Saturday, November 20, 2010

Companies Making Money

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Make Money On the SIde by ramvie0326


bench craft company rip off

Rivet returning to lineup - Sabres Edge - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Photos Implant &#39;Memories&#39; of Fictional <b>News</b> Events | Smart <b>...</b>

Participants in a study were far more likely to “remember” a fictional news event when a headline was accompanied by a tangentially relevant photograph.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Questions For Your Business

Everybody has questions when going into or running a business...everybody. If you have some burning inquiries you'd like to get answered, read our small.


bench craft company rip off

Make Money On the SIde by ramvie0326


bench craft company rip off

Rivet returning to lineup - Sabres Edge - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Photos Implant &#39;Memories&#39; of Fictional <b>News</b> Events | Smart <b>...</b>

Participants in a study were far more likely to “remember” a fictional news event when a headline was accompanied by a tangentially relevant photograph.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Questions For Your Business

Everybody has questions when going into or running a business...everybody. If you have some burning inquiries you'd like to get answered, read our small.


bench craft company rip off

Rivet returning to lineup - Sabres Edge - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Photos Implant &#39;Memories&#39; of Fictional <b>News</b> Events | Smart <b>...</b>

Participants in a study were far more likely to “remember” a fictional news event when a headline was accompanied by a tangentially relevant photograph.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Questions For Your Business

Everybody has questions when going into or running a business...everybody. If you have some burning inquiries you'd like to get answered, read our small.


bench craft company rip off

Rivet returning to lineup - Sabres Edge - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Photos Implant &#39;Memories&#39; of Fictional <b>News</b> Events | Smart <b>...</b>

Participants in a study were far more likely to “remember” a fictional news event when a headline was accompanied by a tangentially relevant photograph.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Questions For Your Business

Everybody has questions when going into or running a business...everybody. If you have some burning inquiries you'd like to get answered, read our small.


bench craft company rip off

Rivet returning to lineup - Sabres Edge - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Photos Implant &#39;Memories&#39; of Fictional <b>News</b> Events | Smart <b>...</b>

Participants in a study were far more likely to “remember” a fictional news event when a headline was accompanied by a tangentially relevant photograph.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Questions For Your Business

Everybody has questions when going into or running a business...everybody. If you have some burning inquiries you'd like to get answered, read our small.


bench craft company rip off

Make Money On the SIde by ramvie0326


bench craft company rip off
bench craft company rip off

Rivet returning to lineup - Sabres Edge - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Photos Implant &#39;Memories&#39; of Fictional <b>News</b> Events | Smart <b>...</b>

Participants in a study were far more likely to “remember” a fictional news event when a headline was accompanied by a tangentially relevant photograph.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Questions For Your Business

Everybody has questions when going into or running a business...everybody. If you have some burning inquiries you'd like to get answered, read our small.


bench craft company rip off

bench craft company rip off

Rivet returning to lineup - Sabres Edge - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Photos Implant &#39;Memories&#39; of Fictional <b>News</b> Events | Smart <b>...</b>

Participants in a study were far more likely to “remember” a fictional news event when a headline was accompanied by a tangentially relevant photograph.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Questions For Your Business

Everybody has questions when going into or running a business...everybody. If you have some burning inquiries you'd like to get answered, read our small.


bench craft company rip off

Rivet returning to lineup - Sabres Edge - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Photos Implant &#39;Memories&#39; of Fictional <b>News</b> Events | Smart <b>...</b>

Participants in a study were far more likely to “remember” a fictional news event when a headline was accompanied by a tangentially relevant photograph.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Questions For Your Business

Everybody has questions when going into or running a business...everybody. If you have some burning inquiries you'd like to get answered, read our small.


bench craft company rip off

EA launching Facebook golf game PC <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our PC news of EA launching Facebook golf game.

autosport.com - F1 <b>News</b>: Rosberg: Pirellis won&#39;t help Mercedes

Nico Rosberg doubts the new Pirelli tyres will do anything to ease the difficulties Mercedes suffered with front-tyre grip on the 2010 Bridgestones, after the Formula 1 teams tried the 2011 rubber for the first time in Abu Dhabi today.

Sony Russia confirms Mass Effect 3? PlayStation 3 <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our PlayStation 3 news of Sony Russia confirms Mass Effect 3?.


bench craft company rip off

Rivet returning to lineup - Sabres Edge - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

More on Fox <b>News</b>, David Henderson | EconLog | Library of Economics <b>...</b>

I had had hopes for the Fox News Channel as an advocate of smaller government, hopes somewhat justified by evidence. But their treatment of Ron Paul has been off the charts. Chris Wallace has been absolutely vicious - at one point, ...

GT5 installs while played - Sony PlayStation 3 <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our PlayStation 3 news of GT5 installs while played - Sony.


bench craft company rip off

Photos Implant &#39;Memories&#39; of Fictional <b>News</b> Events | Smart <b>...</b>

Participants in a study were far more likely to “remember” a fictional news event when a headline was accompanied by a tangentially relevant photograph.

Small Business <b>News</b>: SMB Blogging and Social Media Basics

Far from a fad, a new blogging and social media infrastructure has emerged and is still being built and becoming a part of the new hierarchy can be important to.

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Leonardo DiCaprio to Star in New JFK <b>...</b>

Do you find Wall-E and Eve so adorable you just want to eat them? Now you can thanks to Charm City Cakes. - Warner Bros.


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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Making Money Without


Olbermann Suspended Without Pay From MSNBC After Making Political Donations To Democrats


Today, Politico reported that MSNBC host Keith Olbermann made political contributions to three Democratic candidates — Kentucky senate candidate Jack Conway and Arizona House members Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. Following the story, MSNBC President Phil Griffin released a statement this afternoon stating that Olbermann has been suspended without pay:


I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.


MSNBC’s policies governing its employees states:


Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest. Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions. You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the President of NBC News or his designee.


It’s unclear what harm Griffin determined resulted from Olbermann’s contributions. Politico noted that Olbermann donated to Grijalva on the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on his show. In his defense Olbermann said, “I did not privately or publicly encourage anyone else to donate to these campaigns, nor to any others in this election or any previous ones, nor have I previously donated to any political campaign at any level.”


Atrios reports that Pat Buchanan, a very frequent guest on MSNBC and an official contributor, has also made a number of donations to Republican candidates.


Meanwhile, Steve Benen observes that, while Olbermann made his donations in a personal capacity, News Corp. — Fox News’ parent company — “made multiple undisclosed donations to the Republican Governors Association, totaling at least $1.25 million, in addition to a $1 million contribution to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its pro-Republican election-year activities. Fox News has helped GOP candidates raise money on the air; Fox News personalities are featured guests at Republican fundraisers; while other Fox News personalities continue to help generate financial support for Republican candidates now, even after the elections.”



 


To support a margin compression theory, the article begins by using institutional selling as proof and presents increasing Android market share as an argument. Let’s take a closer look.


 


1. Institutional Selling


The two examples provided (one institution selling and another expressing worry) are insufficient to support the conclusion that big money has started to dump Apple. What’s happening in the aggregate? Might other institutions have initiated positions or increased their holdings? Unless this table (http://www.nasdaq.com/asp/holdings.asp?symbol=AAPL&selected=AAPL&FormType=Institutional) is out of date (It does include Capital Growth Management’s sale.), there is no significant net change in the number of shares held by institutions.


 


Now, one could argue that CGM’s Heebner and FEAM’s Obuchowski are such stellar managers that their opinion warrants special attention. Well, Heebner’s CGM Focus fund is only a two-star Morningstar rated fund (http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=CGMFX+Profile). Heebner “knows how to count”, as the author writes, I suppose, but he doesn’t know how to outperform; Obuchowski’s FEAM50 (http://www.1empiream.com/FEAM50_Q3%2010.pdf) and APA125 (http://www.1empiream.com/apa.htm) funds have beaten their benchmark. However, he’s expressed concern about holding Apple two years from now. He hasn’t sold yet.


 


The article hence doesn’t provide either quantitative (as the number of shares held has not changed significantly) or qualitative (as no star manager is cited as selling) evidence of big money starting to dump Apple because of margin compression. For the one under performing manager cited for selling, no reason is provided. As a matter of fact, there’s no evidence for net institutional selling of Apple, period.


 


2. Increased Android Market Share


With a 35% profit share in 2009 (http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-revenue-vs-operating-pro...), the hardware industry's highest, hasn’t Apple been successful in the personal computer market? I would say so, and yet it had only captured a 7% market share. How has it accomplished this feat? By offering something different that consumers value at a premium.


 


The author writes: “Jobs also (understandably) failed to mention that the “commodity’ Androids materially outperform the iOS products in terms of features and functionality. This is pretty much in direct contravention to the concept of the term “commodity”, isn’t it???? I don’t think many Samsung Galaxy S, Droid X or HTC Evo owners will characterize their devices as “commodities”.”


 


A product’s characterization as a commodity is not a function of the quality of its features and functionality or user opinions thereof. The Android clones are commodities because there’s fundamentally little difference between them. One might have a bigger screen, another longer battery life, and yet another a thinner form factor, but they all run the same OS and hence offer the same functionality. If an innovative feature proves popular, it can quickly be duplicated. There’s little that sets one phone apart from the other. They are interchangeable. As such, they must compete on price. You might prefer the Galaxy S, but settle for a Droid if its price is sufficiently lower to sway you. Their makers will generate lower profit margins, just like Windows PC makers.


 


The iPhone, on the other hand, offers something different: superior aesthetics, greater ease of use, no bloatware, superior integration with related products (Mac & iPad), a certain prestige, but mainly a distinct OS. It offers the whole package. Its hardware competitors might best or equal some features, but not the whole. If you value this different product, you can only buy from Apple. By maintaining full control of the iPhone experience, Apple prevents it from becoming a commodity like all the Android clones and, so long as it’s able to produce a superior experience on the whole, ensures premium pricing and high profit margins.


 


The author also writes: “…its business model may prove unassailable unless Apple makes some drastic changes (ex. allowing cloning)…”


 


What if Apple did pursue the Google model and licensed its OS? If it allowed iOS clones, it would cannibalize its sales and its margins would be obliterated, as it would lose its main differentiator. Would it be able to keep generating a $238 profit per phone (http://www.asymco.com/2010/10/31/making-it-up-in-volume-how-to-view-unit-profitability-vs-volume-in-handsets/)? In light of the fact that Google is giving Android away, it’s highly unlikely.


 


Android has already won. The battle for market or unit share, that is. Apple will henceforth never sell as many phones. That’s OK because Apple will probably keep generating the lion’s share of profits (http://www.asymco.com/2010/10/30/last-quarter-apple-gained-4-unit-share-22-sales-value-share-and-48-of-profit-share/) by executing a business model proven successful with the Mac.


 


As it reaches critical mass, Google’s model might indeed become unassailable. No other company will beat Google at its game. Apple has chosen to play a different game that might also be unassailable. They’re two different ways to win. Google will attempt to monetize Android through market share dominance, while Apple will maintain its profit share dominance among hardware makers through innovation and differentiation. Apple’s margins will suffer significantly only if it’s unable to keep offering something different, valued at a premium by consumers.


 


In short, the article fails to show an institutional dump of Apple shares. It doesn’t even show that the one (marginally competent) institutional manager mentioned for selling did so because of expected margin compression. Moreover, it is misguided in using Android’s unit share dominance to deduce margin compression at Apple. Apple’s profit margin will only suffer significant compression if it fails in the execution of its business model.


 


To further the analysis, is Google’s licensing model superior to Apple’s integrated model, as many seem to believe? In the personal computer market, Microsoft made money by selling Windows to hardware makers. In the mobile phone market, Google is giving Android away, while planning to monetize market share dominance through services (search and others). The hurdles it faces with this model are not insignificant. Its lack of control over its OS is a liability: witness Verizon’s pre-installation of Bing on some Android phones (http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Bing-Wont-Be-Exclusive-On-All-Android-Phones-110294). Its platform is a customizable OS that hardware makers and wireless carriers can tailor to suit their own ends, which may be to Google’s detriment, and they don’t have to pay for it. Its success is far from assured. Might Google be going back to producing its own branded phone because its current strategy is proving difficult to monetize (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/this-is-the-nexus-s/)?


 


Apple, on the other hand, is already monetizing the iPhone. As a matter of fact, it made as much money in Q3 2010 as all other phone makers combined (http://www.asymco.com/2010/10/30/last-quarter-apple-gained-4-unit-share-22-sales-value-share-and-48-of-profit-share/), in spite  of commanding only 4% market share. Apple won both the unit share and profit share battle in MP3 players with the iPod, as no worthy competitor came forth. This is not the case in smart phones with the emergence of Android. Nonetheless, the Mac, with 35% of PC profit share in spite of only 7% market share, has proven that Apple’s model can thrive even in the face of strong competition. 


 



benchcraft company scam

Good <b>news</b>: Feds to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks for some <b>...</b>

Good news: Feds to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks for some reason.

The Newsonomics of <b>news</b> anywhere » Nieman Journalism Lab

News Anywhere, or unified news, or All-Access, whatever we want to call it, demands the singular focus, product development and messaging that Netflix, HBO, Comcast, and Facebook are bringing to it. Those are all skills that have been ...

Spelunker HD mines PSN date PlayStation 3 <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our PlayStation 3 news of Spelunker HD mines PSN date.


benchcraft company scam

Olbermann Suspended Without Pay From MSNBC After Making Political Donations To Democrats


Today, Politico reported that MSNBC host Keith Olbermann made political contributions to three Democratic candidates — Kentucky senate candidate Jack Conway and Arizona House members Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. Following the story, MSNBC President Phil Griffin released a statement this afternoon stating that Olbermann has been suspended without pay:


I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.


MSNBC’s policies governing its employees states:


Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest. Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions. You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the President of NBC News or his designee.


It’s unclear what harm Griffin determined resulted from Olbermann’s contributions. Politico noted that Olbermann donated to Grijalva on the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on his show. In his defense Olbermann said, “I did not privately or publicly encourage anyone else to donate to these campaigns, nor to any others in this election or any previous ones, nor have I previously donated to any political campaign at any level.”


Atrios reports that Pat Buchanan, a very frequent guest on MSNBC and an official contributor, has also made a number of donations to Republican candidates.


Meanwhile, Steve Benen observes that, while Olbermann made his donations in a personal capacity, News Corp. — Fox News’ parent company — “made multiple undisclosed donations to the Republican Governors Association, totaling at least $1.25 million, in addition to a $1 million contribution to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its pro-Republican election-year activities. Fox News has helped GOP candidates raise money on the air; Fox News personalities are featured guests at Republican fundraisers; while other Fox News personalities continue to help generate financial support for Republican candidates now, even after the elections.”



 


To support a margin compression theory, the article begins by using institutional selling as proof and presents increasing Android market share as an argument. Let’s take a closer look.


 


1. Institutional Selling


The two examples provided (one institution selling and another expressing worry) are insufficient to support the conclusion that big money has started to dump Apple. What’s happening in the aggregate? Might other institutions have initiated positions or increased their holdings? Unless this table (http://www.nasdaq.com/asp/holdings.asp?symbol=AAPL&selected=AAPL&FormType=Institutional) is out of date (It does include Capital Growth Management’s sale.), there is no significant net change in the number of shares held by institutions.


 


Now, one could argue that CGM’s Heebner and FEAM’s Obuchowski are such stellar managers that their opinion warrants special attention. Well, Heebner’s CGM Focus fund is only a two-star Morningstar rated fund (http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=CGMFX+Profile). Heebner “knows how to count”, as the author writes, I suppose, but he doesn’t know how to outperform; Obuchowski’s FEAM50 (http://www.1empiream.com/FEAM50_Q3%2010.pdf) and APA125 (http://www.1empiream.com/apa.htm) funds have beaten their benchmark. However, he’s expressed concern about holding Apple two years from now. He hasn’t sold yet.


 


The article hence doesn’t provide either quantitative (as the number of shares held has not changed significantly) or qualitative (as no star manager is cited as selling) evidence of big money starting to dump Apple because of margin compression. For the one under performing manager cited for selling, no reason is provided. As a matter of fact, there’s no evidence for net institutional selling of Apple, period.


 


2. Increased Android Market Share


With a 35% profit share in 2009 (http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-revenue-vs-operating-pro...), the hardware industry's highest, hasn’t Apple been successful in the personal computer market? I would say so, and yet it had only captured a 7% market share. How has it accomplished this feat? By offering something different that consumers value at a premium.


 


The author writes: “Jobs also (understandably) failed to mention that the “commodity’ Androids materially outperform the iOS products in terms of features and functionality. This is pretty much in direct contravention to the concept of the term “commodity”, isn’t it???? I don’t think many Samsung Galaxy S, Droid X or HTC Evo owners will characterize their devices as “commodities”.”


 


A product’s characterization as a commodity is not a function of the quality of its features and functionality or user opinions thereof. The Android clones are commodities because there’s fundamentally little difference between them. One might have a bigger screen, another longer battery life, and yet another a thinner form factor, but they all run the same OS and hence offer the same functionality. If an innovative feature proves popular, it can quickly be duplicated. There’s little that sets one phone apart from the other. They are interchangeable. As such, they must compete on price. You might prefer the Galaxy S, but settle for a Droid if its price is sufficiently lower to sway you. Their makers will generate lower profit margins, just like Windows PC makers.


 


The iPhone, on the other hand, offers something different: superior aesthetics, greater ease of use, no bloatware, superior integration with related products (Mac & iPad), a certain prestige, but mainly a distinct OS. It offers the whole package. Its hardware competitors might best or equal some features, but not the whole. If you value this different product, you can only buy from Apple. By maintaining full control of the iPhone experience, Apple prevents it from becoming a commodity like all the Android clones and, so long as it’s able to produce a superior experience on the whole, ensures premium pricing and high profit margins.


 


The author also writes: “…its business model may prove unassailable unless Apple makes some drastic changes (ex. allowing cloning)…”


 


What if Apple did pursue the Google model and licensed its OS? If it allowed iOS clones, it would cannibalize its sales and its margins would be obliterated, as it would lose its main differentiator. Would it be able to keep generating a $238 profit per phone (http://www.asymco.com/2010/10/31/making-it-up-in-volume-how-to-view-unit-profitability-vs-volume-in-handsets/)? In light of the fact that Google is giving Android away, it’s highly unlikely.


 


Android has already won. The battle for market or unit share, that is. Apple will henceforth never sell as many phones. That’s OK because Apple will probably keep generating the lion’s share of profits (http://www.asymco.com/2010/10/30/last-quarter-apple-gained-4-unit-share-22-sales-value-share-and-48-of-profit-share/) by executing a business model proven successful with the Mac.


 


As it reaches critical mass, Google’s model might indeed become unassailable. No other company will beat Google at its game. Apple has chosen to play a different game that might also be unassailable. They’re two different ways to win. Google will attempt to monetize Android through market share dominance, while Apple will maintain its profit share dominance among hardware makers through innovation and differentiation. Apple’s margins will suffer significantly only if it’s unable to keep offering something different, valued at a premium by consumers.


 


In short, the article fails to show an institutional dump of Apple shares. It doesn’t even show that the one (marginally competent) institutional manager mentioned for selling did so because of expected margin compression. Moreover, it is misguided in using Android’s unit share dominance to deduce margin compression at Apple. Apple’s profit margin will only suffer significant compression if it fails in the execution of its business model.


 


To further the analysis, is Google’s licensing model superior to Apple’s integrated model, as many seem to believe? In the personal computer market, Microsoft made money by selling Windows to hardware makers. In the mobile phone market, Google is giving Android away, while planning to monetize market share dominance through services (search and others). The hurdles it faces with this model are not insignificant. Its lack of control over its OS is a liability: witness Verizon’s pre-installation of Bing on some Android phones (http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Bing-Wont-Be-Exclusive-On-All-Android-Phones-110294). Its platform is a customizable OS that hardware makers and wireless carriers can tailor to suit their own ends, which may be to Google’s detriment, and they don’t have to pay for it. Its success is far from assured. Might Google be going back to producing its own branded phone because its current strategy is proving difficult to monetize (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/this-is-the-nexus-s/)?


 


Apple, on the other hand, is already monetizing the iPhone. As a matter of fact, it made as much money in Q3 2010 as all other phone makers combined (http://www.asymco.com/2010/10/30/last-quarter-apple-gained-4-unit-share-22-sales-value-share-and-48-of-profit-share/), in spite  of commanding only 4% market share. Apple won both the unit share and profit share battle in MP3 players with the iPod, as no worthy competitor came forth. This is not the case in smart phones with the emergence of Android. Nonetheless, the Mac, with 35% of PC profit share in spite of only 7% market share, has proven that Apple’s model can thrive even in the face of strong competition. 


 



benchcraft company scam

Good <b>news</b>: Feds to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks for some <b>...</b>

Good news: Feds to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks for some reason.

The Newsonomics of <b>news</b> anywhere » Nieman Journalism Lab

News Anywhere, or unified news, or All-Access, whatever we want to call it, demands the singular focus, product development and messaging that Netflix, HBO, Comcast, and Facebook are bringing to it. Those are all skills that have been ...

Spelunker HD mines PSN date PlayStation 3 <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our PlayStation 3 news of Spelunker HD mines PSN date.


benchcraft company scam

bench craft company scam

plotter by blackbirddps


benchcraft company scam

Good <b>news</b>: Feds to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks for some <b>...</b>

Good news: Feds to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks for some reason.

The Newsonomics of <b>news</b> anywhere » Nieman Journalism Lab

News Anywhere, or unified news, or All-Access, whatever we want to call it, demands the singular focus, product development and messaging that Netflix, HBO, Comcast, and Facebook are bringing to it. Those are all skills that have been ...

Spelunker HD mines PSN date PlayStation 3 <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our PlayStation 3 news of Spelunker HD mines PSN date.


benchcraft company scam

Olbermann Suspended Without Pay From MSNBC After Making Political Donations To Democrats


Today, Politico reported that MSNBC host Keith Olbermann made political contributions to three Democratic candidates — Kentucky senate candidate Jack Conway and Arizona House members Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. Following the story, MSNBC President Phil Griffin released a statement this afternoon stating that Olbermann has been suspended without pay:


I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.


MSNBC’s policies governing its employees states:


Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest. Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions. You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the President of NBC News or his designee.


It’s unclear what harm Griffin determined resulted from Olbermann’s contributions. Politico noted that Olbermann donated to Grijalva on the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on his show. In his defense Olbermann said, “I did not privately or publicly encourage anyone else to donate to these campaigns, nor to any others in this election or any previous ones, nor have I previously donated to any political campaign at any level.”


Atrios reports that Pat Buchanan, a very frequent guest on MSNBC and an official contributor, has also made a number of donations to Republican candidates.


Meanwhile, Steve Benen observes that, while Olbermann made his donations in a personal capacity, News Corp. — Fox News’ parent company — “made multiple undisclosed donations to the Republican Governors Association, totaling at least $1.25 million, in addition to a $1 million contribution to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its pro-Republican election-year activities. Fox News has helped GOP candidates raise money on the air; Fox News personalities are featured guests at Republican fundraisers; while other Fox News personalities continue to help generate financial support for Republican candidates now, even after the elections.”



 


To support a margin compression theory, the article begins by using institutional selling as proof and presents increasing Android market share as an argument. Let’s take a closer look.


 


1. Institutional Selling


The two examples provided (one institution selling and another expressing worry) are insufficient to support the conclusion that big money has started to dump Apple. What’s happening in the aggregate? Might other institutions have initiated positions or increased their holdings? Unless this table (http://www.nasdaq.com/asp/holdings.asp?symbol=AAPL&selected=AAPL&FormType=Institutional) is out of date (It does include Capital Growth Management’s sale.), there is no significant net change in the number of shares held by institutions.


 


Now, one could argue that CGM’s Heebner and FEAM’s Obuchowski are such stellar managers that their opinion warrants special attention. Well, Heebner’s CGM Focus fund is only a two-star Morningstar rated fund (http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=CGMFX+Profile). Heebner “knows how to count”, as the author writes, I suppose, but he doesn’t know how to outperform; Obuchowski’s FEAM50 (http://www.1empiream.com/FEAM50_Q3%2010.pdf) and APA125 (http://www.1empiream.com/apa.htm) funds have beaten their benchmark. However, he’s expressed concern about holding Apple two years from now. He hasn’t sold yet.


 


The article hence doesn’t provide either quantitative (as the number of shares held has not changed significantly) or qualitative (as no star manager is cited as selling) evidence of big money starting to dump Apple because of margin compression. For the one under performing manager cited for selling, no reason is provided. As a matter of fact, there’s no evidence for net institutional selling of Apple, period.


 


2. Increased Android Market Share


With a 35% profit share in 2009 (http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-revenue-vs-operating-pro...), the hardware industry's highest, hasn’t Apple been successful in the personal computer market? I would say so, and yet it had only captured a 7% market share. How has it accomplished this feat? By offering something different that consumers value at a premium.


 


The author writes: “Jobs also (understandably) failed to mention that the “commodity’ Androids materially outperform the iOS products in terms of features and functionality. This is pretty much in direct contravention to the concept of the term “commodity”, isn’t it???? I don’t think many Samsung Galaxy S, Droid X or HTC Evo owners will characterize their devices as “commodities”.”


 


A product’s characterization as a commodity is not a function of the quality of its features and functionality or user opinions thereof. The Android clones are commodities because there’s fundamentally little difference between them. One might have a bigger screen, another longer battery life, and yet another a thinner form factor, but they all run the same OS and hence offer the same functionality. If an innovative feature proves popular, it can quickly be duplicated. There’s little that sets one phone apart from the other. They are interchangeable. As such, they must compete on price. You might prefer the Galaxy S, but settle for a Droid if its price is sufficiently lower to sway you. Their makers will generate lower profit margins, just like Windows PC makers.


 


The iPhone, on the other hand, offers something different: superior aesthetics, greater ease of use, no bloatware, superior integration with related products (Mac & iPad), a certain prestige, but mainly a distinct OS. It offers the whole package. Its hardware competitors might best or equal some features, but not the whole. If you value this different product, you can only buy from Apple. By maintaining full control of the iPhone experience, Apple prevents it from becoming a commodity like all the Android clones and, so long as it’s able to produce a superior experience on the whole, ensures premium pricing and high profit margins.


 


The author also writes: “…its business model may prove unassailable unless Apple makes some drastic changes (ex. allowing cloning)…”


 


What if Apple did pursue the Google model and licensed its OS? If it allowed iOS clones, it would cannibalize its sales and its margins would be obliterated, as it would lose its main differentiator. Would it be able to keep generating a $238 profit per phone (http://www.asymco.com/2010/10/31/making-it-up-in-volume-how-to-view-unit-profitability-vs-volume-in-handsets/)? In light of the fact that Google is giving Android away, it’s highly unlikely.


 


Android has already won. The battle for market or unit share, that is. Apple will henceforth never sell as many phones. That’s OK because Apple will probably keep generating the lion’s share of profits (http://www.asymco.com/2010/10/30/last-quarter-apple-gained-4-unit-share-22-sales-value-share-and-48-of-profit-share/) by executing a business model proven successful with the Mac.


 


As it reaches critical mass, Google’s model might indeed become unassailable. No other company will beat Google at its game. Apple has chosen to play a different game that might also be unassailable. They’re two different ways to win. Google will attempt to monetize Android through market share dominance, while Apple will maintain its profit share dominance among hardware makers through innovation and differentiation. Apple’s margins will suffer significantly only if it’s unable to keep offering something different, valued at a premium by consumers.


 


In short, the article fails to show an institutional dump of Apple shares. It doesn’t even show that the one (marginally competent) institutional manager mentioned for selling did so because of expected margin compression. Moreover, it is misguided in using Android’s unit share dominance to deduce margin compression at Apple. Apple’s profit margin will only suffer significant compression if it fails in the execution of its business model.


 


To further the analysis, is Google’s licensing model superior to Apple’s integrated model, as many seem to believe? In the personal computer market, Microsoft made money by selling Windows to hardware makers. In the mobile phone market, Google is giving Android away, while planning to monetize market share dominance through services (search and others). The hurdles it faces with this model are not insignificant. Its lack of control over its OS is a liability: witness Verizon’s pre-installation of Bing on some Android phones (http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Bing-Wont-Be-Exclusive-On-All-Android-Phones-110294). Its platform is a customizable OS that hardware makers and wireless carriers can tailor to suit their own ends, which may be to Google’s detriment, and they don’t have to pay for it. Its success is far from assured. Might Google be going back to producing its own branded phone because its current strategy is proving difficult to monetize (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/this-is-the-nexus-s/)?


 


Apple, on the other hand, is already monetizing the iPhone. As a matter of fact, it made as much money in Q3 2010 as all other phone makers combined (http://www.asymco.com/2010/10/30/last-quarter-apple-gained-4-unit-share-22-sales-value-share-and-48-of-profit-share/), in spite  of commanding only 4% market share. Apple won both the unit share and profit share battle in MP3 players with the iPod, as no worthy competitor came forth. This is not the case in smart phones with the emergence of Android. Nonetheless, the Mac, with 35% of PC profit share in spite of only 7% market share, has proven that Apple’s model can thrive even in the face of strong competition. 


 



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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Who's Making Money



With the miderm election wrapping up next week, win or lose, union bosses will be heading back to their offices and settling in to their normal routine of plotting, lobbying, visiting the White House, targeting employees and antagonizing employers, as well as finding ways to nationalize a few more industries and kill some more jobs.  In other words, it will be back to business as usual.


More importantly, though, with the election over, union bosses won’t be having to dump hundreds of millions on Democrats again for another…year and a half.  Which means they can finally start spending their members’ money on the more mundane things that fill a union bosses’ life.


Then, of course, there are the less mundane things to fill some union bosses’ lives, like trying to avoid getting caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar…


On October 20, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Gilbert Woods, former President of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 84768 (located in Kettering, OH), was sentenced to five years probation and six months house arrest.  He was ordered to pay restitution of $25,465, which included $20,000 to Travelers Insurance and $5,465 to the union.  He was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $25.  On July 21, 2010, Woods pled guilty to one count of making false entries in union records.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On October 15, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Aaron Hunter, former President of Firefighters Local 108-F (located in Fort Leonard Wood, MO), was sentenced to one year probation for the charge of making false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001 to conceal his embezzlement of union funds.  Hunter paid restitution totaling $30,000 prior to his sentencing.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.


On October 15, 2010, in Circuit Court for Arlington County, Virginia, Richard James, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1402 (located in Arlington, VA), was sentenced to two years incarceration (all suspended), two years supervised probation, and 75 hours of community service for embezzling $9,850 from the union in violation of Section 18.2-111 of the Virginia Code.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Arlington County Police Department.


On October 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Deidra Lucas, former President of American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 100 (located in Pontiac, MI), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $5,283.20.  Lucas is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2011.  The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.


On October 8, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of Eastern Pennsylvania, Amar Ali, former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) Sub-Lodge 695 (located in Baltimore, MD), was charged in a one count information with failure to maintain union records (29 U.S.C. Section 439(a)(b)).  The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.


On October 6, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Craig A. Bohn, former Financial Secretary Treasurer of Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) Local 558 (located in Green Bay, WI), was sentenced to one year probation, a $1,500 fine, and a $100 special assessment.  Bohn previously made restitution in the amount of $5,000.  On June 18, 2010, Bohn pled guilty to two counts of creating false union records.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.


On October 6, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Lance Hinerman, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 189 (located in Little Rock, AR), was sentenced to two years probation and a $200 assessment.  On July 6, 2010, Hinerman pled guilty to wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, a Class C Felony.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office and the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General.


On October 5, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, an information was filed charging Nickolas Weihert, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 4845 (located in Waukesha, WI), with three counts of embezzlement totaling $450.00.  The information states that the three counts were fraudulent transactions related to an embezzlement of $17,256.  The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.


On October 5, 2010, Joseph Kerwan, Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 112 (located in Elmira, NY), was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine in the Western District of New York.  On May 20, 2010, Kerwan pled guilty to falsification of union records. As part of the plea and sentencing, Kerwan made full restitution to his local union totaling $6,927.55.  The court action came as a result of an investigation by the Buffalo District Office.


On October 5, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Donald Kotouch, the former President and Business Agent of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1738 (located in Latrobe, PA), was charged in a two count indictment for embezzling $18,806.27 in union funds and falsifying union records.  The indictment follows an investigation by the Pittsburgh District Office.


On October 4, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Thomas Carrola, the former Secretary-Treasurer of IBEW Local 1919 (located in Pittsburgh, PA), was sentenced to two years probation for each of the two counts (to run concurrently) and six months home detention, and ordered to pay restitution of $35,057 and a $100 count assessment.  Carrola pled guilty on June 1, 2010 to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $35,057 and to falsifying union records.  Full restitution has been made to the union.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the Pittsburgh District Office.


On September 30, 2010, in the Mower County Minnesota District Court, Dustin Heichel, former General Chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Shortline General Committee of Adjustment (BLET GCA), located in Austin, MN, pled guilty to one count of gross misdemeanor theft and false representation in the amount of $1,562.12.  The plea follows an investigation by the Milwaukee District Office and the Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.


On September 29, 2010, in the United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Keith Hart, former Financial Secretary of Bakery Workers Local 315G (Mt. Vernon, IN), was sentenced to six months in a work release community corrections facility and three years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $13,904.69 and a $100.00 special assessment.  On July 6, 2010, Hart pled guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $13,904.69.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the Cincinnati District Office.


On September 28, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Woodrow Anderson, former Treasurer of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers (GMP) Local 208 (located in Bradenton, FL), was sentenced to probation for 24 months and 180 days of home confinement, and was ordered to pay Zurich North America the amount of $2,249.96 and a special assessment fee of $25.00.  On July 1, 2010, Anderson pled guilty to making a false statement of a material fact in a report or document required to be filed with the Secretary of Labor.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Tampa Resident Office.


On September 28, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Anthony Green, former Vice President and Recording Secretary of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers (GMP) Local 208 (located in Bradenton, FL), was sentenced to probation for 24 months and 180 days of home confinement, and was ordered to pay Zurich North America the amount of $3,073.10 and a special assessment fee of $25.00.  On July 12, 2010, Green pled guilty to making a false entry in, or willfully concealing, withholding, or destroying any book, record, report or statement required to be kept under the LMRDA.  Zurich North America paid a loss to GMP LU 208 as a result of Green’s dishonest claim filed after his embezzlement.  The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Tampa Resident Office.


On September 24, 2010, in the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada, former Bookkeeper Cheryl Staley was sentenced to five years probation, during which time she is restricted from entering a casino without first notifying the U.S. Probation Office; ordered to attend gambling addiction classes; ordered to pay $231,653.89 in restitution, plus 10% interest at $200/month; and ordered to pay $200 in court assessments.  In May 2010, Staley pled guilty to embezzling union funds and causing false entries in the LM reports filed by Local 501.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.


On September 23, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Donald Kister, former President of National Postal Mail Handlers Local 307 (located in Detroit, MI), was charged in a two-count indictment with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,137.35 between August 2006 and October 2007 and one count of making false statements.  The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.


On September 23, 2010, in Newton Massachusetts District Court, a criminal complaint was issued against Richard Dean, former Treasurer of Carpenters Local 275 in Newton, MA, charging him with 11 counts of larceny totaling $15,374.  The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.


On September 22, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Jonathan S. Deutsch, former Trustee of the West Virginia Heavy and Highway Construction Industry Fund, was indicted in a 25 count indictment of wire fraud involving approximately $750,000 in embezzled union funds.  The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office and the DOL OIG.


On September 21, 2010, in the United States District Court of New Jersey, Stephen P. Arena and David Caivano, President and Recording Secretary/Secretary-Treasurer, respectively, of Novelty and Production Workers Local 148 (located in Newark, N.J.), were indicted on 29 counts of conspiracy and embezzlement of approximately $375,000 in union funds.  The charge follows an investigation by OLMS New York District Office and the Labor OIG.


On September 16, 2010, in Madison County (NY) court, Gail Shingler, former Treasurer of the now defunct Steelworkers Local Union 53 (located in Oneida, NY), was sentenced after entering a guilty plea to one count of Grand Larceny in the fourth degree.  Shingler was sentenced to 60 days in jail after admitting to taking $2,572 from her former local union.  She made full restitution prior to her appearance in county court.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.


On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court of Eastern Texas, Michael Doggett, former Financial Secretary of Carpenters Local 502 (located in Orange, Texas), was indicted on one count of embezzlement from an employee benefit plan in the amount of $58,994, and one count of embezzlement from a labor union in the amount of $45,043.  The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Houston Resident Investigator Office, the Employee Benefits Security Administration and the FBI.


On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Brian Wilson, former Treasurer for AFSCME Local 2804 (located in Warren, Ohio), was sentenced to three years probation and 90 days home confinement.  On July 13, 2010, Wilson pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,500.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.


On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Ellsworth Williamson, former President of Steelworkers Local 5-1967 (located in Hamilton, Ohio), was charged with embezzling union funds in the amount of $5,159.16.  The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On September 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Joseph Chester, former President of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATC) Local ABQ (located in Albuquerque, N.M.), was indicted on 47 counts of wire fraud.  The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.


On September 14, 2010, in United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Robert W. Rybak, Business Manager and Financial Secretary of Plumbers Local 55 (located in Cleveland, Ohio), was indicted on conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy under the Hobbs Act, embezzlement or theft from a labor union, embezzlement or theft from an employee benefit fund, and tampering with a witness.  The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office, Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI.


On September 14, 2010, in the Hamilton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Tiffany Freeman was sentenced to two years community control and was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $2,260.  On August 6, 2010, Freeman pled guilty to three counts of forging checks belonging to Musicians Local 1 (located in Cincinnati, Ohio).  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On September 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Jerrold King, former President of Steelworkers Local 842 (located in Detroit, Mich.), was sentenced to 36 months of probation, including 90 days of home confinement, and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $70.06 and pay a $25 special assessment.  King previously made restitution in the amount of $900.  On June 14, 2010, King pled guilty to one count of concealing union records.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.


On September 13, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Paul Wyatt, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 220 (located in Sioux Falls, S.D.), was sentenced to six months incarceration followed by six months of home confinement, as well as three years supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,023 and a special assessment of $100.  On June 23, 2010, Wyatt pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $35,023.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.


On September 3, 2010, in the Clinton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Daniel Graves, former President of Teamsters Local 1224 (located in Wilmington, Ohio), pled guilty to persistent disorderly conduct.  Graves was then sentenced to 30 days incarceration, to be suspended pending good behavior.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On September 2, 2010, in the Superior Court of Washington County, Washington, Elizabeth Mills, former office manager of Laborers Local 901 (located in Mount Vernon, Wash), was sentenced to 20 days of incarceration and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,721.  On June 18, 2010, Mills pled guilty to theft of union funds in the same amount.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.


On September 1, 2010, in United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Joe Ann Duffy, former Project Organizer for the Teamsters (located in Washington, D.C.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $13,738. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.


On September 1, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Mozelle E. Means-Swanson, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 7139 (located in Aurora, Ill.), pled guilty to one count of willfully failing to maintain union records.  On May 6, 2009, Means-Swanson was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,900.  The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.


Of course, this is just a drop in the bucket.


__________________


“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.”  Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776


Cross-posted.


For more news & views on today’s labor unions, go to LaborUnionReport.com.




Wait, didn’t Rachel Maddow assure us on Friday that, unlike those mercenary wingnuts at Fox News who let Republican guests pitch donation URLs on the air, MSNBC is “not a political operation”? Six full minutes of fact-checkin’ fun here via Johnny Dollar, who not only spent hours piecing this lowlight reel together but has an accompanying post delving further into the hypocrisy. Somehow, Hannity and Palin raising money for conservatives is qualitatively different from Ed Schultz and Harold Ford doing the same for liberals. Which, I guess, is true: When Hannity and Palin push their side, they’re playing politics, whereas when Schultz and Ford push theirs, they’re making news. Please do take time to read his post and watch the clip; I promise, you’ll enjoy every minute.


As for the return of the modern-day Murrow to his perch atop Serious Newsman Mountain, this is simply too good not to be true:


“Keith is furious about the way this has all been handled and insisted that MSNBC bosses apologize to him before he would agree to return,” a network insider tells me. “Keith sees himself as the star of MSNBC, the person who put them on the map and discovered fellow network anchors Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell. To be treated like this by the network he helped shape, he considers disgusting.”…


“Keith clearly won this battle. Not only has he got the bosses to say sorry, but he’s also got the company to review its ethic rules,” a friend of Keith’s tells me. “You watch — his rating on Tuesday when he returns will be bigger than ever, giving him even more power at MSNBC.”


Jeff Bercovici at Forbes declares that this cements Olby’s status as the most powerful man at MSNBC, the thought of which seems to have Ace feeling depressed but which makes me perfectly happy. Remember, this is a guy whose buffoonery is such that even some JournoListers are left cringing at it. MSNBC’s hyperpartisan election night coverage was straight out of the Olby playbook, and predictably so alienating to everyone except far-left liberals that more than one TV critic acknowledged with teeth gnashed that Fox’s coverage was more balanced. Why wouldn’t you want him in charge? They should make him program director and give him extra airtime so that he doesn’t have to pare down his lists of who’s worse than Al Qaeda due to time constraints. And besides, as I said on Friday, his suspension was stupid to begin with. All’s well that ends well!



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With the miderm election wrapping up next week, win or lose, union bosses will be heading back to their offices and settling in to their normal routine of plotting, lobbying, visiting the White House, targeting employees and antagonizing employers, as well as finding ways to nationalize a few more industries and kill some more jobs.  In other words, it will be back to business as usual.


More importantly, though, with the election over, union bosses won’t be having to dump hundreds of millions on Democrats again for another…year and a half.  Which means they can finally start spending their members’ money on the more mundane things that fill a union bosses’ life.


Then, of course, there are the less mundane things to fill some union bosses’ lives, like trying to avoid getting caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar…


On October 20, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Gilbert Woods, former President of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 84768 (located in Kettering, OH), was sentenced to five years probation and six months house arrest.  He was ordered to pay restitution of $25,465, which included $20,000 to Travelers Insurance and $5,465 to the union.  He was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $25.  On July 21, 2010, Woods pled guilty to one count of making false entries in union records.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On October 15, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Aaron Hunter, former President of Firefighters Local 108-F (located in Fort Leonard Wood, MO), was sentenced to one year probation for the charge of making false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001 to conceal his embezzlement of union funds.  Hunter paid restitution totaling $30,000 prior to his sentencing.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.


On October 15, 2010, in Circuit Court for Arlington County, Virginia, Richard James, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1402 (located in Arlington, VA), was sentenced to two years incarceration (all suspended), two years supervised probation, and 75 hours of community service for embezzling $9,850 from the union in violation of Section 18.2-111 of the Virginia Code.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Arlington County Police Department.


On October 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Deidra Lucas, former President of American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 100 (located in Pontiac, MI), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $5,283.20.  Lucas is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2011.  The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.


On October 8, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of Eastern Pennsylvania, Amar Ali, former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) Sub-Lodge 695 (located in Baltimore, MD), was charged in a one count information with failure to maintain union records (29 U.S.C. Section 439(a)(b)).  The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.


On October 6, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Craig A. Bohn, former Financial Secretary Treasurer of Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) Local 558 (located in Green Bay, WI), was sentenced to one year probation, a $1,500 fine, and a $100 special assessment.  Bohn previously made restitution in the amount of $5,000.  On June 18, 2010, Bohn pled guilty to two counts of creating false union records.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.


On October 6, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Lance Hinerman, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 189 (located in Little Rock, AR), was sentenced to two years probation and a $200 assessment.  On July 6, 2010, Hinerman pled guilty to wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, a Class C Felony.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office and the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General.


On October 5, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, an information was filed charging Nickolas Weihert, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 4845 (located in Waukesha, WI), with three counts of embezzlement totaling $450.00.  The information states that the three counts were fraudulent transactions related to an embezzlement of $17,256.  The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.


On October 5, 2010, Joseph Kerwan, Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 112 (located in Elmira, NY), was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine in the Western District of New York.  On May 20, 2010, Kerwan pled guilty to falsification of union records. As part of the plea and sentencing, Kerwan made full restitution to his local union totaling $6,927.55.  The court action came as a result of an investigation by the Buffalo District Office.


On October 5, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Donald Kotouch, the former President and Business Agent of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1738 (located in Latrobe, PA), was charged in a two count indictment for embezzling $18,806.27 in union funds and falsifying union records.  The indictment follows an investigation by the Pittsburgh District Office.


On October 4, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Thomas Carrola, the former Secretary-Treasurer of IBEW Local 1919 (located in Pittsburgh, PA), was sentenced to two years probation for each of the two counts (to run concurrently) and six months home detention, and ordered to pay restitution of $35,057 and a $100 count assessment.  Carrola pled guilty on June 1, 2010 to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $35,057 and to falsifying union records.  Full restitution has been made to the union.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the Pittsburgh District Office.


On September 30, 2010, in the Mower County Minnesota District Court, Dustin Heichel, former General Chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Shortline General Committee of Adjustment (BLET GCA), located in Austin, MN, pled guilty to one count of gross misdemeanor theft and false representation in the amount of $1,562.12.  The plea follows an investigation by the Milwaukee District Office and the Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.


On September 29, 2010, in the United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Keith Hart, former Financial Secretary of Bakery Workers Local 315G (Mt. Vernon, IN), was sentenced to six months in a work release community corrections facility and three years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $13,904.69 and a $100.00 special assessment.  On July 6, 2010, Hart pled guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $13,904.69.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the Cincinnati District Office.


On September 28, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Woodrow Anderson, former Treasurer of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers (GMP) Local 208 (located in Bradenton, FL), was sentenced to probation for 24 months and 180 days of home confinement, and was ordered to pay Zurich North America the amount of $2,249.96 and a special assessment fee of $25.00.  On July 1, 2010, Anderson pled guilty to making a false statement of a material fact in a report or document required to be filed with the Secretary of Labor.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Tampa Resident Office.


On September 28, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Anthony Green, former Vice President and Recording Secretary of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers (GMP) Local 208 (located in Bradenton, FL), was sentenced to probation for 24 months and 180 days of home confinement, and was ordered to pay Zurich North America the amount of $3,073.10 and a special assessment fee of $25.00.  On July 12, 2010, Green pled guilty to making a false entry in, or willfully concealing, withholding, or destroying any book, record, report or statement required to be kept under the LMRDA.  Zurich North America paid a loss to GMP LU 208 as a result of Green’s dishonest claim filed after his embezzlement.  The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Tampa Resident Office.


On September 24, 2010, in the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada, former Bookkeeper Cheryl Staley was sentenced to five years probation, during which time she is restricted from entering a casino without first notifying the U.S. Probation Office; ordered to attend gambling addiction classes; ordered to pay $231,653.89 in restitution, plus 10% interest at $200/month; and ordered to pay $200 in court assessments.  In May 2010, Staley pled guilty to embezzling union funds and causing false entries in the LM reports filed by Local 501.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.


On September 23, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Donald Kister, former President of National Postal Mail Handlers Local 307 (located in Detroit, MI), was charged in a two-count indictment with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,137.35 between August 2006 and October 2007 and one count of making false statements.  The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.


On September 23, 2010, in Newton Massachusetts District Court, a criminal complaint was issued against Richard Dean, former Treasurer of Carpenters Local 275 in Newton, MA, charging him with 11 counts of larceny totaling $15,374.  The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.


On September 22, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Jonathan S. Deutsch, former Trustee of the West Virginia Heavy and Highway Construction Industry Fund, was indicted in a 25 count indictment of wire fraud involving approximately $750,000 in embezzled union funds.  The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office and the DOL OIG.


On September 21, 2010, in the United States District Court of New Jersey, Stephen P. Arena and David Caivano, President and Recording Secretary/Secretary-Treasurer, respectively, of Novelty and Production Workers Local 148 (located in Newark, N.J.), were indicted on 29 counts of conspiracy and embezzlement of approximately $375,000 in union funds.  The charge follows an investigation by OLMS New York District Office and the Labor OIG.


On September 16, 2010, in Madison County (NY) court, Gail Shingler, former Treasurer of the now defunct Steelworkers Local Union 53 (located in Oneida, NY), was sentenced after entering a guilty plea to one count of Grand Larceny in the fourth degree.  Shingler was sentenced to 60 days in jail after admitting to taking $2,572 from her former local union.  She made full restitution prior to her appearance in county court.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.


On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court of Eastern Texas, Michael Doggett, former Financial Secretary of Carpenters Local 502 (located in Orange, Texas), was indicted on one count of embezzlement from an employee benefit plan in the amount of $58,994, and one count of embezzlement from a labor union in the amount of $45,043.  The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Houston Resident Investigator Office, the Employee Benefits Security Administration and the FBI.


On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Brian Wilson, former Treasurer for AFSCME Local 2804 (located in Warren, Ohio), was sentenced to three years probation and 90 days home confinement.  On July 13, 2010, Wilson pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,500.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.


On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Ellsworth Williamson, former President of Steelworkers Local 5-1967 (located in Hamilton, Ohio), was charged with embezzling union funds in the amount of $5,159.16.  The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On September 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Joseph Chester, former President of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATC) Local ABQ (located in Albuquerque, N.M.), was indicted on 47 counts of wire fraud.  The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.


On September 14, 2010, in United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Robert W. Rybak, Business Manager and Financial Secretary of Plumbers Local 55 (located in Cleveland, Ohio), was indicted on conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy under the Hobbs Act, embezzlement or theft from a labor union, embezzlement or theft from an employee benefit fund, and tampering with a witness.  The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office, Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI.


On September 14, 2010, in the Hamilton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Tiffany Freeman was sentenced to two years community control and was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $2,260.  On August 6, 2010, Freeman pled guilty to three counts of forging checks belonging to Musicians Local 1 (located in Cincinnati, Ohio).  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On September 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Jerrold King, former President of Steelworkers Local 842 (located in Detroit, Mich.), was sentenced to 36 months of probation, including 90 days of home confinement, and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $70.06 and pay a $25 special assessment.  King previously made restitution in the amount of $900.  On June 14, 2010, King pled guilty to one count of concealing union records.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.


On September 13, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Paul Wyatt, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 220 (located in Sioux Falls, S.D.), was sentenced to six months incarceration followed by six months of home confinement, as well as three years supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,023 and a special assessment of $100.  On June 23, 2010, Wyatt pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $35,023.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.


On September 3, 2010, in the Clinton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Daniel Graves, former President of Teamsters Local 1224 (located in Wilmington, Ohio), pled guilty to persistent disorderly conduct.  Graves was then sentenced to 30 days incarceration, to be suspended pending good behavior.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On September 2, 2010, in the Superior Court of Washington County, Washington, Elizabeth Mills, former office manager of Laborers Local 901 (located in Mount Vernon, Wash), was sentenced to 20 days of incarceration and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,721.  On June 18, 2010, Mills pled guilty to theft of union funds in the same amount.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.


On September 1, 2010, in United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Joe Ann Duffy, former Project Organizer for the Teamsters (located in Washington, D.C.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $13,738. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.


On September 1, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Mozelle E. Means-Swanson, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 7139 (located in Aurora, Ill.), pled guilty to one count of willfully failing to maintain union records.  On May 6, 2009, Means-Swanson was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,900.  The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.


Of course, this is just a drop in the bucket.


__________________


“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.”  Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776


Cross-posted.


For more news & views on today’s labor unions, go to LaborUnionReport.com.




Wait, didn’t Rachel Maddow assure us on Friday that, unlike those mercenary wingnuts at Fox News who let Republican guests pitch donation URLs on the air, MSNBC is “not a political operation”? Six full minutes of fact-checkin’ fun here via Johnny Dollar, who not only spent hours piecing this lowlight reel together but has an accompanying post delving further into the hypocrisy. Somehow, Hannity and Palin raising money for conservatives is qualitatively different from Ed Schultz and Harold Ford doing the same for liberals. Which, I guess, is true: When Hannity and Palin push their side, they’re playing politics, whereas when Schultz and Ford push theirs, they’re making news. Please do take time to read his post and watch the clip; I promise, you’ll enjoy every minute.


As for the return of the modern-day Murrow to his perch atop Serious Newsman Mountain, this is simply too good not to be true:


“Keith is furious about the way this has all been handled and insisted that MSNBC bosses apologize to him before he would agree to return,” a network insider tells me. “Keith sees himself as the star of MSNBC, the person who put them on the map and discovered fellow network anchors Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell. To be treated like this by the network he helped shape, he considers disgusting.”…


“Keith clearly won this battle. Not only has he got the bosses to say sorry, but he’s also got the company to review its ethic rules,” a friend of Keith’s tells me. “You watch — his rating on Tuesday when he returns will be bigger than ever, giving him even more power at MSNBC.”


Jeff Bercovici at Forbes declares that this cements Olby’s status as the most powerful man at MSNBC, the thought of which seems to have Ace feeling depressed but which makes me perfectly happy. Remember, this is a guy whose buffoonery is such that even some JournoListers are left cringing at it. MSNBC’s hyperpartisan election night coverage was straight out of the Olby playbook, and predictably so alienating to everyone except far-left liberals that more than one TV critic acknowledged with teeth gnashed that Fox’s coverage was more balanced. Why wouldn’t you want him in charge? They should make him program director and give him extra airtime so that he doesn’t have to pare down his lists of who’s worse than Al Qaeda due to time constraints. And besides, as I said on Friday, his suspension was stupid to begin with. All’s well that ends well!



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The Inevitable Taiwanese <b>News</b> Animation about the TSA&#39;s Touching <b>...</b>

Does anyone know if this animation, or any of these CGI clips from NMA.tv, actually appeared on TV news in Taiwan? Because their website seems more like it's mostly an online thing - I would love to see video of this actually being ...

Eva Longoria Files for Divorce from Tony Parker | TMZ.com

MAKE TMZ MY HOMEPAGE; TMZ RSS/XML � iPHONE APP � ANDROID APP � TEXT ALERT � FACEBOOK � MYSPACE � TWITTER � YOUTUBE � TIPS � Sign In | Sign Up. HOT SEARCHES: Sebastian Bach | Princess Diana | Brittny Gastineau � TMZ AOL News ...

<b>News</b> - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.


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benchcraft company scam

UCLA service workers on strike by kalavinka


bench craft company scam

The Inevitable Taiwanese <b>News</b> Animation about the TSA&#39;s Touching <b>...</b>

Does anyone know if this animation, or any of these CGI clips from NMA.tv, actually appeared on TV news in Taiwan? Because their website seems more like it's mostly an online thing - I would love to see video of this actually being ...

Eva Longoria Files for Divorce from Tony Parker | TMZ.com

MAKE TMZ MY HOMEPAGE; TMZ RSS/XML � iPHONE APP � ANDROID APP � TEXT ALERT � FACEBOOK � MYSPACE � TWITTER � YOUTUBE � TIPS � Sign In | Sign Up. HOT SEARCHES: Sebastian Bach | Princess Diana | Brittny Gastineau � TMZ AOL News ...

<b>News</b> - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.


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With the miderm election wrapping up next week, win or lose, union bosses will be heading back to their offices and settling in to their normal routine of plotting, lobbying, visiting the White House, targeting employees and antagonizing employers, as well as finding ways to nationalize a few more industries and kill some more jobs.  In other words, it will be back to business as usual.


More importantly, though, with the election over, union bosses won’t be having to dump hundreds of millions on Democrats again for another…year and a half.  Which means they can finally start spending their members’ money on the more mundane things that fill a union bosses’ life.


Then, of course, there are the less mundane things to fill some union bosses’ lives, like trying to avoid getting caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar…


On October 20, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Gilbert Woods, former President of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 84768 (located in Kettering, OH), was sentenced to five years probation and six months house arrest.  He was ordered to pay restitution of $25,465, which included $20,000 to Travelers Insurance and $5,465 to the union.  He was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $25.  On July 21, 2010, Woods pled guilty to one count of making false entries in union records.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On October 15, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Aaron Hunter, former President of Firefighters Local 108-F (located in Fort Leonard Wood, MO), was sentenced to one year probation for the charge of making false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001 to conceal his embezzlement of union funds.  Hunter paid restitution totaling $30,000 prior to his sentencing.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.


On October 15, 2010, in Circuit Court for Arlington County, Virginia, Richard James, former President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1402 (located in Arlington, VA), was sentenced to two years incarceration (all suspended), two years supervised probation, and 75 hours of community service for embezzling $9,850 from the union in violation of Section 18.2-111 of the Virginia Code.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office and the Arlington County Police Department.


On October 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Deidra Lucas, former President of American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 100 (located in Pontiac, MI), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $5,283.20.  Lucas is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2011.  The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.


On October 8, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of Eastern Pennsylvania, Amar Ali, former Treasurer of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) Sub-Lodge 695 (located in Baltimore, MD), was charged in a one count information with failure to maintain union records (29 U.S.C. Section 439(a)(b)).  The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia District Office.


On October 6, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Craig A. Bohn, former Financial Secretary Treasurer of Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) Local 558 (located in Green Bay, WI), was sentenced to one year probation, a $1,500 fine, and a $100 special assessment.  Bohn previously made restitution in the amount of $5,000.  On June 18, 2010, Bohn pled guilty to two counts of creating false union records.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.


On October 6, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Lance Hinerman, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 189 (located in Little Rock, AR), was sentenced to two years probation and a $200 assessment.  On July 6, 2010, Hinerman pled guilty to wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, a Class C Felony.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas District Office and the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General.


On October 5, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, an information was filed charging Nickolas Weihert, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 4845 (located in Waukesha, WI), with three counts of embezzlement totaling $450.00.  The information states that the three counts were fraudulent transactions related to an embezzlement of $17,256.  The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.


On October 5, 2010, Joseph Kerwan, Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 112 (located in Elmira, NY), was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine in the Western District of New York.  On May 20, 2010, Kerwan pled guilty to falsification of union records. As part of the plea and sentencing, Kerwan made full restitution to his local union totaling $6,927.55.  The court action came as a result of an investigation by the Buffalo District Office.


On October 5, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Donald Kotouch, the former President and Business Agent of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1738 (located in Latrobe, PA), was charged in a two count indictment for embezzling $18,806.27 in union funds and falsifying union records.  The indictment follows an investigation by the Pittsburgh District Office.


On October 4, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Thomas Carrola, the former Secretary-Treasurer of IBEW Local 1919 (located in Pittsburgh, PA), was sentenced to two years probation for each of the two counts (to run concurrently) and six months home detention, and ordered to pay restitution of $35,057 and a $100 count assessment.  Carrola pled guilty on June 1, 2010 to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $35,057 and to falsifying union records.  Full restitution has been made to the union.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the Pittsburgh District Office.


On September 30, 2010, in the Mower County Minnesota District Court, Dustin Heichel, former General Chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Shortline General Committee of Adjustment (BLET GCA), located in Austin, MN, pled guilty to one count of gross misdemeanor theft and false representation in the amount of $1,562.12.  The plea follows an investigation by the Milwaukee District Office and the Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.


On September 29, 2010, in the United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Keith Hart, former Financial Secretary of Bakery Workers Local 315G (Mt. Vernon, IN), was sentenced to six months in a work release community corrections facility and three years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $13,904.69 and a $100.00 special assessment.  On July 6, 2010, Hart pled guilty to one count of embezzlement in the amount of $13,904.69.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the Cincinnati District Office.


On September 28, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Woodrow Anderson, former Treasurer of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers (GMP) Local 208 (located in Bradenton, FL), was sentenced to probation for 24 months and 180 days of home confinement, and was ordered to pay Zurich North America the amount of $2,249.96 and a special assessment fee of $25.00.  On July 1, 2010, Anderson pled guilty to making a false statement of a material fact in a report or document required to be filed with the Secretary of Labor.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Tampa Resident Office.


On September 28, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Anthony Green, former Vice President and Recording Secretary of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers (GMP) Local 208 (located in Bradenton, FL), was sentenced to probation for 24 months and 180 days of home confinement, and was ordered to pay Zurich North America the amount of $3,073.10 and a special assessment fee of $25.00.  On July 12, 2010, Green pled guilty to making a false entry in, or willfully concealing, withholding, or destroying any book, record, report or statement required to be kept under the LMRDA.  Zurich North America paid a loss to GMP LU 208 as a result of Green’s dishonest claim filed after his embezzlement.  The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Tampa Resident Office.


On September 24, 2010, in the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada, former Bookkeeper Cheryl Staley was sentenced to five years probation, during which time she is restricted from entering a casino without first notifying the U.S. Probation Office; ordered to attend gambling addiction classes; ordered to pay $231,653.89 in restitution, plus 10% interest at $200/month; and ordered to pay $200 in court assessments.  In May 2010, Staley pled guilty to embezzling union funds and causing false entries in the LM reports filed by Local 501.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Los Angeles District Office.


On September 23, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Donald Kister, former President of National Postal Mail Handlers Local 307 (located in Detroit, MI), was charged in a two-count indictment with one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,137.35 between August 2006 and October 2007 and one count of making false statements.  The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.


On September 23, 2010, in Newton Massachusetts District Court, a criminal complaint was issued against Richard Dean, former Treasurer of Carpenters Local 275 in Newton, MA, charging him with 11 counts of larceny totaling $15,374.  The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston District Office.


On September 22, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Jonathan S. Deutsch, former Trustee of the West Virginia Heavy and Highway Construction Industry Fund, was indicted in a 25 count indictment of wire fraud involving approximately $750,000 in embezzled union funds.  The indictment follows a joint investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office and the DOL OIG.


On September 21, 2010, in the United States District Court of New Jersey, Stephen P. Arena and David Caivano, President and Recording Secretary/Secretary-Treasurer, respectively, of Novelty and Production Workers Local 148 (located in Newark, N.J.), were indicted on 29 counts of conspiracy and embezzlement of approximately $375,000 in union funds.  The charge follows an investigation by OLMS New York District Office and the Labor OIG.


On September 16, 2010, in Madison County (NY) court, Gail Shingler, former Treasurer of the now defunct Steelworkers Local Union 53 (located in Oneida, NY), was sentenced after entering a guilty plea to one count of Grand Larceny in the fourth degree.  Shingler was sentenced to 60 days in jail after admitting to taking $2,572 from her former local union.  She made full restitution prior to her appearance in county court.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Buffalo District Office.


On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court of Eastern Texas, Michael Doggett, former Financial Secretary of Carpenters Local 502 (located in Orange, Texas), was indicted on one count of embezzlement from an employee benefit plan in the amount of $58,994, and one count of embezzlement from a labor union in the amount of $45,043.  The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Houston Resident Investigator Office, the Employee Benefits Security Administration and the FBI.


On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Brian Wilson, former Treasurer for AFSCME Local 2804 (located in Warren, Ohio), was sentenced to three years probation and 90 days home confinement.  On July 13, 2010, Wilson pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $10,500.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.


On September 15, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Ellsworth Williamson, former President of Steelworkers Local 5-1967 (located in Hamilton, Ohio), was charged with embezzling union funds in the amount of $5,159.16.  The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On September 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Joseph Chester, former President of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATC) Local ABQ (located in Albuquerque, N.M.), was indicted on 47 counts of wire fraud.  The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.


On September 14, 2010, in United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Robert W. Rybak, Business Manager and Financial Secretary of Plumbers Local 55 (located in Cleveland, Ohio), was indicted on conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy under the Hobbs Act, embezzlement or theft from a labor union, embezzlement or theft from an employee benefit fund, and tampering with a witness.  The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office, Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI.


On September 14, 2010, in the Hamilton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Tiffany Freeman was sentenced to two years community control and was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $2,260.  On August 6, 2010, Freeman pled guilty to three counts of forging checks belonging to Musicians Local 1 (located in Cincinnati, Ohio).  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On September 14, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Jerrold King, former President of Steelworkers Local 842 (located in Detroit, Mich.), was sentenced to 36 months of probation, including 90 days of home confinement, and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $70.06 and pay a $25 special assessment.  King previously made restitution in the amount of $900.  On June 14, 2010, King pled guilty to one count of concealing union records.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.


On September 13, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Paul Wyatt, former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Stage and Picture Operators (IATSE) Local 220 (located in Sioux Falls, S.D.), was sentenced to six months incarceration followed by six months of home confinement, as well as three years supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,023 and a special assessment of $100.  On June 23, 2010, Wyatt pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $35,023.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.


On September 3, 2010, in the Clinton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Daniel Graves, former President of Teamsters Local 1224 (located in Wilmington, Ohio), pled guilty to persistent disorderly conduct.  Graves was then sentenced to 30 days incarceration, to be suspended pending good behavior.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office.


On September 2, 2010, in the Superior Court of Washington County, Washington, Elizabeth Mills, former office manager of Laborers Local 901 (located in Mount Vernon, Wash), was sentenced to 20 days of incarceration and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,721.  On June 18, 2010, Mills pled guilty to theft of union funds in the same amount.  The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.


On September 1, 2010, in United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Joe Ann Duffy, former Project Organizer for the Teamsters (located in Washington, D.C.), pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $13,738. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office.


On September 1, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Mozelle E. Means-Swanson, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 7139 (located in Aurora, Ill.), pled guilty to one count of willfully failing to maintain union records.  On May 6, 2009, Means-Swanson was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $4,900.  The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.


Of course, this is just a drop in the bucket.


__________________


“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.”  Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776


Cross-posted.


For more news & views on today’s labor unions, go to LaborUnionReport.com.




Wait, didn’t Rachel Maddow assure us on Friday that, unlike those mercenary wingnuts at Fox News who let Republican guests pitch donation URLs on the air, MSNBC is “not a political operation”? Six full minutes of fact-checkin’ fun here via Johnny Dollar, who not only spent hours piecing this lowlight reel together but has an accompanying post delving further into the hypocrisy. Somehow, Hannity and Palin raising money for conservatives is qualitatively different from Ed Schultz and Harold Ford doing the same for liberals. Which, I guess, is true: When Hannity and Palin push their side, they’re playing politics, whereas when Schultz and Ford push theirs, they’re making news. Please do take time to read his post and watch the clip; I promise, you’ll enjoy every minute.


As for the return of the modern-day Murrow to his perch atop Serious Newsman Mountain, this is simply too good not to be true:


“Keith is furious about the way this has all been handled and insisted that MSNBC bosses apologize to him before he would agree to return,” a network insider tells me. “Keith sees himself as the star of MSNBC, the person who put them on the map and discovered fellow network anchors Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell. To be treated like this by the network he helped shape, he considers disgusting.”…


“Keith clearly won this battle. Not only has he got the bosses to say sorry, but he’s also got the company to review its ethic rules,” a friend of Keith’s tells me. “You watch — his rating on Tuesday when he returns will be bigger than ever, giving him even more power at MSNBC.”


Jeff Bercovici at Forbes declares that this cements Olby’s status as the most powerful man at MSNBC, the thought of which seems to have Ace feeling depressed but which makes me perfectly happy. Remember, this is a guy whose buffoonery is such that even some JournoListers are left cringing at it. MSNBC’s hyperpartisan election night coverage was straight out of the Olby playbook, and predictably so alienating to everyone except far-left liberals that more than one TV critic acknowledged with teeth gnashed that Fox’s coverage was more balanced. Why wouldn’t you want him in charge? They should make him program director and give him extra airtime so that he doesn’t have to pare down his lists of who’s worse than Al Qaeda due to time constraints. And besides, as I said on Friday, his suspension was stupid to begin with. All’s well that ends well!



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The Inevitable Taiwanese <b>News</b> Animation about the TSA&#39;s Touching <b>...</b>

Does anyone know if this animation, or any of these CGI clips from NMA.tv, actually appeared on TV news in Taiwan? Because their website seems more like it's mostly an online thing - I would love to see video of this actually being ...

Eva Longoria Files for Divorce from Tony Parker | TMZ.com

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<b>News</b> - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.


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The Inevitable Taiwanese <b>News</b> Animation about the TSA&#39;s Touching <b>...</b>

Does anyone know if this animation, or any of these CGI clips from NMA.tv, actually appeared on TV news in Taiwan? Because their website seems more like it's mostly an online thing - I would love to see video of this actually being ...

Eva Longoria Files for Divorce from Tony Parker | TMZ.com

MAKE TMZ MY HOMEPAGE; TMZ RSS/XML � iPHONE APP � ANDROID APP � TEXT ALERT � FACEBOOK � MYSPACE � TWITTER � YOUTUBE � TIPS � Sign In | Sign Up. HOT SEARCHES: Sebastian Bach | Princess Diana | Brittny Gastineau � TMZ AOL News ...

<b>News</b> - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.


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The Inevitable Taiwanese <b>News</b> Animation about the TSA&#39;s Touching <b>...</b>

Does anyone know if this animation, or any of these CGI clips from NMA.tv, actually appeared on TV news in Taiwan? Because their website seems more like it's mostly an online thing - I would love to see video of this actually being ...

Eva Longoria Files for Divorce from Tony Parker | TMZ.com

MAKE TMZ MY HOMEPAGE; TMZ RSS/XML � iPHONE APP � ANDROID APP � TEXT ALERT � FACEBOOK � MYSPACE � TWITTER � YOUTUBE � TIPS � Sign In | Sign Up. HOT SEARCHES: Sebastian Bach | Princess Diana | Brittny Gastineau � TMZ AOL News ...

<b>News</b> - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.


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The Inevitable Taiwanese <b>News</b> Animation about the TSA&#39;s Touching <b>...</b>

Does anyone know if this animation, or any of these CGI clips from NMA.tv, actually appeared on TV news in Taiwan? Because their website seems more like it's mostly an online thing - I would love to see video of this actually being ...

Eva Longoria Files for Divorce from Tony Parker | TMZ.com

MAKE TMZ MY HOMEPAGE; TMZ RSS/XML � iPHONE APP � ANDROID APP � TEXT ALERT � FACEBOOK � MYSPACE � TWITTER � YOUTUBE � TIPS � Sign In | Sign Up. HOT SEARCHES: Sebastian Bach | Princess Diana | Brittny Gastineau � TMZ AOL News ...

<b>News</b> - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.


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UCLA service workers on strike by kalavinka


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