have never won in Indianapolis.? They need it this time more than ever.? But the Colts will have coach Chuck Pagano back, and even if the Colts leave so much on the field that it will make it harder to win in the playoffs, they?ll leave it all on the field to beat the Texans.

Florio?s pick:? Colts 27, Texans 23.

Packers at Vikings

MDS?s take: This is the biggest game played in Minnesota since Brett Favre led the Vikings to a divisional playoff win over the Cowboys three years ago. Unfortunately for Vikings fans, they?re hosting a Packers team that?s peaking at the right time. I like Aaron Rodgers to lead the Packers to a high-scoring win.

MDS?s pick: Packers 35, Vikings 27.

Florio?s take:? The Vikings are playing for a postseason berth.? The Packers are playing for a bye.? The Packers remain the better team, and they have every reason to demonstrate that on Sunday.? To the delight of the Bears.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 34, Vikings 21.

Dolphins at Patriots

MDS?s take: A win probably won?t be enough to earn New England a first-round playoff bye, but the Patriots will be motivated to try ? and to wash out the bad taste of back-to-back disappointing performances, in a loss to the 49ers and a close win over the Jaguars.

MDS?s pick: Patriots 41, Dolphins 14.

Florio?s take:? The Pats still have a crack at a bye.? That?s all the incentive they need to take out the Dolphins for the second time this month.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 34, Dolphins 17.

Panthers at Saints

MDS?s take: It?s a meaningless game for both teams, but that doesn?t make it a bad game: Both of these teams have been playing good football in recent weeks, despite falling short of the playoffs. I like the Panthers to keep their winning streak going and make a statement that they?re a team to keep an eye on in 2013.

MDS?s pick: Panthers 24, Saints 21.

Florio?s take:? New Orleans is trying to finish on a high note.? And they are succeeding.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 34, Panthers 10.

Eagles at Giants

MDS?s take: The Eagles quit on Andy Reid months ago. The Giants have looked in the last couple weeks like they quit on Tom Coughlin. Both of these teams are slouching toward the end of the season, but the Giants have more to play for.

MDS?s pick: Giants 14, Eagles 10.

Florio?s take:? The Giants are playing for pride, along with a sliver of hope that they could make it to the playoffs if enough other teams lose.? If the Giants find a way in, there?s a pretty good chance they won?t lose again.

Florio?s pick:? Giants 27, Eagles 20.

Browns at Steelers

MDS?s take: This game is meaningless, and I?m tempted to pick the Browns on the theory that the Steelers will be feeling a hangover from their disappointing Week 16 loss. But the Browns have gone in the tank over the last couple of weeks, and at this point I?m not sure I?d pick them to win on the road against anyone.

MDS?s pick: Steelers 17, Browns 9.

Florio?s take:? The Browns haven?t swept the Steelers since 1988, 11 years before the current edition of the Browns was born.? With rampant changes looming in Cleveland, the Steelers still have enough gas in the tank to avoid getting punked by the franchise they?ve owned since 1999 (even though the Browns are now technically owned by a guy who still owns a chunk of the Steelers).

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 20, Browns 10.

Jaguars at Titans

MDS?s take: Last time the Titans suffered a humiliating blowout loss and were called out by their owner, they responded by winning the next game. I think they?ll do it again.

MDS?s pick: Titans 24, Jaguars 14.

Florio?s take:? Bud Adams isn?t happy with his coaching staff.? He?ll be slightly less unhappy after Sunday, but still unhappy enough to clean house.

Florio?s pick:? Titans 27, Jaguars 16.

Chiefs at Broncos

MDS?s take: Knowing they need to win in order to earn a first-round playoff bye, the Broncos will pound the Chiefs, who have nothing to play for other than the first pick in next year?s draft ? which Kansas City will earn by losing.

MDS?s pick: Broncos 27, Chiefs 10.

Florio?s take:? With 10 straight wins each by at least seven points, the Broncos could be the best team in the playoff field.? They?re definitely good enough to continue chasing a bye week.

Florio?s pick:? Broncos 34, Chiefs 10.

Raiders at Chargers

MDS?s take: With Norv Turner virtually assured of being fired after the game, his team will send him out a winner in an AFC West contest that doesn?t really matter for much of anything.

MDS?s pick: Chargers 24, Raiders 10.

Florio?s take:? Norv Turner has one last chance to change the owner?s mind.? It won?t matter.

Florio?s pick:? Chargers 24, Raiders 10.

Cardinals at 49ers

MDS?s take: San Francisco will shake off Sunday night?s thrashing in Seattle to clinch the NFC West.

MDS?s pick: 49ers 28, Cardinals 3.

Florio?s take:? The Niners are on the brink of squandering the NFC West title that we were ready to hand them back in September.? If they can?t beat the Cardinals and Brian Hoyer at home, San Fran doesn?t even deserve to be in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? 49ers 31, Cardinals 13.

Rams at Seahawks

MDS?s take: No one wants to play the Seahawks right now. They?re destroying everything in their paths. The Rams will be no different.

MDS?s pick: Seahawks 45, Rams 7.

Florio?s take:? The Seahawks, who lost their first round of NFC West games, have been exacting revenge in a big way.? They finish the job on Sunday.

Florio?s pick:? Seahawks 41, Rams 17.

Cowboys at Redskins

MDS?s take: In the biggest game of the day, the Cowboys will ride Tony Romo and Dez Bryant to a high-scoring win. I suspect that Robert Griffin III is hurting more than he?s letting on and won?t be able to move as effectively as he did in the Redskins? Thanksgiving win over the Cowboys. Dallas will take the NFC East crown.

MDS?s pick: Cowboys 31, Redskins 28.

Florio?s take:? For the second straight year, the NFC East title game returns to prime time in Week 17.? For the second straight year, the home team advances.? For the second straight year, the Cowboys come up short.

Florio?s pick:? Redskins 24, Cowboys 21.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/belichick-despite-practicing-gronkowski-not-ready-yet/related

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Will Kate Winslet become Kate Rocknroll?

Tyrone Siu / REUTERS file

Kate Winslet and Ned Rocknroll

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, TODAY

So everyone knows women don't have to change their names when they get married, but come on, Kate Winslet, don't you want to be "Kate Rocknroll"?

Winslet's wedding earlier this month was a surprise, but more surprising to many was the name of her groom: Ned Rocknroll.

The wedding was a hush-hush ceremony, so it's not clear if his musical last name was engraved in careful calligraphy on Crane invitations. And Winslet will likely continue to act under her current name, since she didn't change it when she wed Jim Threapleton or Sam Mendes.

As you might guess, "Rocknroll" isn't her new husband's real name. He was born Ned Abel Smith, but don't mind that fairly generic last name. There's a more famous name in his family tree -- he's the nephew of Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, and works for Virgin Galactic, which hopes to sell flights into space in the near future. (His title is reportedly "head of astronaut relations and marketing," which is almost as good as "Rocknroll.")

The name change came about in 2008. "The whole thing was about having fun with your name," his then-wife, Eliza Pearson, told the British newspaper The Daily Mail.?"He thought we all took ourselves too seriously so it was about reacting against it.?He looked into just being ?Ned?, with no surname at all but, apparently, that?s illegal so we couldn?t do it."

Pearson (no word on whether she was ever known as "Eliza Rocknroll") told the paper she learned about the legal name change one day when her then-fiance emailed her a photo of his new passport.

"It was hysterical. We had discussed him doing this many times before, but I wasn?t sure whether he?d do it," she said.

A photo of their 2009 wedding shows the bride and groom posed between four friends who are bending over, rear ends to the camera, and who have the letters ROCKNROLL written on their white pants.

He's not the only celebrity to change their last name to something unusual. Football player Chad Johnson changed his last name to "Ochocinco" in 2008. "Ocho cinco" translates as "eight five," and 85 ("ochenta y cinco") is Johnson's Cincinnati Bengals' uniform number. He changed it back in 2012.

Dave M. Benett / Getty Images

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Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/12/27/16193875-will-kate-winslet-change-her-name-to-kate-rocknroll?lite

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